Support mechanisms can only be effective when people are aware of them, understand the opportunities available to them, and are able to navigate the process of accessing them.
In Vardenis and Chambarak, Gegharkunik Region, the Socio-Economic Integration of Refugees in Armenia (SEIRA) programme organised information and awareness-raising sessions for forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh.
The sessions provided information on existing state support programmes, as well as initiatives implemented by the Unified Social Service for forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh.
At the same time, the value of such sessions extends beyond the provision of information. They create a two-way exchange, allowing beneficiaries to raise questions and share their experiences, thereby providing a clearer understanding of the informational and practical barriers they may encounter when accessing available state support programmes.
In this way, awareness-raising contributes to making existing support mechanisms more accessible and actionable for those they are intended to serve, while strengthening the foundations for sustainable socio-economic integration at the community level.
“Socio-Economic Integration of Refugees in Armenia” (SEIRA) project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and implemented by the Strategic Development Agency NGO and the UN World Food Programme.