By protecting nature, we protect ourselves. Perhaps, such a slogan can be used to characterize the
project aimed to support farmers with “electric fences”, which has been implemented for a long time
by such partners as Viva-MTS and the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural
Assets (FPWC). According to naturalists, the role of bees is extremely significant for the
preservation of life on earth. Due to pollination, the bees ensure the diversity of flora. There is also
opinion, that honey with its beneficial properties, is the only food that passes through the blood
without residue.
Stepan Sargsyan is the third generation of his family who engaged in beekeeping. Handed down from
this grandfather to him, the family business becomes more important every year. He said that the
beehives installed in Kapuyt, which is one of the remote villages of Vayots Dzor Marz, have been
attacked by bears from time to time. And if years ago, it was possible to protect the beehives with the
help of sleepless nights and gampr dogs, now it is more difficult because the behavior of the clumsy
bears has also changed.
In the last three years there have been two bear attacks, which Stepan managed to avert although not
without some harvest losses. In this regard, access to the latest technologies in the villages and the
development of remote marzes are considered extremely significant. There is a belief that it is in the
city’s interest to ease the villager’s work burden.
“Last year in the same place, a bear came up from below and dropped three beehives. I came by
chance at 1 am and saw that the bear was here, dropped the beehives and was about to break them.
When the lights of the car fell on him, he ran away. The form of struggle against of these attacks was
mainly to stay close to the bees. The “electric fence” was required. The dogs protect, but if a hungry
bear comes, what are the dogs supposed to do? If the bear has nowhere to run, it will have to attack.
Now that these technologies exist, we are free to leave, finish our work, and come back. The
advantage of the fences is also that we can install it wherever we want. Whether there is power or
not, the solar panel solves that problem,” said farmer Stepan Sargsyan.
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The projects implemented by Viva-MTS in Gomq are not limited to providing farmers with
innovative technologies like electric fences. The first projects have been accomplished here since
2015. The issue of lighting the streets of the village with LED lamps was solved, one house was
built, roofs were repaired. The head of the administration of Gomq considers important the attention
shown by Viva-MTS to the village.
"Today, keeping youth in the village is a big problem. All young people tend to go to the cities,
because there are few communications in the villages. Therefore, it is very considerable to have
organizations that will support such small villages for their further development,” said Mkhitar
Hovhannisyan, the head of the administration of Gomq.
Thanks to “electric fences”, farms are guaranteed against losses, and at the same time, the problem of
mitigating the conflict between man and nature is solved. The project to protect farms with “electric
fences” is important in terms of building ecological awareness and making environmental behavior a
way of life. Kapuyt is one of Gomq's settlements where all this becomes a reality.
Viva-MTS (MTS Armenia CJSC) is Armenia’s leading telecommunications operator, having the widest network reach and spreading a wide range of Voice and Data services all across Armenia. Having the best of the Armenian people at heart since its launch on 1st July 2005 and in a short period of time Viva-MTS has managed to build a nationwide network and a considerable customer base. Viva-MTS drives innovation and aims at always being at the forefront of any development serving the Armenian mobile communications market. The company follows the guidance provided by ISO 26000 (International Standard of Social Responsibility), ISO/IEC 27001:2013 (Information Security Management System) and ISO 37001 (International anti-bribery management systems standard). Additional information about Viva-MTS can be found at: https://www.mts.am
About “Eco Villages Network” project
Eco villages network includes selected intentional or traditional communities throughout Armenia, that are consciously designed through locally owned, participatory processes to regenerate their social, cultural, economic and natural environments.
The core idea behind the whole concept of the ecovillages is integrating the four dimensions of sustainability – ecological, economic, cultural and social – through integral, participatory design.
The project is a new format of the long-term cooperation between the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), VivaCell-MTS and the Global Ecovillages Network (GEN) in the field of environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources.
About FPWC
The Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) was founded in Y2002. FPWC is a member organization of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since Y2012.
FPWC’s mission is to publicize the unique natural heritage of Armenia and the importance of biodiversity conservation, environmental issues and the importance of preserving nature. We aim to reduce human and wildlife conflict and its consequences to reduce the risks of endangered species of flora and fauna.
Biodiversity conservation, environmental education, community development and public awareness are the main directions of our activities.