[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 7782-7783]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   IN RECOGNITION OF HILDA GRIGORIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 24, 2011

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Hilda Grigorian, a 
Glendale resident who has dedicated herself to helping those in need 
around the world, often in some of the most challenging and dangerous 
locations.
  Hilda Grigorian was born and raised in Iran, and migrated to the 
United States in 1978 in pursuit of the American dream of education and 
career. Hilda achieved both of these goals--she obtained a bachelor's 
degree and MBA and is currently working toward her Ph.D. at Walden 
University. She also worked in the private sector for over two decades, 
focusing on international development.
  Hilda began her international relief efforts with a trip to her 
motherland of Armenia, where she volunteered to help small businesses. 
After several visits to Armenia's rural villages, she established a 
Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) called Armenia Village Operation, 
which she started with her own funds and other private funding. The 
program implemented important projects in the rural villages of 
Armenia.
  In 2005, Hilda traveled to Afghanistan to work with a USAID-funded 
program to help

[[Page 7783]]

vulnerable, widowed women with business planning and access to funds to 
regain their businesses which were destroyed by the Taliban. She then 
worked for UNDP in the youth development project. In 2008, she began 
working for USAID Afghanistan as a Field Program Officer, stationed in 
the Province of Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan. In 2009, she was 
transferred to the remote, rural Province of Ghor in Western 
Afghanistan, where she helped people implement community development 
programs, created jobs through cash for work projects, and ensured a 
fair distribution of food to the people of Ghor.
  Hilda's selfless dedication to the people of Afghanistan has 
immeasurably benefited some of the most at-risk people in the world, 
and has demonstrated the generous spirit of Americans toward those in 
crisis. She thrived in an environment that afforded her very basic 
living conditions, with no luxuries or amenities we often take for 
granted.
  I ask all Members to join me in thanking Hilda Grigorian for her 
unwavering commitment to the people of Armenia and Afghanistan and wish 
her well in all future endeavors.

                          ____________________