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I
Project "Center working with
women victims of violence"
EU, Programme FAR-LIEN /micro-projects/, 1998 yr.
Establishment of a center /later a shelter/ whose aim will be to provide
support and help for women who have experienced physical and sexual
violence or mental harassment.
II
Project "Violence against women and their children"
"Knowledge, success, change" - Charity Know How, 2000 yr.
Improvement of the qualification of "Maria" Centre's team in order
to provide more professional aid for women victims of violence.
Establishment of a Hot telephone line for women who have experienced
violence and of a programme for correspondence with women who have asked
for help via mail.
III
Project "Together opposing the violence against women and their
children"
"Partners" - Help for charity in Bulgaria, 2000-2001
Enlargmenet and enrichment of "Maria" Centre's activities for
providing emotional support and free consultations for women victims of violence
by stimulating the relations with the local authorities, governmental
institutions, business sectors and the media. The aim is the subject of
violence against women and their children to turn from a working field of a
non-governmental organisation to a social problem.
IV
Project "Prevention and struggle against home violence"
Female programme, "Open society" Foundation, 2001
Carrying out of sociological
survey among children /14-18 years old/ who live under circumstances of
home violence. Training of a team for home violence prevention. Carrying
out discussions in the secondary schools. Working out of a regional
programme for prevention and struggle against home violence.
V
Project “Girls at Risk – Prevention of Traffic”, financed by PHARE – ACCESS.
Opened a 12-hour telephone Hot Line for prevention of traffic
VI
Project "Prevention and struggle
against home violence II"
15.01.2001 -
15.01.2002
Goals:
- developing a regional programme for prevention of violence against women
and children
- involving the local government institutions on the problem by creating a
model for interaction with them
- creation of a Youth discussion club
VII
Project “From Children for Children”, financed by the Foundation
for Development of Civil Initiatives.
Equipped a children’s consultative office as a part of Maria
Center.
VIII
Project “Open Telephone Line for Women Victims of
Domestic Violence”, financed by the World Bank.
IX
Project “Traffic of Women and Children – Violation of
the Human Rights”, financed by the Democratic Commission with the US Embassy.
Expanding the activities of the Center outside the town – in 7 other towns
and villages in the district (Strazhitsa, Zlataritsa, Lyaskovets, Polski
Trambesh, Elena, Dryanovo and Svishtov).
X
Project: “PROGRAM FOR EMPOWERING GIRLS AGAINST TRAFFIC
AND CONFLICT MEDIATION” for girls from the Social Specialized School, Gorna
Oryahovitsa.
Financing organization: German Committee “WORLD DAY OF PRAYER”
Duration: 2 years (May 2003 - May 2005)
Target group: 68 girls from Elena Grancharova Social Specialized School - Gorna
Oryahovitsa
Results:
The present project plays a very important role in the strategy for
development of Maria Centre Association. It is not able to solve all the
problems of the students in Elena Grancharova Social Specialized School,
but with our work on it we have put the basis for the Programme for
Empowerment and Development of Social Skills in Children Taken Care of,
Taught and Brought up in Institutions. Their handicapped adaptivity and low
level of social skills are a precondition for their becoming easy victims
of fraud by incorrect employers, of forced prostitution and slavery.
As a result of the training in empowerment the young people gained
confidence in their own power, raised their spirit and belief that they can
rule their lives on their own. They also learned how to direct to the
government institutions working on their problems and developed skills of
making contacts in and out of school, improved the quality of their
interpersonal communications, which will lead to the full socialization.
XI
Project: “Together in Service of Society”
Financing: Kingdom of The Netherlands’ government at MATRA-CAP
Program
Duration: 12 months ( September 1st 2004 - August 31st 2005)
Goal of project: To create an effective model of interaction between
the Police and an NGO
A short description of the project: Training for the sergeants and officers
at the Regional Police Department in Gorna Oryahovitsa on the topic of the
domestic violence as power and control: popularizing authority of the
police in cases of domestic violence with the help of the media: publishing
and distributing of a brochure and a map of the region with information of
the location of the police officers, and other information materials that
can help; consultations of police officers undergone stressful situations
while on duty, consultative help and emotional support to women and
children victims of violence and directed to Maria Center by police
officers.
ACHIEVED RESULTS:
1. The work on the project raised the partnership relations of Maria Centre
with the Police to a higher level. The work on the project gave more transparency
to the work of the police and also helped for the full protection of
victims. We established an effective model for partnership between our NGO
and the police. The most significant proof for this is the increased number
of women victims of domestic violence directed from the Regional Police
Department to the consultative programmes of Maria Centre- 23 more than the
previous year. The number of orders of the police officers to Maria Centre
for certain cases of domestic violence increased, too - 17 more. The number
of solved cases, on which we worked together with the Regional Police
Department is larger - 41. At the end of September Veliko Tarnovo Regional
Direction of Interior Affairs organised a workshop on the problems of
violence upon women and children, on which one of the major lecturers was
an expert of Maria Centre.
