Current projects

Realized projects

Current projects

„REVENI”
Transnational monitoring of return procedures for Romanian and Bulgarian children

The REVENI project has been jointly designed by 4 different NGOs in 5 different countries in order to improve the level of protection of, and decisions taken for, European unaccompanied minors victims of exploitation and/or trafficking, or at risk to be, in Europe. The four partners are the Alliance for Children and Youth in Bulgaria, ARSIS in Greece, Hors La Rue in France and Terre des homes in Romania and in Hungary.

Partners will foster professional exchanges, monitor return procedures, research, conduct awareness raising activities, collect and disseminate best practices in countries of origin and destination in all countries of interventions and beyond.

A monitoring of the return procedure of European unaccompanied minors from countries of destination to countries of origin will be undertaken throughout the 18 months of implementation of the project in order to identify gaps in procedures of return of Romanian and Bulgarian unaccompanied minors and to promote alternatives in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

An international research published at the end of the project will analyse the data gathered throughout the monitoring process and will provide an in-depth view on the gaps and good practices in return procedures while interpreting the compliance of those and the national legislation as well as bi-lateral return agreements with international instruments and EU law. The analysis will be made through the prism of the EU directive on the rights of citizens of the EU to move and reside freely in the territory of Member States and the anti trafficking framework decision currently being replaced by a directive of the European Parliament and the European Council.

The awareness of national authorities and all other relevant stakeholders on the gaps and good practices in the return procedure will therefore be increased allowing a better planning and management of the cases of EU unaccompanied minors at risk of exploitation and/or trafficking, as identified by project partners.

The project will also foster the sharing of experience at transnational level with professionals in child protection and judicial authorities meeting their counterparts from countries of origin/destination during multidisciplinary events. This strengthening of the links between those professionals - that will be facilitated throughout the project - will ensure that during the transnational exchange of information judicial authorities and child protection professionals from different countries cooperate actively in finding durable solutions in the best interests of the child.

The collaboration between stakeholders in countries of origin and destination will be improved and an experience sharing meeting will draw the lessons learned of this 18-month-long facilitated cooperation. A working document on a standardized procedure of collaboration will be designed and promoted at this occasion.

The dissemination of the results of both the project and the study as well as a final conference will be organized, in order to promote and contribute to harmonized national and European responses to the protection of EU unaccompanied minors at risk of exploitation and/or trafficking through identified good practices and methods of collaboration.

The knowledge of European decision makers on the good practices and gaps in protection of EU unaccompanied minors will therefore be increased while a joint manifesto agreed upon by participants will be issued.

The project “REVENI” is co-financed by the European Union

16+ Youth Day Care Centre - alternatives for street life

The Project 16+ Youth Day Care Centre - alternatives for street life is realized with the support of the “America for Bulgaria” Foundation.
Aim of the project:
The longer-term goal of the programs and activities of the 16+ Youth Day Care Center is to support and empower street youths to develop positive, permanent and sustainable attitudes and behavior to look for and to find decent opportunities for social integration.

