Len Wicks, a resident of Australia and New Zealand, married an Armenian woman, Armine Hakobyan, five years ago. It was then that he discovered the Armenian highland and grew fond of the villages scattered around it, as well as the people living there, the nature and the historical monuments of this country.

“This nation has great potential. I think, Armenia can become one of the world’s tourist centers. As far as I could see, Armenians are very industrious people. I believe, the local youth have great future, but that requires certain changes. This could be achieved through cooperation with the Armenian Diaspora. The latter possesses great potential to ensure Armenia’s development,” says Len Wicks.

“This program involves micro-projects, carried out thank to the Armenian communities of Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. So, we are thus trying to contribute to the development of Armenian villages. Having married Armine, I took a treasure from Armenia, and now I realize that it’s my turn to do something for this wonderful country,” he explains.

The ‘Adopt a Village’ program has been carried out in Vayots Dzor province, South Armenia, involving Areni, Rind and Shatin villages.