The successful co-operation of Gorna Oryahovitsa Regional Police
Department and Maria Centre was highly praised by the Veliko Tarnovo
Regional Direction of Interior Affairs, which proved that the established
in Gorna Oryahovitsa model of partnership between Police and a NGO helps
for the reforms in the Bulgarian Police and contributes to the successful
fulfilment of the National Strategy “Police next to Community”.
2. The police officers acquired theoretical and practical
knowledge concerning domestic violence as power and control, its
psychological and juridical aspects and the services, which Maria Centre
offers to the women victims of domestic violence. The policemen themselves
admit that after the training they understand the emotional status and the
problems of the victims better. The psychological consultations and the
juridical advising, which they receive at Maria Centre, help them be more
confident in their actions at cases of domestic violence, feel emotional
relief and motivated for an effective service of the community.
The training sessions, work meetings and workshops with police
officers laid the groundwork of positive practices for complete respect to
human rights, for humane and supporting treatment of the victims of
domestic violence in the police practice in Gorna Oryahovitsa.
3. The published and distributed information materials, including
the prevention-victimological map and the business cards of the police officers,
as well as the good media campaign increased the level of information of
the community about the powers of the police, the reliance in the police
institution in cases of domestic violence and made contacts between people
and police easier. The civic control on the work of the police grew
stronger by the broader popularity, partnership with NGOs and active media
participation. More signals for domestic violence came to the police -
eighteen more than the last year. Thirty percent more people looked for
their police inspectors for the neighbourhood. More than 4,000 families
have the victimology map and know the address telephone number and the name
of their police inspector.
4. Altogether 375 women and children have been clients of Maria
Centre during the last twelve months, which is with 56 more than the last
year. This shows clearly the broad popularity of the activities and
services, offered here. The project co-operates in increasing the
institutional capacity of Maria Centre, helped for the development of the
team’s skills to work jointly with the police. The number of related NGOs,
seeking information about our experience at working with a governmental
institution increased. They are already five from all over the country.
Working on this project, the team members improved their professional
confidence and are satisfied with the achieved results.
XII
Project: “MARIA MEANS HOPE”
Financing: GLOBAL WORLD FUND
Duration: 12 months (December 2004 - December 2005)
Main activities:
· Open Telephone Line for women and children, victims of domestic violation
- 8 hours every workday. It is attended by a psychologist with 3
year-experience in work with victims of violence under supervision.
· Consultative help for women and children victims of domestic violence -
by a psychologist, psychotherapist, lawyer;
· Publishing and distributing info and advert materials (stickers
advertising Open Telephone Line, information brochures).
Results:
1. We received 68 calls on the open telephone line from women, 8 from men
and 32 anonymous calls.
Requests: for consultative aid regarding physical violence, mental cruelty
which were caused by a spouse, a partner or grown-up children, for
information about the programs of the centre, for information regarding the
law of protection the victims of domestic violence.
The consultants working on the open telephone line provide information,
emotional support, work out an individual plan for each client, give
consultative aid and therapy with the client remaining anonymous. When
needed the clients receive juridical consulting, social mediation or
directing the clients to other programmes of the centre.
2. From institutions the calls were as follows: 15 calls from
police station, 14 - from the Labour Bureau, 5 - from the Social Service,
15 - from the municipality, 41 - from the Social Specialized School, 87 -
from companies, 50 from other NGOs and 23 from the media.
3. Through the current monitoring the experience of the team in
management of projects was enriched.
XIII
Project: Empowerment of young people raised, taught
and brought up in institutions
Financing organisation: EU, Program PHARE - Development of the Civic
Society - 2002
Duration: 20 months (December 2004 - July 2006)
Partners:
1. Municipality of Gorna Oryahovitsa - local partner 1
2. Culture House “Napredak” - associated partner 1
3. Labour Bureau - associated partner 2
Target group: The students from Elena Grancharova Social Specialized
School - Gorna Oryahovitsa
Global Aim of the project: Social Integration of the students from Elena
Grancharova Social Specialized School - Gorna Oryahovitsa
Activities:
1. Training the students from the SSS:
- in empowerment and looking for jobs
- in resolving conflicts
2. Qualification courses:
- basic computer skills
- hairdressing and cosmetics
- cooking
- bartender and waiter
3. Clubs of interests:
- Handwork Club
- Folklore Club
- Literature Club
- Arts Club
- Theatre and Drama Club
4. Summer sea camp for 52 students from the SSS.
5. Three trips for the students from the SSS to Kazanlak, Kozloduy and
Ruse.
6. Celebrating the Day of the Christian Family (21 November 2005) with an
exhibition and a concert.
7. Publishing a brochure.
8. Closing round table on the problems of the young people raised, taught
and brought up in institutions.
Examples of success and achievements:
· First national meeting of the directors of the Social Specialized Schools
and representatives from local and state institutions. The aim - change in
the legislation and normative organization reglamentating the structure and
management of social schools of that kind.
