We are talking, of course, about our country coordinators. Coordinators are responsible for the implementation of the SIA program locally, organizing all workshops, events, incubation bootcamps, etc. This year the Social Impact Award falls under the scope of the Collaborate for Impact program, financed by the European Union and implemented by EVPA in partnership with Impact Hub Yerevan in Armenia!
Recently, Armenia’s SIA country coordinator, Margarita Nurijanyan, was featured in the third edition of Spark (the Monthly SIA newsletter), where she spoke about her experiences as a coordinator.
Margarita’s entry into the world of social entrepreneurship is quite new. While she’s had work experience in the fields of Human Resources and Project Management, she’s always felt that her strongest attribute is her ability to communicate and connect with others.
“Especially building relationships with both young and old,” she said in the candid interview. “But when it comes to social entrepreneurship, Margarita feels that there is a lot of work that needs to be done, particularly in Armenia where the concept is still quite new.
This is part of what motivates her in her role as country coordinator, where she is responsible for implementing the program, starting from the initial preparation stage all the way to the final days of reporting.
“With each new year of the program, I try to improve our performance and generate a bigger impact in the Armenian social entrepreneurship field.”
This year, with the ever-present uncertainty that came with the COVID-19 pandemic, Margarita was faced with a new set of challenges. Thus, in 2021, she shifted to a hybrid model, trying to reap all the possible benefits from digital implementation, while at the same time limiting risks.
“Armenia is not a very digitized country, especially in rural areas. However, lots of people learned how to use all our new tools, and the program ran successfully.”
Challenges aside, there is much value to be found in social entrepreneurship, and Margarita agrees that there is so much potential, with a constant growth in the number of social enterprises being founded and operating in Armenia.
“There is a lot of room to be creative and innovative in Social Entrepreneurship in Armenia and I would definitely advise it as a potential career path, with so many growth opportunities. The sky’s the limit!”