EU helps young Armenian entrepreneur learn important skills for her business

Ani Gevorgyan is a teacher-psychologist by profession, living in the Armenian city of Sevan, Gegharkunik Province.

Knitting used to be just a hobby for the young woman, but recently, she has been keen on developing it to a business and selling her handmade products.

Ani started crocheting when she was 11–12 years old, and she even attended an extracurricular activity club for knitting.

“After that, I did not pick up a hook for about eight years. When I started knitting again, I was making purses for myself, and a friend suggested I could sell them online. I thought it was a good idea, so I set up a website.”

“At first, my family had to help me buy yarn, but now I can afford to purchase the materials myself,” Ani says proudly.

According to the young entrepreneur, the training has equipped her with optimism and motivation. Even when orders stop coming in, she does not despair:

“At one point, I thought I would not succeed, but the training had taught me not to give up.”

Ani sells her products at a competitive price, as she aims to attract all walks of life:

“I want to show people that clean and safe children’s toys don’t have to cost a fortune.”

In addition to her online shop, in the future Ani wants to open a brick-and-mortar location.

The EU project ‘EU4Youth: Fostering potential for greater employability’ is implemented by the Armenian Red Cross Society. Regional project coordinator Gayane Agumyan says that thanks to this initiative there are four clubs in the provinces of Geghrkunik and Tavush where young people can receive training on new life skills.

“The goal of the project is to build bridges between youth and employers. We provide trainings based on young people’s needs, so that they can stay and work in their provinces instead of emigrate,” explains Gayane.

 Author: Roza Hovhannisyan

Article published in Armenian, Russian and English by Lragir.am