· Work card number eight of the Social Agreement for society order and
security accepted. It includes measures for limitation of criminal acts,
made from and upon students from the Elena Grancharova Social Specialised
School - Gorna Oryahovitsa.
· Extension of the Program for Empowerment supported by the Open Society
Club - Rousse.
· A Social Council on the problems of children raised in institutions built
in Gorna Oryahovitsa.
· Co-operation with the Open Society Club - Gabrovo for a reform in the law
system - “The court in social context”.
· Concerts and exhibitions organized by students.
· Participation of the students in media for presentation the stages of the
project.
Memorandum
By the participants in the National work meeting on the problems of young
people, raised, taught and brought up in specialized institutions
XIV
Project: Programme for Mobilizing the Community
Financing
organisation:
Open Society Club - Ruse on Support of Implementation the Local Plans for
Public Order and Security Programme
Duration: six months (May - October 2005)
Partners: Municipality of Gorna Oryahovitsa. Regional Police
Department, Labour Bureau, local cable television TVS
Target group: the students from Elena Grancharova Social Specialized
School - Gorna Oryahovitsa
Aims of the Project:
1. Mobilization of all local resources for assisting the integration of the
people graduating from Elena Grancharova SSS.
2. Decreasing the criminality through integrating the young people
graduated from the SSS.
Activities:
Motivation training of the target group.
Psychological support.
Help representatives of the target group join in qualification courses.
Accommodating the students graduated from the SSS.
Publishing a handbook for those graduated from the SSS.
Results:
Empowerment of young people raised, taught and brought up in the SSS:
Two motivation training sessions with 22 senior students;
Psychological support of the target group - held 87 individual
consultations of 38 students, of social workers and group leaders from the
SSS;
28 students graduating from the SSS joined qualification courses:
basic computer skills - 10 students, training organisation - Unisoft Ltd.
Business Centre
cook assistant - 7 students, training organisation - Intermenu
International School
bartender -waiter - 7 students, trained by Unisoft Ltd. Business Centre
mason-plasterer - 8 students, trained by Betonstroy Centre for Professional
Training
They all concluded the courses successfully and received certificates for
professional qualification
Municipality of Gorna Oryahovitsa for the first time made free temporary
registration, which helped 20 orphans from the SSS, not residents of Gorna Oryahovitsa,
register at the Labour Bureau
All students graduated from the SSS have been registered at the Labour
Bureau
Labour Bureau has given to three businessmen the chance of hiring students
on preference programmes, suitable for people from social schools
21 from the graduated this year from the SSS have started work
12 of these who started work have been put up in lodgings and with the
financial support of Open Society Club Maria Centre pays their rent for one
to three months - a period of time necessary for adaptation.
There have been published A handbook “On the Verge of Maturity” was
published. It was prepared by the psychologists of Maria Centre and the
Labour Bureau. It includes useful information about labour markets and
agencies, documents necessary for applying for work, types of contracts,
labour rights and responsibilities according to the Labour Code. The
handbook was given to all graduating from the SSS.
The trust in institutions of the trained at the SSS is increasing. As a
result of the fact that the graduated have been found work and given
shelter, their sense for security has increased, the anti-social acts, the
cases of racket and violence among them decreased. This decreases the
anxiety about the future of the rest of them, decreases their sense of
insecurity and is a stimulus.
The negative feeling of the society to the trained at the SSS are being
overcome - up to now the private business was avoiding hiring them. Very
helpful to this is the good media policy, the partnership with the cable
television and with the editors of the Ustrem newspaper, which reflect the
good things, happening to the trained at the SSS, not only the anti-social
acts. TVS Cable TV broadcast 12 advertisements for vacant jobs. 13 articles
on the problem and the work on the project were published in the Ustrem and
the Borba newspapers. The cable radio of Gorna Oryahovitsa broadcast 6
programmes in the rubric Minutes for Maria Centre.
Intersector partnership on the problems of children and young people from a
risk group in social isolation was established.
After Maria Centre initiative a work map number 8 was accepted to the local
contract for order and security in the society, which aims decreasing the
criminality among the students from the SSS and increasing the trust in the
police institution.
A programme for empowering young people, raised, taught and brought up in
institutions, which is already applied at Elena Grancharova Social
Specialized School was worked out. All government institutions and Maria
Centre are taking part in its implementation.
The capacity of our organisation to initiate intersector partnerships for
resolving considerable local problems increased.
XV
Project “Center for
alternative social services for families and children in need”
Funded by: EU – Program PHARE”Deinstitutionalization
via providing services in the community for groups in risk” – ² phase
Duration: 16
months (March, 2007 – June, 2008)
Main executor: Municipality
of Polski Tarmbesh.
Partner: Association
Center Maria – Gorna Oriahovitsa
Goal of the project: Providing of alternative services in
the sphere of social, psychological and educational activity and
improvement of the living conditions of families and children in need from
the municipality of Polski Trambesh.
Participation of Center Maria as a
partner in the accomplishment of the project: Training
of the team, consultation and supervision of the specialists who work in
the Center.
