Country
Armenia

Local Project Partners
UNHCR,
Various training institutions

German Project Partners
n.n.

Donator
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Duration
4 January 2016 to 28 February 2018
(Overall project term)

The civil war in Syria has forced many Syrians of Armenian origin to seek refuge in their ancestral homeland. Ongoing instability in Syria and deteriorating prospects in the main refugee destination countries have made people more willing to contribute to the Armenian economy. For its part, the Armenian government is hoping this will inject new impetus into the country’s economy.

The project aims to foster refugees’ integration in Armenian society by providing induction seminars on key areas of everyday Armenian life, and the ins and outs of the Armenian finance sector in particular. For their part, Armenian financial institutions are being empowered to serve this customer group. With the help of Sparkassenstiftung’s Micro Business Game, refugees wanting to start up a business are being taught the skills they need to manage a small enterprise. A small credit fund will provide the funding needed to realise these business ideas.