On September 7, Fuller Center for Housing Armenia, Heifer International Armenian Branch office, and USAID presented the activities and achievements of the Advanced Rural Development Initiative during a public event in Yerevan. 

Launched in 2013, the Advanced Rural Development Initiative (ARDI) was a five-year program, funded by USAID and implemented by Fuller Center for Housing Armenia in partnership with Heifer Project International Armenian Branch Office. The program was aimed at increasing rural employment in Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Lori, and Tavush regions of Armenia by addressing existing constraints to rural economic development. In so doing, the program targeted three main agricultural value chains: dairy processing, fruit processing, and rural tourism.

Over the past five years, ARDI helped improve incomes and livelihoods of more than 7,000 people in 52 rural communities across Armenia. The program developed the skills of more than 1,500 aspiring entrepreneurs, among them women and youth; provided 115 grants to small and medium start-up businesses; implemented 80 community projects to improve rural economic infrastructure; and created long- and short-term employment opportunities for about 1,500 rural residents.

ARDI activities included competitive assessment of target communities, evaluation of value chains, financial and non-financial support, infrastructure development, environment protection, and program evaluation components.