On 2 October, 2018, on the eve of the Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization’s (Aleppo-NGO) five-year anniversary, the Aleppo Cuisine center established by the Aleppo-NGO had the honor to host the Leader of the Armenian Diocese of Beroea of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, His Eminence Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian.

Aleppo-NGO’s Founding member and Vice-President Dzovig Baytarian conveyed the Organization’s welcoming speech to the participants. After presenting the activities of the past five years of  Aleppo-NGO, she expressed her gratitude to attendees for being with the organization and for their contribution to the activities of Aleppo-NGO.

The Leader of the Armenian Diocese of Beroea of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, His Eminence Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, blessed the newly established center and mentioned that he appreciated all of this work implemented by Syrian Armenian women.

At the “Aleppo Cuisine” center, the honorable guests of the blessing ceremony also hosted Mohammad Haj Ibrahim, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic to RA and Consul Bashar Safiye.

The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic to RA Mohammad Haj Ibrahim, in his welcome speech encouraged the Aleppo-NGO’s five years activities and highlighted the establishment of the Aleppo Cuisine center. The latter’s aim is to support the solution the employment problems of Syrian community, particularly women and persons with special needs.

A member of the Aleppo-NGO’s council of women, Tania Der-Boghosian, conveyed the greetings of the organization’s to the honorable guests in Arabic.

After the official part of the ceremony, the cake, dedicated to Aleppo-NGO’s five years activities, was symbolically cut.

As a reminder, Aleppo-NGO, whose activity is fully aimed at revealing problems of the Syrian-Armenian community and finding appropriate solutions to them, since 2017,  has directed its work to solve the Syrian refugees’ employment problem by initiating and launching the social program of the “Aleppo Cuisine” center.

Taking into account the high level of unemployment among Syrian refugees, particularly Syrian-Armenian women, and taking into account their core capacity of culinary skills,  Aleppo-NGO established “Aleppo Cuisine” center. The latter’s aim is to create jobs for Syrian-Armenian women and contribute to their economic and social development in Armenia.

The establishment of “Aleppo Cuisine” center also aims to promote the involvement of Syrian refugees in the civilian life.

The beneficiaries of the program are Syrian refugees who are unemployed and have special needs.

The establishment of “Aleppo Cuisine” center highlights the idea, that the profit derived from the culinary activity will be served in the establishment of new jobs and providing humanitarian assistance to people who became refugees as a result of the Syrian conflict and Syrian refugees in Armenia.