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 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;

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  

         The present charter is prepared while executing project “Support of pilot initiative in the region of Veliko Tarnovo “Together against violence” In the process of preparation took part representatives  of state institutions from the region of Veliko Tarnovo, working with children victims of violence such as the Regional Directorate  “Social aid”, the Regional inspectorate of the education, Regional healthcare center, the District police station, the regional prosecutor’s office, the District manager of Veliko Tarnovo. 

Introduction

All we – the representatives of the state institutions from the region of Veliko Tarnovo who work with children, victims of violence: 

Led by the concept that the interest of the child is above everything; 

Understanding the need for good communication, simultaneous interference and engagement of the responsible institutions when there are signals for violence over a child;

After we prepared analysis of the rights and power of the institutions working with children on regional and local level, We joined together

Around the idea that the creation of the present charter is a step towards building of sustainable and functional state policy of regional level in the area of combating the domestic violence over children. 

The charter for interaction between the institutions working with children, victims of violence in the region of Veliko Tarnovo is prepared in correspondence with the National program for child protection – 2009

The charter is developed and aims to service all the children without any discrimination, regardless of their status, ethnic origin , sex or whatever social or individual characteristics   (class, race, status, nationality, religion, sexual,  mental, physical or other feature of the child and its family).

The charter refers to work with children in all situations: in the   (biological, adopting); outside of the familyin the institutions where the children are temporally or permanently placed   (schools, preschool institutions, summer resorts, kindergartens, children homes and other institutions of social care).

The charter is open document for all changes and measures which might help to limit the violence over children in all of its aspects.

The charter will contribute for the development of a network from multidisciplinary teams for protection of children in the local communities and also for the accomplishment  of integrated model of these teams on municipal level. This approach emphasizes that the child protection is unified coordinated process because the different systems with their specific goals work together in order to make it real.  

²².  Main principles, goals and objectives of the charter

1. Leading principle : the child’s interest is above the interest of the parent/the person who takes care of it or the institution in which it is placed/

-    The right of the child to live, survive and develop itself;

-    Nondiscrimination of the child;

-    The best interest of the child;

-    Participation of the children;

-  Partner’s interference on each stage from the work on the case of the involved institutions  

*The priority of the best interest of the child means that the best interest of the child has priority over the interests of this person who takes care of the child, the institution or the community in the situations in which this interest differs from the interest of the child.

* The participation of the child means that the children have to be informed, have to receive adequate information and possibility to express their own wills, moods, perceptions during all the stages of the process of protection in a way, corresponding to their age and understanding of the situation. 

2. Goal of the charter

- To contribute for the development of the National plan for action and the National strategy for child protection via creation of a working mechanism for coordination between the state institutions working in the area of combating the violence over children in the region of Veliko Tarnovo.;

- To guarantee that each of the undertaken steps and decisions are made for the best interest of the child through the entire procedure of protection with effective partnership of the involved institutions.

3. Objectives:

   Creation of a system for coordination of the actions of the institutions and mechanism for its  follow up;

Determining the needs and the necessary measures for the increase of the capacity of the System for child’s protection including the specialists in the system;

To inform the professionals who work with children and for children and also the community, including also the children , how to proceed in cases when suspect that a certain child is a victim of ill treatment and neglect or might become a victim;

To set and coordinate cooperation between the sectors which are important for the child’s protection;

-        To reach joint level of understanding of the main principles  and goals of the protection;

To negotiate the entire procedure and coordinate the steps which will be undertaken during the intervention.

Measures for improvement of the coordination between the state institutions working in the area of the violence over children in the district of Veliko Tarnovo 

With the aim to achieve effective and multi-sectors network for protection of the children from ill treatment or neglect, it is necessary cooperation of all institutions and organizations which are involved with the problem. 

Coordinating role in this process will have the District manager in accordance with his rights to achieve state policy in the district, to coordinate the work of the executive authorities and their administrations on the territory of the district and their interaction with the local authority. 

1. Creation of District Council on child protection, coordinated and controlled by the district manager in accordance with his rights to achieve state policy in the district, to coordinate the work of the executive authorities and their administrations on the territory of the district and their interaction with the local authority. 

 

Members of the District Council on child protection

 

District manager – Veliko Tarnovo;

Regional directorate „Social Aid”, Department ”Child protection” from all of the municipalities in the region;

District police station – children pedagogical room from all the regional police stations in the district;

Regional health care center;

Ministry of the legislation – law court and prosecutor’s offices;

Regional inspectorate for education – pedagogical advisors, school psychologists from each of the municipalities in the district;

The municipalities included in the district – representatives of departments ”Education” and the municipal committees for combating the crimes from children;

Suppliers of social services for children;

NGOs, working in the area of violence over children.

 

Functions of the District Council on Child protection

To initiate the creation of multi-disciplinary teams of specialists working with children on the territory of each municipality with the purpose to combine the efforts of the specialists from different areas working with children for effective and coordinated combating the cases of violence over children.

To prepare and provide the District manager information for the human and financial resources and the organizational capacity of each of the municipalities, which works in the area of violence over children.

To prepare organizational map of the suppliers of social services for children on the territory of the district with the aim to create up to date data information for the existing services and the way to access them. 

To prepare District strategy for child protection from violence in accordance with the existing legislation and the capacity of the parties on child protection in each of the municipalities from the district. 

To lobby for changes in the legislation which could lead to increasing the effectiveness in combating the violence over children

To introduce to the institutions working with children The program for prevention of the violence as a measure for combating violence.

2.  Increasing the capacity of the specialists working with children with the aim to increase the capacity of the institutions themselves.  

     -   Training of professionals in different areas which will give the opportunity for development of specific competencies in the area for protection of the children from ill treatment and neglect. 

    -    Introducing in details to the specialists the procedures in the process of protecting the child including identifying and revealing the symptoms of violence.

    -   Providing opportunities for sharing experience and supervision of specialists working with children victims of violence – cares for the personality of the specialist and protection from professional burning.

   -   Lobbying in front of donors for the provision of financial resources when using external services for children, which are not existing in the institution – psychological consulting, legal advising, psycho therapy family consulting. 

 

 

                                                                                                          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, AssociationChance and protection”- Haskovo, AssociationDemetra”- 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 TarnovoGorna 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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