In the village of Draktik, Gegharkunik, Karen Ghalechyan has created "Yeramak" - a sanctuary for nature and horse-riding lovers. This unique Gastro-Yard welcomes hundreds of visitors annually for horseback expeditions into the Areguni Mountains and traditional Armenian dining.
A beneficiary of the "Rural Tourism Development" program by ACBA Federation and NABU Armenia, Yeramak used its grant to build a traditional bakery, giving guests the chance to enjoy fresh bread straight from the oven.
"Draktik is a village on the shores of Sevan where people mainly engage in cattle breeding. Our contribution to making the village recognizable is quite significant; people come to us from all over the world. We take a professional approach to our work, constantly training and attending seminars to put our village on the map. Our strategy included building a bakery to share our traditional bread on-site, and ACBA Federation helped us realize that goal. This is a dream project; when you dedicate your heart to your work, success is inevitable," says Karen Ghalechyan, founder of Yeramak.
Karen’s next goal is to expand Yeramak into a full-scale resort, including a professional facility for boarding and training horses. The ACBA Federation is the major shareholder of ACBA Bank, holding over 75% of its shares. Through this strategic position, the Federation actively contributes to the development of agriculture, the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas, the development of communities, the revitalization of local economies, and the improvement of livelihoods for individuals engaged in entrepreneurial activities across Armenia’s rural communities.