Activities and services under the project:
Basing our work on the understanding of homelessness as a temporary crisis, the work of the 16+ team be set on three main levels which be implemented and improved during the three years of project duration:
1.Work with children and youth in crisis
2.Work for support and maintenance of the achieved results
3.Programs for positive change and development
Level 1: Work with children and youth in crisis
1. At this level we work with children and youth, who have suffered from abuse, loss, who have recently been released from penitentiary facilities. We assist them through crisis intervention, psychological and social support. We work individually in every case with the aim of overcoming the crisis and moving to the next two levels of intervention.
Level 2: Work for support and maintenance of the achieved results
2. Outreach work. Outreach work is focused on work on the streets and in the areas where the youth and their families live. The team provides information on health problems educate on issues as drug use, safe sex, family planning and use the partnership network of the Center for referral to adequate services and programs. Information is also provided on the programs of the 16+ Center with the aim of attracting more youth to use our services.
3. Human and citizen rights. Very often the youth from the 16+ target group break the rules of society. For this reason we consider it very important to perform in-depth and consistent legal work with our clients. Law students and assistants help and consult the 16+ team in the issuing of various documents, legal defense and other legal problems. The youth also get training in the basic laws of Bulgaria, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Bulgarian Child Protection Act, The Family Code and other related legislation.
4. Medical treatment - antihepatitis and antiflue vaccinations; blood tests and tests for sexually transmitted diseases, specific tests according to the individual health case; medical treatment; medical manipulation; health education and consultation.
5. Hygiene - the Centre offers a bath, washing machines, and hygiene materials. The project supplies the youths with clothes and shoes - according to their individual needs.
Level 3: Programs for positive change and development
At this level we involve the youths in programs for positive development in order to maintain the results achieved so far. Our experience shows that the following programs have a particularly positive and sustainable effect on the youths:
7. Youth Committee. This program provide possibilities for active participation of the youths in the managing of the Center, setting realistic goals, giving motivation and empowerment, giving a sense of ownership of the results achieved. The Youth Committee has proved to be a very efficient approach for improving the performance of the Center and implementing more useful activities, sensitive to youth's needs.
8. Social skills training. Basic communication skills, assertive behavior, job finding, etc. Through the methods of group and individual work, the clients acquire the necessary skills to adequately respond to social requirements and ease their social inclusion.
9. Group for supporting young mothers and pregnant women. The young women be educated and trained in basic skills of care for their infants and health care during and after pregnancy. They get together once a week, facilitated by a psychologist and a social worker. They discuss issues, related to parenting, family planning, safe sex, baby care and all other relevant issues.
10. Development of vocational skills such as Gardening, Cookery, Pottery and Sewing. This program envisions youth participation in various activities of interest, related to the youth's plan for personal development together and with the assistance of students from art schools and universities. Such kind of activities have proved to be very popular and have allowed the youths an outlet for artistic freedom and a chance to 'decompress'. Given the low literacy level of our group, the vocational skills training be very practice-oriented so that the youth can acquire practical knowledge that help them get a job and contribute to their personal development and re-socialization. More importantly this restores their basic motivation and working habits and increases their chances on the labor market. The program is realized with the outside assistance of specialists who facilitate specific workshops.
11. Social-rehabilitation program. This program includes sport activities, basic computer skills training, and music lessons, visiting theaters, cinemas, exhibitions and museums. This allows the youths to improve their physical status, help them build their self-esteem and again ease their social inclusion.
12. Staff training. Participation in trainings for qualification improvement, supervision, intervision and team meetings.
Activities for indirect beneficiaries - children of the street and unemployed youths, aged 0-5. With the support of the nonprofit organization Alternatives for a New Society we envision the creation of a space at the Centre where our clients' infants and young children can be assisted in developing their mental and physical status, through specialized equipment and professionals.

Comprehensive model for social work with children and families at risk

General goal(s)
•                Social inclusion of children and families at risk.
•                Prevention of abandonment of children and their entry into specialised institutions through the provision of integrated services in the community.
•                Prevention of abuse of children.
MAIN ACTIVITIES:
Main activity 1: Organisational development and institutional strengthening of the team.

1. Study of good practices, adaptation and establishment of new methods of work with children and families at risk (international cooperation).
2. Training of the team by an external organisation for the purpose of institutional strengthening and development of the organisation in the following areas:   communication strategy, development of a performance measurement system, development of a data collection, processing and analysis system; marketing of the organisation; strategy for work with the business and other organisations and institutions.
3. Provision of regular support /individual and collective/ for the team

in the following areas: professional training, supervision and professional support, stress management at the workplace.
Main activity 2: Work with children at risk.

1. Identification of individual needs of children at risk and their families.
2. Services for children at risk (juvenile victims of violence, negligence, drop-outs, children of risk behaviour, homeless children).
3. Educational classes corresponding to the individual needs of children at risk.  They will cover basic knowledge about the subjects studied at the Bulgarian school.  
4. Vocational courses for over 16-year-olds. The target group will include the 16-18 age group. After identifying their educational level, interests and skills, children are given the opportunity to join a vocational course.
5. Interactive classes, related to self-knowledge and skill acquisition for efficient interpersonal relations; arts workshop - meant to arouse the interest in arts and applied arts, to develop imagination and encourage creativity.
6. Leisure organisation:  sports – once a week, including competitions and entertaining games. These activities are necessary to establish healthy habits for children and to channel their aggression into a positive direction; sightseeing in the city of Sofia and cultural events.
7. Organisation of Summer School for children at risk by /the Capital Municipality/.
8. Individual psychological consultation
9. Specialised legal consultation.

