2022 Annual Report
Anoush Mathevosian
During 2022, FAR said goodbye to Anoush Mathevosian. A visionary in philanthropy, a dedicated supporter of FAR, and a friend, Anoush passed away in New York at the age of 86.
A former nurse, she became a self-made real estate entrepreneur, through which she supported numerous initiatives to improve lives in Armenia and strengthen the fabric of the nation.
One of her most well-known endeavors was the creation of the Mathevosian Scholarship Program, which has helped more than 500 students to attend university.
Born in 1926 in the New Julfa Armenian quarter in Isfahan, Iran, Anoush came to the U.S. after being selected as one of the winners of a competition to study in the United States. She became a registered nurse after studying a New York Medical School, then continued her studies at Columbia University Teachers College, earning a degree in Public Health Administration. She spent 16 years as an administrator at the City Hospital of Elmhurst in New York and eventually began investing in real estate with her sister, Siranush. Their success led to the start of their efforts in philanthropy.
When the earthquake struck Gyumri and Spitak, Anoush and her sister Siranush donated to relief efforts, starting what would become long-term support for relief and development in their ethnic homeland of Armenia.
In 1997, Anoush funded the construction of Siranush Summer Camp in Vayots Dzor, named after her then-deceased sister, which gave orphans and the children of single parents the carefree childhood experience of spending several weeks in nature, learning how to be independent, more confident, and how to make new friends.
She went on to fund renovations of the library and the Charents Auditorium, both part of the Department of Philology atYerevan State University. She also funded the construction of a school in Vanadzor.
Her most extensive contribution was the Mathevosian Scholarship Program, which continues to provide scholarship opportunities to students from disadvantaged families. Thanks to a Mathevosian Scholarship, 500 students have already received their higher education, able to pursue their professional goals as doctors, diplomats, teachers, engineers, and IT professionals.
Anush’s approach to transforming Armenia through philanthropy and development was also acknowledged in 2010 by the Armenian government and His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians, with the St. Gregory the Illuminator Medal, the highest award of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In Memoriam:
One of her most well-known endeavors was the creation of the Mathevosian Scholarship Program, which has helped more than 500 students to attend university.
Jerair Nishanian
FAR lost Jerair Nishanian in 2022, a dear friend of the organization and an exceptional human being. He passed away in March.
Jerair was deeply influenced by his parents’ past and he developed strong feelings for his heritage and ancestral motherland, Armenia. He always felt a sense of duty and a deep desire to provide assistance to orphaned children and underprivileged young Armenians so that they could nurture their talents and achieve their God-given potential.
Through his Nishanian Foundation, Jerair created the Jerair Nishanian Scholarship Program, which FAR launched in 2002. The first scholarships were provided solely to students at Gavar State University (GSU) in Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province. Support for GSU expanded in 2005 with funding for the renovation of its Faculty of Humanities and some additional classrooms through the Nishanian Foundation. In 2010, the foundation started to sponsor the ever-expanding use of the university’s telecommunications.
In 2007, the Jerair Nishanian Scholarship began to assist students at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia in Yerevan, and in 2011 the students at the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (Yerevan).Himself an exceptional civil engineer, Jerair’s extension of sponsorship to aspiring young architects and engineers was very dear to his heart.
In all, the Jerair Nishanian Scholarship Program has helped around 600 students from low-income families to receive a higher education since it began. The foundation also supported the families of fallen heroes of the Artsakh War, including the family of 19-year-old Narek Varzhapetyan, a former Jerair Nishanian Scholarship student.
In Memoriam:
He always felt a sense of duty and a deep desire to provide assistance to orphaned children and underprivileged young Armenians so that they could nurture their talents and achieve their God-given potential.