Main activities:
- Psychological consulting
of children and families:
- Educational support:
- Speech therapy and
correction:
- Social work with
children and families.
Achieved results:
- In Polski Trambesh is
created a new form of a social service in the community - Center for providing
of alternative social services for families and children in
need;
- Trained and motivated
team for working;
- 103 users used the
provided social service;
- There is created a model
for successful partnership with the local committee for combating the
anti-social acts of under aged and minor persons. – from the 22 cases
submitted by the committee the center successfully concluded 19 cases
in which there is not available recurrence;
- Held 8 information
campaigns – 3 concerts, 3 children celebrations and 2 press
conferences;
- The center for
alternative services for children and families in need in the town of
Polski Trambesh continues its functioning like a delegated state
activity called Center for public support.
-
XVI
Project “Study of the
social – behavioral and the psychological aspects of the work of the police
officers in reacting to warnings for violation of the public order in a
zone with gipsy population and application of effective practices”
Funded by:Institute “Open society”on Program PHARE BG
2004/016-711.01.03
Duration: 3 months ( June – August 2008)
Main Executor: Regional police station -
Gorna Oriahovitsa
Partners: Association
Center Maria – Gorna Oriahovitsa and Center “Amalipe”
Goal of the project: Successful solving of
the problems of the order and security in multi-ethnical community (with
special focus on gypsies) via application of the problem oriented approach.
Activities: Explanatory campaign among the people living in
community with gypsy population “Behind the forest”, II-nd micro region, 2
Tundja Streen, Gorna Oriahovitsa, training of police officers, monthly
meetings of the police officers, representatives of NGOs and municipal
officers with non formal gypsy leaders, preparation and distribution of
explanatory materials.
Accomplished results: Increased trust towards
the institutions (i.e. the police); achieved positive change in the
relations between the inhabitants of the region; decreasing of the number
of the violations of the public order, made by the living in the region
gypsies; improved skills and gained competency in the police officers while
working with groups from minorities.
XVII
Project “Creation of
conditions for equal rights of the candidates from gipsy origin for
state service in the Ministry of internal affairs” Funded by:
Institute “Open society” in the framework of program PHARE
“Improvement of the state and integration of minority groups in
unequal position with specific focus on gypsies”. Duration: three months
(September – November2008 )Leading
organization:
District Directorate police – Veliko Tarnovo Partners: Association Center
Maria – Gorna Oriahovitsa and Center “Amalipe” – Veliko Tarnovo.Main activities:Explanatory campaign among the
gipsy youth from the district of Veliko Tarnovo according the opportunities
to apply for work in the system of the Ministry of Internal affairs,
motivation campaign, organizing of courses in Bulgarian, physical
preparation and psychological suitability in order the young people to pas
successfully the competition for work in the Ministry of internal affairs .Results: Twelve young boys and
two girls from gipsy origin were included in the organized courses.On the
announced competitions for policemen at least half of the gipsy young
people who we trained through these courses will start to work in the
police – they received a good training and will win the competitions.
XVIII
Project: “Sheltered house for people
at risk”
Funded by: EU – Program PHARE“Deinstitutionalization via
providing services in the community for groups at risk”- ² phase
Duration:18 months
(since 1st March, 2007 until 31st August, 2008)
Specific goals:
- Building of a sheltered
house for adults at risk.
- Forming of skills for
self dependent and of full value way of living in people at risk via realization of a program for social
integration.
- Increasing the capacity
of the Association Center Maria for providing of social services
through education and building of skills for management of a
Sheltered house in the partnership with state and local authority.
The meaning of the project “Sheltered house for people
at risk”, executed by the team of the Association
Center Maria is to give to the users of the social service everything which
they were deprived before in order to be able to lead self dependent and
full of dignity life. To make together the first step towards the
independence.
The project is executed by trained
multidisciplinary team of Center Maria: leader of the project /pedagogist/,
Manager of the sheltered house /psychologist/, social worker, psychologist,
Labour therapist, medical person. Lawyer, expert – internal monitoring,
accountant.
Partner:
Municipality of Gorna Oriahovitsa.
Attracted followiers: 4 volunteers from the University
in Veliko Tarnovo “St St Cyril and Methodius” /direct work with the users/,
10 representatives of the local business/ financial and material support/ 8
representatives of the neighbourhood /acceptance and support of the users
in the difficult for them period of adaptation and enlarging of the circle
of social contacts/; 4 NGOs (trainings,
supervision, care about the team of the sheltered house, accomplishment of
joint activities, local media (through open statement of the problems
connected with the negative public attitude towards people with
disabilities).
Users of the social service
“Sheltered house”:
8 women aged from 24 to 42 who have spent a great part of their lives in
institutions – in the Home for adults with intellectual retardation in the
village of Draganovo, Gorna Oriahovitsa municipality and in social
vocational school “Elena Grnancharova – Gorna Oriahovitsa. None of
them has the real abilities for reintegration in family environment but all
of them have resources and potential to be incorporated in the public
life. Five of the women are under full judicial
disability. The psychological characteristics of the target
group are to great extend determined from the way of their living. It
is character lack of social experience and main social skills, difficult
adaptation to the changes in their living environment, problems in
communication, emotional lack of stability and for most of them – full
illiteracy and not developed cognitive processes of the speech.
