FAR’s Support Gives Vardan the Tools to Build a Brighter Tomorrow

Vardan Grigoryan, 43,  has always been a builder—of furniture, of community, and of hope.

A skilled craftsman and the former mayor of Haterk village in Martakert, Artsakh, Vardan spent more than two decades shaping wood into beautiful, functional pieces. Even while working as a math teacher at the village school, he carved out time after class for his true passion—woodworking. “I always returned to it,” he says. “That’s where my true passion lies.”

He vividly remembers his very first furniture order: a seemingly simple wooden stool that turned out to be a real challenge.

“Each leg had four holes that had to fit together perfectly. I made every hole by hand, millimeter by millimeter. My hands were aching, and I regretted taking the job—but I was too shy to quit. I just had to push through. And now, I’m so proud I didn’t give up.”

But in 2023, everything changed. Following the displacement, Vardan, alongside his wife and four children were forced to flee, leaving behind their home, his workshop, and the life they had built. Resettling in the village of Nurnus, Kotayk, they had to start over from nothing and rebuilding his woodworking business in Nurnus proved far more difficult than carving a stool by hand. Without any tools or financial means, Vardan spent nearly a year feeling stuck. “I could barely afford a screwdriver,” he says. “I didn’t know what to do or how to begin again.”

That’s when he learned about the FAR's Small Business Assistance (SBA) Program: “I was desperate, but I decided to apply. I didn’t think anyone would actually help me restart,” he shares.

Through the SBA Program Vardan received a woodworking machine, a table saw, a splicer for wood veneer — the essential tools he needed to turn his passion back into a profession. Since then, he has been steadily rebuilding his business, taking on two to three large furniture orders each month, including kitchen sets and custom-made pieces.

“This isn’t just work for me,” Vardan said. “This is how I stand back on my feet and provide for my family. Thanks to FAR, I am now able to build the future I thought was lost.”

The Small Business Assistance (SBA) program, financed and initiated by the Atesian Family Foundation, is a dynamic initiative dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners. SBA equips individuals with the necessary tools to launch and expand their entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities, particularly among conflict-affected, displaced, and rural populations in Armenia.