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.
SOS Children has been working in Bulgaria since the early 1990s, when the first children’s village 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 150 miles from Sofia, the capital. The village has twelve family houses which are home to over 80 children and a kindergarten providing pre-school facilities for local children.
A second village was built in Dren in 1995, in the district of Radomir, about 28 miles south of Sofia. As well as the twelve family houses, SOS Children’s Village Dren also has a kindergarten used by children 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 a 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 Plovidiv were given medical supplies. In 2002, another community outreach programme set up by the SOS Children's Village Dren distributing food packages to poor families/people.
As part of its long term support programme, SOS Children's Villages 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 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 kindergarten so they will have the benefit of a pre-school education.
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
Sponsor a child in Bulgaria or learn about child sponsorship
Next Country: Burkina Faso