Main activity 3: Work with families of children at risk.
Family consultation and support – due to the lack of parental skills, families at risk do not respond properly to children’s needs. The lack of knowledge about the child's physical and psychological development leads to inappropriate behaviour - negligence, violence, suspension from school, incitement to beggary, entry into specialized institutions. The Community Support Centre team will carry out mobile field work with the community. It will focus on meeting parents’ needs in terms of: Specialised legal consultation for families of children at risk/ individual and collective/. Consultation will be provided by a legal advisor; Marriage and family therapy for parents of children at risk /individual and collective/.  A family therapist will provide the consultation; Social and psychological support and consultation of parents of children at risk /individual and collective/ - Social workers and a psychologist will provide the consultation; Medical and health consultation, support and pre-medical assistance for parents of children at risk, given by a medical professional.
A self-help group for young mothers and pregnant women Young mothers will receive support and training in parental skills. Once a week they will meet in the group together with a social worker and a psychologist, sharing concrete problems they face and discussing possible solutions. The group is a place where problems in interpersonal relations are most salient. The professionals structure the environment and establish a working context, while the young mothers are placed in an active position, which empowers them, enriches their personal role models, enhances their capacity to offer and receive support. Social consultation during pregnancy and after birth for mothers at risk of abandoning their children;
Family planning – consultation in the field of reproductive health; contraception methods; sexually transmitted diseases;

Family conference – used when maximum family resources have to be mobilised /biological and extended family/ to address the child's behaviour and prevent the risk of anti-social activities.

Main activity 4: Collection, analysis and summary of the project’s outcome.
Main activity 5: Information and publicity of the project’s activities.
Main activity 6: Project management and administration.

“Control of the Tuberculosis in Bulgaria" Program

“Prevention and control of HIV/AIDS” Program

The program is financially supported by the “The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria” and is implemented in Bulgaria by the Ministry of health.
The activities that social workers with volunteers from the Youth club “S.U.P.E.R” do are:
- fieldwork among young people, peer education, increasing the knowledge of young people about safe sexual behavior,;
- distribution of informational materials to promote sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention, distribution of condoms;
- Maintain the club of peer educators that provide information and materials about safe sex practices;

Vocational footprints: making vocational education sustainable

The Vocational Footprints: Making Vocational Education Sustainable Project, running for two years from August 2010, brings together a partnership of organisations from Germany, Bulgaria Turkey, Belgium and Hungary, led by PPP.
Funded through the European Commission Lifelong Learning Programme: Leonardo da Vinci Learning Partnership, this project intends to support and sustain vocational education opportunities and interventions offered to vulnerable and marginalised individuals, families and communities.  Taking as its baseline a best-practice methodology developed by the co-ordinating organisation (PPP), this partnership will attempt to corroboratively build on this to develop, test, adjust, publish and disseminate a systemic structure based on the common best practice principles of all participants.
The baseline methodology, developed by PPP, is intended to improve the impact of vocational education through increasing the emphasis on reflexive and anti-discriminatory practices, the cultivation of specific human qualities, the use of appropriate academic theories and the integrated application of all the above, allowing for variations of context and environment. 

Taking this approach as a baseline, partners will undergo training in this methodology and then test its effectiveness through their work in delivering Vocational Education and Training (VET), before advising on adjustments and improvements prior to publication and dissemination.  By involving a partnership delivering VET to marginalised groups in a variety of situations and contexts, this partnership will produce a robust framework tested and improved via the activities and best practices of all partners, in order to produce an innovative framework to support the sustainable delivery of VET across Europe.  The partnership will enhance the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes of VET professionals to increase their competencies in delivering in the light of personal fulfilment, social inclusion, active citizenship and employment.  The developed Framework will be made accessible through distribution through the national and international networks of partners and developed website.

ESCAPE project on DAPHNE III program of the European Commission.

The ESCAPE project aims to extend the results achieved in the AVP in order to develop street/peer violence
prevention and contrast strategies specifically addressed to street children/adolescents with migration
background/belonging to ethnic minorities. Such strategies will be shared among partners from Eastern and Western  Europe, in order to create a transnational platform able to promote effective actions against street and peer violence and harmful lifestyles.

The project focuses mainly on:
- exchanging of knowledge of intervention models to prevent and contrast street violence and peer violence in street, fostering a transnational platform for a strict cooperation between estearn and westaern european country pratictioners who work in the field of minors (in particular with vulnerable groups, minors with migration background/belonging to ethnic minorities - modelling and developing of effective educative prevention programmes aimed to prevent street violence and peer violence and also risk behavior related to drug/alchol abuse or weapons carrying.

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Realized projects

16+ Youth Day Care Centre - alternatives for street life

1. Work with children and youth in crisis
2. Work for support and maintenance of the achieved results
3. Programs for positive change and development

MY RIGHTS

Activity 1
Consultations and support in the sphere of social, administrative, labour, law of insurance and family law support, rights for labour readjustment access to healthcare and protection of health insurance rights, assistance for obtaining ID cards, registration of the unemployed youths, including them in qualificatory courses, co-work with the Regional agency for employment and Labour offices, preparation of documentation and consultations on work issues, undersigning of labour contracts, protection of labour rights, consultations on parental rights, origin and adoption, assistance in protection of children at risk, accommodation in specialized institutions, discrimination consultations and help in connecting the institutions concerned.

