More students will be able to attend a quality school this year thanks to an effort undertaken by the U.S. Embassy in Armenia to renovate Kindergarten #59 in the Davitashen district of Yerevan.

The school recently completed a $285,000 renovation which was funded by the U.S. Embassy’s Office of Defense Cooperation. Since 2009, the Embassy, through the U.S. military’s European Command’s Humanitarian Assistance Program, has provided more than $5 million dollars to fund 26 renovation projects in Armenia.

“Children deserve a safe, welcoming school building. And I think with this renovation, the children of kindergarten #59 have that,” said Charge d ’Affaires Rafik Mansour, during the ribbon cutting for the school on Tuesday, September 6. He was joined by Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Aram Sukiasyan, leaders from the Davitashen District.

Several classrooms and restrooms in the kindergarten that were previously unuseable were renovated through the project, which was managed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers and completed by CESCO construction. Thanks to the project, the school was able to eliminate its waiting list of about 100 students and provide quality education to an increased number of students.

“I’m glad to be here today and the U.S. embassy is proud to have done this project. Because it is this generation, these children that will continue the strides we are seeing in Armenia, who will take an improved Armenia and make it even better,” Charge d ’Affaires Mansour said. “And they will be better equipped to do so thanks to the education they will get, starting here in this beautiful renovated building.”