The people who receive the social service are active participants in the
execution of the activities of the project. The created by the team
of Center Maria Program for social integration of the users is based
entirely on their desire for change of the quality of life and guarantees
the opportunity of the users for personal choice.
Main activities:
Repair and equipment of the provided building; selection and training of
the personnel of the sheltered house; selection and placement of the users;
execution of the program for social integration; supervision of the team,
external and internal monitoring of the activities, work meetings;
activities for visualization of the activities of the project and EU
contribution, participation in national and consultative meetings,
Achieved results:
The team of the Association
Center Maria worked very responsively for the accomplishment of the goals
and the tasks of the project. Creating new job positions
the team successfully attracted specialists who are good professionals and
who achieved a good result in their work with people at risk under the supervision of external specialist. They succeeded to
provoke, hold and increase the interest and the attention of the target
group. There were met long-term results, gained useful organizational,
coordination and technical resource. The team of the project can rely on
the trained people for working with people in risk, which ensures the
sustainability of the project for the future:
- There is provided a
sheltered space for the users of the social service – a cozy,
refurbished and furnished building, which offers very good conditions
for living in a small group.
- The work on this project
helped 8 women at risk to be taken away from
institutions in which they have spent a great part of their life and
to be placed in a sheltered house where under the cares of a trained
and motivated team to start their way towards the independence.
This helped them to become more self confident that they can manage
their life.
- In the municipality of
Gorna Oriahovitsa was created a new form for social service for group
in risk in the community („Sheltered house for people at risk”), which helps to fulfill one of the main priorities
in the social policy of the Bulgarian government –
deinstitutionalization of people, placed in specialized institutions
via providing of alternative services in the community;
- This project gave the
opportunity to the team of the Association Center Maria to increase
its capacity for providing of social services in the community
through training and development of skills for management of a
sheltered house in the partnership with the state and local
authority. Accomplishing the project “Sheltered house for
people at risk”, the Association Center Maria
proved that as an NGO can react quicker to the stated needs of the
users to develop new ideas and to discover new innovative approaches
for their achievement.
- The successful partnership
of Center Maria with the municipality of Gorna Oriahovitsa supports
the integration of people from vulnerable groups because we all
create a bridge for overcoming the isolation and help for the
development of a more sensitive and responsible civil society.
Main element in the idea model for partnership is the building
of trust towards the NGOs to provide social services. The
successful partnership in the realization of the project we hope to
lead to the decreasing the number of people with disabilities in the
specialized institutions on the territory of the municipality of
Gorna Oriahovitsa and in accordance with the Municipal strategy for
integration of vulnerable groups 2005-2013.
- The results and the full
transparency in the execution of the activities of the project
motivated he local authority to start to transfer the social services
to civil organizations. After the end of the project Center
Maria won the announced by the municipality competition and since
1st November, 2008 until 2013 is a supplier and will manage the
provision of the social service “Sheltered house” in the community
like a delegated state activity.
- The project played an
important role for institutionalization of the existing partnership
between the sector of NGOs, the local authority and the
institutions. Center Maria was recognized as a local ombudsman
in solving the problems of people at risk. A lot of people are
involved in the work on the project which leads to joining more
people to the big idea, supporting people at risk. The local business joined us as well. In
this way we enlarge the participation of the civil society in the
process of making decisions and in forming the local policies.
- Using the experience
gained and the results from the project “Sheltered house for
people at risk”, Center Maria will continue to
incorporate the representatives of the local authority, state
institutions, NGO’s sector in real activities for development of good
practices in provision of social services in the municipality of
Gorna Oriahovitsa;
- Our organization is
looked for expert opinion from other NGOs, executing PHARE projects (
from Polski Trambesh, Elena, Veliko Tarnovo). The way of working
which uses the multidisciplinary team of Center Maria (living in a
small group, individual and group work with the users, teamwork
principle under external supervision), is entirely applicable on
other places because it is tested and acts effectively.
- There is provided full
and timely awareness of the community for the goals, progress and the
achieved results via monthly publications, radio emissions and notes
for visual identification. Although slowly and difficultly the
public attitude in Gorna Oriahovitsa towards people at risk started to change in a positive direction;
XIX
Project “Providing of the
social service in the community ”Home assistant”
Funded by:European Social Fund, operative program “Development
of the human resources”
Duration: 12 months (May 2007 – May 2008)
Main executor: The municipal administration
in the town of Gorna Oriahovitsa
Partner: Association
Center Maria – Gorna Oriahovitsa.
General goal :Aiding and enlarging the possibilities of the
people who were helped for social inclusion and self dependent life.
