On October 22, the “My Step” Charitable Foundation, Yerevan Municipality, Tshakhruk NGO, Yeremyan Projects and Diamond Restaurant signed a memorandum on the establishment of the Tshakhruk Social Coffee House.

The memorandum was signed by Executive Director of the “My Step” Charitable Foundation Anna Hakobyan, Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Levon Hovhannisyan, President of Tshakhruk NGO Anush Mkhitaryan, Founder-CEO of Yeremyan Projects David Yeremyan and founding Manager of Diamond Restaurant Complex Narine Charchyan.

Integrating special needs persons into society is a priority for the State, the “My Step” Foundation and the other parties having signed the memorandum, and so, the to-be-established Tshakhruk Social Coffee House will become a place where persons with mental and physical features and their family members will have jobs. This is what Deputy Director of the “My Step” Charitable Foundation for Programs and External Relations Talin Topalakian stated in her opening remarks.

“The persons to be hired at the Social Coffee House will first take training courses and then start working. The aim of establishing the Social Coffee House is to educate our society, change their mindset and enhance the sense of awareness. The other goal is to provide a steady job and stable income for special needs persons so that they become independent and take care of their daily needs on their own. Tshakhruk Social Coffee House should become a bridge between the society and persons with disabilities, and this will ensure their involvement and integration into society,” Talin Topalakian emphasized.

The Deputy Director of the “My Step” Charitable Foundation informed that the coffee house will also serve as an art corner featuring the handmade items made by special needs persons.

“Working with special needs children for five years, their dream has also become our dream and vice versa. In this period, we realized that these people need to work, be in an environment and collaborate with everyone, and we came up with the idea to create a place where special needs persons, including the Tshakhruks (members of Tsakhruk Cultural NGO) will be employed. We attach importance to the fact that we will be collaborating with the “My Step” Foundation and Anna Hakobyan, the wife of the Prime Minister of Armenia. This is a very big idea, and we need to work a lot, but I am certain that we will overcome all the hardships for the welfare of all those who will be working at the coffee house,” founder of the ”Tshakhruk” International Festival Anna Mkhitaryan remarked.

The parties have set the goal to open the doors of Tshakhruk Social Coffee House for the beneficiaries and the public in the summer of 2025.

The event featured performances by the Yerevan Drums band and a short musical performance by the “Tshakhruks”.