Activity 2
Education and consultations are given on main principles in the fields of the penal law. Concrete rights and procedural obligations of investigators, prosecutors, judges in the different phases of the process are revealed. The activities and the functions of the police are being reviewed in the uncovering and prevention of crimes and its cooperation with the judicial system. Also the functions of the prisons and the probationary services are being explained. The training in that direction assists the homeless minors to demand from the juridical organs suitable to their rights behavious during the trial to be able to notice the abuse of power, which prevents the indirect discrimination in the judicial system. The information prevents the minors from committing crimes.
Training in that field reduces the passiveness of the young people in the process and they realize that there are many possibilities for their defence. They are stimulated to execute their procedural obligations as an important factor for the case proceedings.

Activity 3
With the assistance of social workers this activity includes education, seminars, and discussions in field of youths' questions which often concern civil, administrative and penal law. The themes are formed according to their interests and needs. Comprehensible answers and information to the youths' main questions are given. The education is held by the Law assistant with the help of a social worker.

Activity 4
Training of the team - five people on the permanent team of YDCC take the training course as well as five volunteers. Students who volunteer as well as former clients of the centre who integrated fully or partially in the society also participate. The training takes place for one month on the territory of YDCC by a lecturer with juridical education.

Activity 5 - preparation of informational materials, which depict the project activities.
A leaflet entitled "My rights" is going to be printed with the most important points of the training. Two publications on the projects in the bulletin of Free and Democratic Bulgaria foundation. Meetings with representatives of the Child Protection unit and children's' pedagogue room, meeting of the project's team with representatives of the Central prison to present the project, promote it and thus attract minors who would join it. Promote the project among the general public with participation in suitable print editions, TV and radio broadcasts. Print the materials from the training course in a manual and its dissemination among organizations, working in the field in order to multiply the project.

Rainbow project

• Juridical school
• Fitness club
• Club Delicious
• Sewing
• Art
• Computers

PROJECT: "16+"

Main directions:

• Health
• Work
• Education
• Social contacts

Programs:

• Personal Pledge of Commitment
• Street work (Outreach)
• Legal Advocacy ClinicStreet stories
• Marketing Program
• Parent and single mothers schools
• Fighting tuberculosis
• "Art and entertainment" club
• Training of the team
• Youth Committee

PROJECT: "Centre for re-socialization of youngsters from penitentiary institutions"

Aims:
• Reducing the isolation and self-isolation level of youngsters from penitentiary institutions
• Support with recovery and acquisition of skills of youngsters, having gone through the penalty of "liberty deprivation", necessary for self-dependent coping with the requirements of daily life.
• Prevention of recidivism
• Attraction and engaging of public influence

Faith, Hope and Love Center

PROJECT: EQUAL ACCESS CHILDREN IN SOCIAL ISOLATION TO THE ENTIRE CARE SYSTEM - NEW PERSPECTIVES

Main object:
Secure of equal access for accommodated children to the system of social, health and psychological care, as well as enrolling in the informal educational forms of tuition or the general education training at school. Objective groups: children in social isolation of age from 3 to 16 years and the members of expanded family members of street children.

Main principles:
• Willingness for accommodation and stay in the centre
• Free regime for children over 10 years of age
• Regarding and respecting the child's personality
• Regarding children's rights and the right of own opinion on questions of his or her interest.

Services and activities for children and their families: :
• Shelter, food and clothes
• Examinational activities in collaboration with state authorities for children
• Participation in procedures for child protection measures
• Health assistance, prophylactics, pre-hospitalization treatment and hospitalization assistance
• Psychological support and psycho-motor development activities

Work schedules:
• Educational - informal educational forms for the acquisition of knowledge and skills form pre-educational to 4th educational class; individual work with those who attend school; preventive work against dropping from school of children from different institutions;
• Interest studios - "Music", "Arts", "Computer club", "Sports activities";
• Educational - "Rights and responsibilities", "Home care", "Forestry and ecology"
• Social rehabilitation -consulting and support together with children from different social groups, "Green school" summer camp
• Street work - research, registering, individual and group work on a ground, directed to the Centre
• Work with the families
• Interrelations with institutions
• Increase of the team's qualification
• Practical education of students

From January 2005 the Faith, Hope and Love Center for Street Children is under the direct jurisdiction of The Sofia Municipality and is named a Home for temporary accommodation for children aged between 3-18.

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