Specific goal:
Providing of the social service “Home assistant” to people from the
municipality of Gorna Oriahovitsa.
Activities: Information campaign, Establishment of mixed
committee who has to make the quality selection of the users and the home
assistants; Social evaluation and selection of the users; selection and
training of the home assistants; Providing of the social service “Home
assistant” – 1. Current cleaning; 2. Major cleaning; 3. Keeping of the
personal hygiene. 4. Feeding; Everyday services
Target group: 80 ill old people and living alone people
Participation of Center Maria as a partner of the
project:
Participation in the mixed committee; in the selection and approval of the
list of the users; n the preparation of the social evaluations and plans;
main trainer of the home assistants for the provision of the social
service, logistic support [especially in the achievement of the
monitoring).
Achieved results:
- Improved quality of life
of 80 people with disorders and living alone people, decreased risk
from institutional type of cares;
- Opened new ob positions
on the territory of the Municipality of Gorna Oriahovitsa in the
sector of the social services for unemployed and looking for
additional work specialists.
XX
Project: “Sheltered
house for people with intellectual retardation”
Funded by: EU – Program
PHARE“Deinstitutionalization via providing services in the community for
groups in risk”- ² phase
Duration: 18 months (since 1st March, 2007 until
31st August, 2008)
Specific goals:
Building of a sheltered house for adults with
intellectual retardation.
Forming of skills for self dependent and of
full value way of living in people with intellectual retardation via
realization of a program for social integration.
Increasing the capacity of the Association
Center Maria for providing of social services through education and
building of skills for management of a Sheltered house in the partnership
with state and local authority.
The
meaning of the project “Sheltered house for people with intellectual
retardation”, executed by the team of the Association Center Maria is to
give to the users of the social service everything which they were deprived
before in order to be able to lead self dependent and full of dignity
life. To make together the first
step towards the independence.
The project is executed by trained
multidisciplinary team of Center Maria: leader of the project /pedagogist/,
Manager of the sheltered house /psychologist/, social worker, psychologist,
Labour therapist, medical person. Lawyer, expert – internal monitoring,
accountant.
Partner: Municipality of Gorna Oriahovitsa.
Attracted followiers: 4 volunteers from the University
in Veliko Tarnovo “St St Cyril and Methodius” /direct work with the users/,
10 representatives of the local business/ financial and material support/ 8
representatives of the neighbourhood /acceptance and support of the users
in the difficult for them period of adaptation and enlarging of the circle
of social contacts/; 4 NGOs (trainings, supervision, care about the team of
the sheltered house, accomplishment of joint activities, local media (through open statement of the problems
connected with the negative public attitude towards people with
disabilities).
Users of the social service “Sheltered house”:
8 women aged from 24 to 42 who have spent a
great part of their lives in institutions – in the Home for adults with
intellectual retardation in the village of Draganovo, Gorna Oriahovitsa
municipality and in social vocational school “Elena Grnancharova – Gorna
Oriahovitsa. None of them has the
real abilities for reintegration in family environment but all of them have
resources and potential to be incorporated in the public life. Five of the women are under full judicial
disability. The psychological
characteristics of the target group are to great extend determined from the
way of their living. It is character
lack of social experience and main social skills, difficult adaptation to
the changes in their living environment, problems in communication,
emotional lack of stability and for most of them – full illiteracy and not
developed cognitive processes of the speech.
The people who receive the social service are
active participants in the execution of the activities of the project. The created by the team of Center Maria
Program for social integration of the users is based entirely on their
desire for change of the quality of life and guarantees the opportunity of
the users for personal choice.
Main
activities: Repair and equipment of the provided building;
selection and training of the personnel of the sheltered house; selection
and placement of the users; execution of the program for social
integration; supervision of the team, external and internal monitoring of
the activities, work meetings; activities for visualization of the
activities of the project and EU contribution, participation in national
and consultative meetings,
Achieved results:
The team of the Association Center Maria worked
very responsively for the accomplishment of the goals and the tasks of the
project. Creating new job positions the team successfully attracted
specialists who are good professionals and who achieved a good result in
their work with people with intellectual retardation under the supervision
of external specialist. They succeeded to provoke, hold and increase the
interest and the attention of the target group. There were met long-term
results, gained useful organizational, coordination and technical resource.
The team of the project can rely on the trained people for working with
people in risk, which ensures the sustainability of the project for the
future:
There is provided a sheltered space for the users
of the social service – a cozy,
refurbished and furnished building, which offers very good conditions for
living in a small group.
The work on this project helped 8 women with
intellectual retardation to be taken away from institutions in which they
have spent a great part of their life and to be placed in a sheltered house
where under the cares of a trained and motivated team to start their way
towards the independence. This
helped them to become more self confident that they can manage their life.
