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I
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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.
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