Armenian School Students Call on Secretary Tillerson to Secure MCC STEM Education Grant for Armenia

What a specious article. The kids and the diaspora in general in the U.S. have zero notions of the needs of virtually all of Armenian schools. The kids in most Armenia schools need bathrooms that don’t leak, reek, and aren’t thoroughly disgusting; heat in the classrooms; roofs and windows that keep out the rain and snow; ceilings that aren’t collapsing; gymnasiums that actually promote health instead of threatening it; and school environments that aren’t so unsafe and depressing that parents keep their kids at home. Smart boards, WiFi, access to Amazon.com, and new iPads don’t keep these kids warm or dry or healthy. If Schiff, his colleagues, and the diaspora want to do something, they should stop looking for photo ops, votes, and free money for designer projects that attract praise and start looking for real solutions to actual problems. It may be time to audit that 2006 MCC deal, too. In the rural area in Armenia in which I live, there’s very little indication, if any at all, that anything has been done in the infrastructure, irrigation, and “strategic” assistance areas. I’ve been told that the wealth of the area’s politicians and oligarchs has increased considerably since 2006, however.