In the municipality of Gorna Oriahovitsa was
created a new form for social service for group in risk in the community
(„Sheltered house for people with intellectual retardation”), which helps
to fulfill one of the main priorities in the social policy of the Bulgarian
government – deinstitutionalization of people, placed in specialized
institutions via providing of alternative services in the community;
This project gave the opportunity to the team
of the Association Center Maria to increase its capacity for providing of
social services in the community through training and development of skills
for management of a sheltered house in the partnership with the state and
local authority. Accomplishing the
project “Sheltered house for people with intellectual retardation”, the
Association Center Maria proved that as an NGO can react quicker to the
stated needs of the users to develop new ideas and to discover new
innovative approaches for their achievement.
The successful partnership of Center Maria with
the municipality of Gorna Oriahovitsa supports the integration of people
from vulnerable groups because we all create a bridge for overcoming the
isolation and help for the development of a more sensitive and responsible
civil society. Main element in the
idea model for partnership is the building of trust towards the NGOs to
provide social services. The
successful partnership in the realization of the project we hope to lead to
the decreasing the number of people with disabilities in the specialized
institutions on the territory of the municipality of Gorna Oriahovitsa and
in accordance with the Municipal strategy for integration of vulnerable
groups 2005-2013.
The results and the full transparency in the
execution of the activities of the project motivated he local authority to
start to transfer the social services to civil organizations. After the end of the project Center Maria
won the announced by the municipality competition and since 1st November,
2008 until 2013 is a supplier and will manage the provision of the social
service “Sheltered house” in the community like a delegated state
activity.
The project played an important role for
institutionalization of the existing partnership between the sector of
NGOs, the local authority and the institutions. Center Maria was recognized as a local
ombutsman in solving the problems of people in risk. A lot of people are
involved in the work on the project which leads to joining more people to
the big idea, supporting people with intellectual retardation. The local business joined us as
well. In this way we enlarge the
participation of the civil society in the process of making decisions and
in forming the local policies.
Using the experience gained and the
results from the project “Sheltered
house for people with intellectual retardation”, Center Maria will continue
to incorporate the representatives of the local authority, state
institutions, NGO’s sector in real activities for development of good
practices in provision of social services in the municipality of Gorna
Oriahovitsa;
Our organization is looked for expert opinion
from other NGOs, executing PHARE projects ( from Polski Trambesh, Elena,
Veliko Tarnovo). The way of working which uses the multidisciplinary team
of Center Maria (living in a small group, individual and group work with
the users, teamwork principle under external supervision), is entirely
applicable on other places because it is tested and acts effectively.
There is provided full and timely awareness of
the community for the goals, progress and the achieved results via monthly
publications, radio emissions and notes for visual identification. Although slowly and difficultly the
public attitude in Gorna Oriahovitsa towards people with intellectual
retardation started to change in a positive direction;
XXI
Project “Support
of the pilot initiative of the district of Veliko Tarnovo «Together against the
violence»”
Funded by: Administration of the Council of
Ministers of Republic of Bulgaria
Duration:
5 months ( from 1st June, 2009 to 31st
October, 2009)
Leading organization: Association Center Maria
Partners: The institutions dealing with children
on regional and local level – Regional direction “Social Aid”, Department
of “Child’s protection”, Regional inspectorate of education, Direction
Police, Regional prosecutor’s office, Regional law court, District governor
– Veliko Tarnovo.
Main goals of the project:
Coordination
and efficient partnership between the state institutions for development of
a sustainable and functional policy on regional level for the prevention of
the violence over children.
The
project is part of the measures on Strategic goal 2, priority 4 of the
program for execution of the Strategy for decentralization and assigns the
execution of the Indicative financial plan for 2008, accepted with Decision
No 1 on 11th March, 2009 of the Council for decentralization of
the state government.
Main activities:
1.
Analysis of the power and rights of the institutions which work with
children on regional and local level.
2. SWOT analysis
of the real interaction between the institutions with the purpose
identification of the positive sides and the weaknesses of the established
mechanisms for coordination between them:
3. Analysis of the opportunities for the
creation of a real working mechanism for coordination between the
responsible institutions while working with children, victims of domestic
violence:
4. Two days long seminar for officers from the
responsible institutions with the purpose presenting of the work variant of
the Chart for interaction between the institutions, working with children
on regional and local level, its discussion in wide format and preliminary
agreement on the Chart.
5. Preparing and signing of a Chart for
interaction between the institutions which work with children on regional
and local level.
6. Round
table for presentation of the signed Chart for interaction between the
institutions which work with children on regional and local level.
Achieved
results:
Developed: Analysis of the rights of the
institutions, working with children on local and regional level,
technological map, connected with the interaction between the separate
institutions in cases of violence over a child .
The
developed documents had been discussed on work meetings and during the two
day long seminar with the representatives of all interested parties. The made suggestions and recommendations
are reflected in written statements.
2. Prepared
and signed Charter for the interaction between the institutions, working
with children on regional and local level: District manager - Veliko Tarnovo, Regional
directorate “Social Aid” – Veliko Tarnovo, District police station, Regional inspectorate
for healthcare, prosecutor’s office, Regional inspectorate for education, Veliko Tarnovo University “St
Cyril and Methodius and the mayors of the
municipalities: Veliko Tarnovo,
Gorna Oriahovitsa, Pavlikeny, Polsky Trambesh, Suhindol.
