Judo on the Border: New Classes for Children in Bertavan

In Bertavan, a small village in Armenia’s Tavush region near the borders with Azerbaijan and Georgia, a new opportunity is opening for local children: judo classes right in their community.

Lorik Humanitarian Fund is working to fund the program for its first full year, giving children in this border community a place to train, stay active, develop discipline and build confidence.

Meet Our Instructor, Sose Balasanyan

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Sose Balasanyan is an accomplished judoka and sambo athlete from Artsakh who represented Armenia internationally for years. A multiple-time Armenian champion in both judo and sambo, Sose also earned bronze medals at the Senior World and Senior European Sambo Championships.

She competed internationally for Armenia in judo, including at the World Championships, European Championships and Grand Prix events, and represented Armenia in sambo at the 2015 European Games in Baku (The only Armenia Athlete to participate).

Now, Sose is bringing that experience to Bertavan, where she will train a new generation of children through Lorik’s Judo on the Border program.

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Continuing Lorik’s Support for Youth Sports

Sports have long been part of Lorik’s work. Before the forced displacement of Artsakh’s Armenian population, we helped establish new wrestling groups in three Artsakh villages, providing equipment and covering trainers’ salaries for several years.

Lorik also supported Artsakh’s Wrestling, Judo & Sambo, and Weightlifting Federations, helping provide athletes and coaches with the resources they needed to continue training and competing.

Today, Judo on the Border continues that work in Armenia.

$9,800 Funds an Entire Year

We are raising $9,800 to fully fund the Bertavan program for one year.

That amount covers the rent for the training space, judo uniforms for the children, and Sose’s instructor salary for the entire year.

For $9,800, children in this border village will have a local program they can return to week after week, led by an experienced athlete from Artsakh.

Help Us Bring Judo to Bertavan

At Lorik, we believe Armenia’s villages should be places where children can grow, learn and find opportunities without having to leave their communities to find them.

One year. $9,800. Judo on the Border.

Help us make the first year possible by donating at LorikHF.org or sharing the program with others who want to support children and communities in Armenia’s border villages.

Lorik Humanitarian Fund