Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new Smart Center of the "Children of Armenia" Fund (COAF) and the opening ceremony of the first building of the COAF Smart Village, the Child and Family Center named after Youredjian, in Myasnikyan settlement of Armavir region.

The Prime Minister welcomed those present, thanked the COAF and the philanthropic Youredjian family for this initiative. In his speech, the Head of the Government referred to certain nuances in the relations between the Diaspora and the Republic of Armenia, which should be changed, because today the agenda and needs of the Republic of Armenia have changed, and here everyone can earn a living with his work. According to Nikol Pashinyan, the new model of cooperation between the Diaspora and Armenia or the use of the potential of the Diaspora is that the Diaspora, together with the Government and other organizations, creates a platform for people to acquire new skills to earn a living. "And this model has already justified itself, and I want to thank you again for this initiative," said the Prime Minister.

And in that context, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of education and knowledge. "I want to reflect on the important words about hope that were spoken from this podium. We must understand what lies between hope and despair. I believe there is only one thing between hope and despair: education and knowledge. Moreover, this applies to both the individual, the nation, and the state, because hope or despair is the ability or inability or lack of ability to manage one's own situation," said Nikol Pashinyan.

In that regard, the Prime Minister emphasized the activity of Smart Centers, because these initiatives help people to acquire knowledge. The Head of the Government noted that behind any crisis at the state, individual, national, and community level is lack of knowledge, we as individuals, as a nation, as a state need to be educated, and the key to solving all our problems is education. "I don't want anyone to get the impression that I am accusing us of being uneducated. It's not about that at all, because I think, firstly, education is never too much and not enough, and secondly, emphasizing the need and priority of education is the most important criterion and indicator of being educated," Nikol Pashinyan emphasized.

The purpose of the "Children of Armenia" charity foundation is to increase the quality of life of the rural population of Armenia, focusing particularly on programs and needs related to children and youth. One of the goals of the construction of the Smart Center in Armavir, as well as the establishment of the new Child and Family Center, is to create equal educational opportunities for the residents of the region. Using modern technology and innovative teaching methodology, the Smart Center will offer free non-formal education opportunities to children and youth. And the Child and Family Center named after Youredjian will provide comprehensive services for the development, psychological, speech therapy and social work of children of different age groups.