The Syunik region of Armenia is the most remote region of Armenia and suffers from the highest unemployment in the country: 67%, of which 70% are women. Furthermore, with high unemployment rates, there are also high rates of work related migration. The purpose of establishing Wool to Carpet Studio is to combat the two issues through job creation and economic development in the largest village in t
he Syunik region: Shinuhayr. Shinuhayr was one of the developed villages of the Syunik region as a result of a shoe factory in the village that employed around 800 locals from surrounding areas. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the factory was closed and as a result the village was hit with large numbers of migration to Russia, and is now mostly dependent on remittances from those who migrated. While men work abroad and the factory eventually closed down, few resources existed for women who have little to no formal education. Therefore it is very difficult for women to gain financial independence, much less get out of poverty without a good education. From this, our desire is to help women support themselves and their family and to gain financial independence. Shinuyahr and the surrounding villages operate mostly on subsistence-based agriculture, and the largest resource in the area is sheep. However, the wool was mostly considered a waste product and was unused. The idea of this project is to take what was once considered waste and create a marketable, high-demand product produced by local women. With training and funding assistance, we are working on restoring a once prosperous factory into income generating opportunity for the women of Shinuhayr village and surrounding villages. With our partners* we raised most of the money needed to begin renovating the factory to an operational level. However, with the help of our partners, we hope to not only finish renovations, but to transform the Wool to Carpet project into a touristic attraction that can potentially draw more tourists into the area. We are purchasing raw wool from local farmers in the 14 surrounding villages under a rotating purchasing plan. This purchasing plan will allow us to source wool from various villages and expand the positive economic impact of the project outside of simply Shinuhayr. Furthermore, we expect to tap into existing touristic attractions in the local area to create a developmental hub based around the sustainable jobs associated with this project. Shinuhayr village is located on the way to the Wings of Tatev (World’s longest cable car found in the Guinness World’s Record) and the Tatev Monastery. During the touristic season (April – October) there are significant amount of tour buses that pass by Shinuhayer but there was a never reason to stop in the village due to the lack of tourism opportunities and destination management. This project in Shinuhayr will act as the anchor institution that other projects can grow out of. Not only will there be a handmade unique product, directly benefiting local women, but the facility will also act as a place where tourist can learn more about the traditional yarn and carpet making methods of the region. By creating a unique product with an interactive, educational experience in the Shinuhayr village it will give tourists a reason to stop and visit on their way to neighboring tourist attractions such as the Tatev Monastery. This will help further develop the area by attracting more tourists and inciting them to stay longer, therefore building the local economy.
*Lernahayastan Foundation, World Vision, OSCE, PUM, Hupert H. Humphrey Almuni Impact Award, IWAY, HERA Foundation