CHARTER FOR
INTERACTION BETWEEN THE STATE INSTITUTIONS WHICH WORK WITH CHILDREN, VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE, IN THE REGION OF VELIKO
TARNOVO
XXII
Project “Spreading of the best practices
on children protection in Bulgaria”
Funded by: Foundation
ÎÀÊ (Switzerland)
Duration: 3
years ( since 1st November, 2007 until 30th October,
2010)
Leadind organization: Association
“Gavrosh” – Varna
Partners: Association Center Maria- Gorna Oriahovitsa, Association “Chance and protection”- Haskovo, Association ”Demetra”- Burgas and Association “16+”
- Sofia.
Goals of the project:
To provide sustainability of the model for
working on prevention of the violence, especially the sexual violence over
children and youth in risk through multiplication and application.
To increase and strengthen the capacity of the
teams of the NGOs – partners for the project for prevention and
intervention in cases of violence and violation of the rights of the
children and their protection via provision of training programs and
accepting of methodologies for work in a changing environment and
characteristics of the target groups – crisis centers, sheltered homes for
children who live in institutions, juvenile violators, groups of parents.
To increase the public awareness and to
reach the broad public – users of
information and abilities for prevention and intervention in cases of
violence over children and
disseminating of the results from the project
in 4 regions, covered by the project.
Activities
of the project:
The activities are directed towards
training of professionals from different institutions, working with
children, multiplying of good practices and the specific individual
experience.
Achieved
results:
The model for work on prevention of the
violence over children is disseminated in the district of Veliko Tarnovo:
Tested preventive – training program in 6
kindergartens, 13 schools and social institutions in five of the
municipalities of the district of Veliko Tarnovo – Gorna Oriahovitsa, Liaskovets, Polski Trambesh, Svishtov, Zlataritsa;
Instead
of the planned two trainings, the team of Center Maria held three trainings
of specialists from the district of Veliko Tarnovo on prevention of the sexual violence over
children;
39 professionals
from kindergartens, elementary and high schools and from institutions in
the district of Veliko Tarnovo
were trained to work on prevention of sexual violence over children and
received certificates;
26 trained by the team of Center Maria trainers
worked directly with children (5-18 years old) on prevention from the
violence in 36 groups;
Two
trainers from the team of Center Maria trained 54 children in 4 groups;
Total
447 children and youth from 5 municipalities
of the district of Veliko Tarnovo
- Gorna Oriahovitsa, Liaskovets, Polski Trambesh, Svishtov, Zlataritsa were trained on prevetion
of the violence in particular – the sexual violence.
In the district of Veliko
Tarnovo is provided sustainability of the model
for work on prevention of the violence, especially the sexual violence over
children and youth in risk through multiplication of its aplication:
The
trained specialists who train children are motivated to continue their work
with new groups and to build up skills for coping with the problem –
violence over children, applying the model for working on prevention
from the violence;
During
the accomplishment of the project the team of Center Maria provided space
for discussions, for exchange of good practices, for sharing of experience
which is a certain precondition for the sustainability of the applied model
for prevention from violence in particular the sexual violence over
children and youth. Although the
holding of work meetings is not included as activity on the project, based
on the experience, the team of Center Maria evaluates the importance of
this form of work and considers that the work meetings have important role
for institutionalization of the existing partnership between Center Maria
and the institutions. They help our
organization to be recognized as a local ombutsman
while solving of problems of children in risk. In this way is widening the participation
of the civil society in the process
of making decisions and in formation of local policies which guarantees the
sustainability of the results from the work in this project;
There
was created non formal working network from trained specialists on the
territory of five municipalities from the district of Veliko
Tarnovo, which will contribute for multiplication
of the good results from the application of the model;
The
team of Center Maria initiated and involved representatives from all
institutions in the district of Veliko Tarnovo in a debate for the lack of mechanism for
coordination between them in prevention of the domestic violence over
children. As a result of the
prepared analysis of the rights was signed a Charter for the interference
between the institutions in the district of Veliko
Tarnovo in their work with children – victims of
violence;
The
team of Center Maria started to work on the project “Prevention – effective
counteraction of the traffic of women and children”, applying the model for
work on prevention from sexual violence;
Working
on the both new projects, the team of Center Maria in practice builds over
the results of the project “Disseminating of the best practices for the
protection of the child in Bulgaria”
The influence of the civil
society for making decisions on local level on current problem is increased:
The professional and institutional capacity of
Center Maria is strengthen in management of projects of district character,
in solving considerable society problems and in the development of policies;
The
training of specialists and training modules with children on prevention
from the violence are included in the Municipal program of Gorna Oriahovitsa for child
protection;
Together
with the regional police station in Gorna Oriahovitsa the team of Center Maria ñprepared a working map for prevention of
the domestic violence which was voted from the Municipal Council and became
a part from the Municipal contract for community order and security.
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