IDBank has entered a new partnership under its “Side by Side” initiative to support families forcibly displaced from Artsakh who are now living in the Sevan community. The bank and the Dekavva charitable foundation say they will work together to promote the families’ socio-economic integration and improve access to education and the labor market.
Tatevik Vardevanyan, Head of the Communications and Sustainable Development Department at IDBank, said the new phase of the program will involve working with every member of the family, from children to adults. She said the aim is to deliver practical results by helping families address both social issues and challenges tied to integration into the community. Vardevanyan added that the work carried out through “Harehas” could have a meaningful impact on the future of compatriots displaced from Artsakh.
Adriana Marutyan, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Dekavva charitable foundation, said the program will take into account the needs and difficulties of each family and apply an individual approach in every case. She said that because “Harehas” is community-based, people displaced from Artsakh can create something new in each community where they live, including projects, businesses and other initiatives.
IDBank said it has been continuously supporting families forcibly displaced from Artsakh since 2023 as part of the “Side by Side” program, with a focus on integration and helping them rebuild their future in Armenia. More recently, the bank also covered the tuition fees of 103 students from Artsakh studying at Yerevan State University.
According to Vardevanyan, the bank’s initial assistance was mainly social in nature and focused on basic living costs, but the emphasis later shifted toward education, professional training and the development of new skills. In her view, that approach should help people secure long-term employment and address social needs more independently.
In the near future, the bank also plans to hold financial literacy courses in these communities to help families gain the knowledge and skills needed to make sound and informed financial decisions.
IDBANK IS SUPERVISED BY THE CBA.
