SOS Children in Bulgaria
Bulgaria's transition to democracy and market economy after the collapse of communism has not been smooth. Throughout the first half of the 1990s, political instability and strikes wracked the country and there was little tangible progress with reforms.
Under Communism, Bulgarians became accustomed to free health services and a wide range of other benefits, which Bulgaria's post-Communist governments have not had the financial resources to maintain. The transition to a market economy has resulted in food and water shortages, high inflation, and increased unemployment.
The charity have been working in Bulgaria since the early 1990s, when the first community was established in Trjavna in 1993. Trjavna, with a population of 12500, is a pretty little town of historic interest in the Stara Planina mountains in central Bulgaria, about 250 km from Sofia. The SOS Children community has twelve family houses which are home to over 80 children and a kindergarten providing pre-school facilities for local children.
SOS Children opened a community at Dren in 1995. Dren is a small village of around 2000 people in the district of Radomir, about 45 km south of Sofia. As well as the twelve family houses, SOS Children Dren also has a kindergarten used by children and families in the neighbourhood. The children from SOS Children attend local schools in Dren and Radomir.
The charity has built youth centres for children who have grown up in the villages have been established in Sofia and Veliko-Tarnovo. Here the older children are looked after until they are able to lead independent lives.
In 1996, SOS Children organised a relief programme around Dren distributing baby food, clothing and medicines to children and families affected by the economic crisis in the country. A further programme concentrating on elderly people was established in 1997.
Local Contact
SOS Children in Bulgaria
SOS-Detski Selishta v Bulgaria, 8A Paskal Todorov Street, 618 Sofia, Bulgaria
tel +359/2/955 9616 e-mail office@sos-or.bg
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