A chance for help and change for the people of Stolipinovo District

20-09-2024 10:34

The Plovdiv district "Stolipinovo" is home to around 30,000 people. For many of them, their entire lives unfold within the boundaries of the neighborhood, among familiar places and people. As a result, many fail to access essential services such as education, healthcare, and social services. This easily leads to isolation, and opportunities for development are minimal. Recognizing a problem is an important step towards solving it. The Plovdiv Municipality found such an opportunity with a project supported by the "Local Development, Poverty Reduction, and Enhanced Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups" programme. The solution was to create a place within the neighborhood and for the neighborhood, which would bring together some of the most important public services in one location. Thus, a field between the apartment blocks was transformed into a construction site, and then into a modern building with a medical office, a computer lab, and many other useful spaces. Construction lasted several years and faced numerous challenges, including COVID, increased building material costs, and procedures for connecting to the electricity grid and water supply. However, the project doesn't rely solely on the building itself, because it alone cannot solve the people’s problems – the team is crucial. And the team, along with project leader Nedka Petrova, has been working on-site in the neighborhood since the beginning of the project.

“We believe that in order to put education on the table, to motivate children to attend school, to learn Bulgarian, it happens through enjoyable experiences. By making children feel useful, making them feel important, significant, and showing them a different world from what they see in their daily lives," says Ms. Petrova.

Together with a team of social workers, educational mediators, teachers in various fields, and a pediatrician, they have managed to reach 1150 people – both children and adults. Special attention is given to various activities with children, especially in music, dance, and learning Bulgarian. Adults are helped with vocational training courses and themed gatherings for women. Access to a doctor and addressing the issue of missing health rights are also among the problems the center's team is committed to solving. One example of how important it is to have all these essential services in one place is the link between learning Bulgarian, obtaining an education, and developing healthy eating and lifestyle habits. Health mediators from the municipality will assist in this area.

As the project nears completion, the logical question arises: what comes next? The Municipality of Plovdiv is helping to ensure that the center continues its work. Since September 1, it has become part of the Complex for Social Services for Children and Families – Plovdiv, and will continue with a staff of eight, including educational mediators, teachers, and social workers.

In the process of creating the center, the Norwegian NGO Norsensus Mediaforum provided its expertise. They work in the field of media literacy, communications, and capacity building. Part of the project team underwent training led by the Norwegian partner on establishing Makerspace areas. These are discovery spaces that provide young people with the support needed to become digitally literate. The spaces encourage students to carry out their own projects and showcase their talents. Such a space is part of the newly built and equipped rooms in the center.

Why is this more than just another project aimed at helping the residents of the "Stolipinovo" neighborhood? "The construction of the building ensures trust within the local community – that we will stay here and continue to support them even after the project ends," says Ms. Petrova. The team strives to involve neighborhood residents in the center’s activities, with half of the team being of Roma origin. We wish them all much inspiration and success in their important mission.