SOS Children in Bulgaria

Overview of 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 wrecked 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.

Our Work in Bulgaria

Trjavna

We have been working in Bulgaria since the early 1990s, when the first SOS Children’s Village was established in Trjavna in 1993. Trjavna, with a population of 12,500, is a pretty little town of historic interest in the Stara Planina mountains in central Bulgaria, about 150 miles from Sofia, the capital. The Village has 12 family houses which are home to over 80 children and an SOS Nursery providing pre-school facilities for local children.

Dren

A second SOS Children's Village was built in Dren in 1995, in the district of Radomir, about 28 miles south of Sofia. As well as the 12 family houses, SOS Children’s Village Dren also has an SOS Nursery used by children SOS child Bulgaria and families in the neighbourhood. The children from the SOS Children’s Village attend local schools in Dren and Radomir. Before the Village was fully operational. SOS Children’s Villages organised an Emergency Relief Programme around Dren distributing baby food, clothing and medicines to children and families affected by the economic crisis in the country.

Two more aid programmes followed in 1997, one in the spring and the other in the winter, where around 400 people from Dren, Trjavna, Varna and Plovdiv were given medical supplies.

In 2002, another community outreach programme set up by the SOS Children's Village Dren distributed food packages to poor families/people.

As part of our long term support programme, we bought flats in the town of Veliko Tarnovo, about 18 miles from Trjavna. These were for the young people from SOS Children's Village Trjavna. Here they live, under supervision, to help them lead independent lives. An additional project for young people from SOS Children's Village Dren was set up in Sofia in September 2001 and was extended in autumn 2003.

In 2004 SOS Children's Villages Bulgaria began a new Family Strengthening Programme in Sofia, with the objective of preventing abandonment of children. The aim is to provide financial support to poor families so that they can send their children to the nursery so they will have the benefit of a pre-school education.

Local Contact

SOS-Detski Selishta v Bulgaria

Paskal Todorov 8a

1618 Sofia

Bulgaria

Tel: +359 2 8184940

Fax: +359 2 8184930

e-mail: office@sosbg.org