On July 7, 2018, the Syrian refugee youth within the framework of “Better Future for Syrian-Armenian Youth” project joined the celebration the feast of Vardavar, one of the oldest Armenian national festivals where people drench each other with water.

The feast was organized thanks to joint efforts of the Youth Unions of the Araratian Diocese and Yerevan Municipality, in the frames of the events dedicated to 2800th anniversary of the city of Yerevan.

The event commenced with a parade from St. Sarkis Vicarial Church towards Children’s Park, followed by a performance of Armenian national dances and songs and water-splashing, which signifies

The “Better Future for Syrian-Armenian Youth” project is a joint effort implemented by Aleppo-NGO and WCC Armenian Round Table Foundation. The project aims to empower Syrian-Armenian youth, who escaped the ongoing conflict in Syria and settled in Armenia, through capacity building trainings, pastoral and psychological support, the provision of financial aid to students, interns and fellows, and the organization of pilgrimages and summer camps that facilitate integration with local youth. Some of the initial capacity training programs included Architecture Software Training, Conversational English Classes, First Aid Training, and Microsoft Office Courses.