This year, on 14 January, the Trust for Social Achievement Foundation gladly welcomed the students of the G. С. Rakovski”, Tarnak and “St.. St. Cyril and Methodius”, Kovacica, who together with their teachers and the team of Center Amalipe visited us to greet and greet us on the occasion of the Roma New Year – Vasilitsa. Read more “Vasilitsa 2025 – Legends and traditions of the bridge between cultures and new beginnings”
Never give up the fight to success – The story of Raya Simeonova, village of Butan
I was in a hospital in Germany when I received a call from Nina Marinova, the director of the kindergarten “First June” in the village of Butan not far from Vratsa, where I worked as an assistant teacher. Fortune was smiling on me at a difficult time – since the age of two my son Malin, now 14, has been battling cancer. In 2017, his doctors advised us to seek medical help abroad, as there was nothing more they could do for him in Bulgaria. We left immediately. We had been in Germany for almost a year when Nina Marinova’s voice in the telephone receiver said, “Raya, there is a project from an NGO that supports young Roma educators in their professional development. Do you want to follow?”
Read more “Never give up the fight to success – The story of Raya Simeonova, village of Butan”
The Second Dr. Chirkov from Kuklen – The Story of Sasho Emilov
There is nothing more important and humane than helping others and giving of yourself to them.
Kuklen is a small town – its population is only 6000 people, but here for a long time and without much ado Bulgarians, Roma and Turks live together, literally door to door. Sure, nowadays we are an example of integration, but I think this is the natural way to connect people.
Read more “The Second Dr. Chirkov from Kuklen – The Story of Sasho Emilov”
ANNUAL REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE NETWORK FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT IN THE ROMA COMMUNITY IN BULGARIA 2023
- MISSION AND OBJECTIVES OF THE NETWORKThe Network for Early Childhood Development in the Roma Community in Bulgaria (the Network) was established in January 2018 and is coordinated by the Trust for Social Achievement Foundation. The Network aims to support professionals working with minority children in improving the reach and quality of services provided and seeks to unite the advocacy efforts of its members in this direction. The network also supports the development of role models by the Roma community itself. The main objectives of the Network are:
TSA advocates for guaranteeing the right to free preschool and secondary education through the Convention on the Rights of the Child
On 21 December 2023, together with 10 international NGOs, TSA sent an open letter of invitation to the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria urging it to support the creation of a new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child during its term on the Human Rights Council in 2024-2026, which would recognize the right of all children to early education, including at least one year of free preschool, and free secondary education for all children. Read more “TSA advocates for guaranteeing the right to free preschool and secondary education through the Convention on the Rights of the Child”
Vasilitsa 2024 – a bridge between traditions, children and institutions
On January 13, TSA happily welcomed the students of the “Evlogi i Hristo Georgievi” elementary school, Karlovo town and the “Graf Ignatiev” elementary school, the village of Graf Ignatievo, who together with their teachers and the team of Center “Amalipe” (Center Amalipe) visited us to greet us on the occasion of the upcoming Roma New Year – Vasilica. Read more “Vasilitsa 2024 – a bridge between traditions, children and institutions”
“EVERY DAY IN KINDERGARTEN I LEARN AND PLAY” GUIDE FOR INFORMATION SESSIONS FOR PARENTS
“Research in the field of early childhood education strongly proves that regular attendance at kindergarten has a positive impact on child development. Between the ages of 3 and 7, children are also at a key period in their growth, where they not only develop their cognitive skills, but also learn and practice flexibility, self-control, emotion management, interaction with others – this is a ‘critical window’ that provides an opportunity for psychological and social development.
Read more ““EVERY DAY IN KINDERGARTEN I LEARN AND PLAY” GUIDE FOR INFORMATION SESSIONS FOR PARENTS”
Diversity training supports educational mediators in working with families and communities
Smooth adaptation from home to educational institution is a key prerequisite for accelerating the progress of Roma children, for two-thirds of whom Bulgarian is a second language, different from the language they first learn at home. Early parental support for learning at home, as well as the early formation of positive attitudes and habits towards the education system, are also significant factors in children’s educational achievement at school. In this process, educational mediators in kindergartens play an important role in helping children and parents to adapt-especially in sparsely populated, hard-to-reach and socio-economically vulnerable communities. Read more “Diversity training supports educational mediators in working with families and communities”
The vocation of Maria Simeonova from Velingrad
My story about my dream to wear a white apron “like the doctors”
“Willpower is the most important thing in medicine.” – Paracelsus
I’ll never forget the first time I stood face to face with a patient. We were starting the practical part of the course and I thought to myself, “I’ve learned the theory, now all I have to do is dare to apply it”. The patient had a thyroid problem. What I had to do was take a history, question him about his condition and palpate the gland to find out what the changes were in its size and function. I was so excited I forgot to introduce myself. I felt like my heart was going to skip a beat. My throat had constricted and I felt like I was going to pass out at any moment. Luckily for me, the patient was also a medical person, so he knew exactly what was happening to me. He was very responsive, the smile never left his face, and it just so happened that instead of me pre-empting him, he helped me relax and demonstrate what I had learned. At the end of the review I was completely relaxed and confident that I could cope. The history was taken, the gland palpated. I realised that everything so far had been completely worth it. There was no longer a shred of doubt that this was my calling.
Children’s portfolio – a useful tool for partnership between kindergarten and family
High quality early learning and care approaches start from the understanding that parents and other family members are the most important people in any child’s life. They are the people who are involved in their growth, learning and development from birth; they provide the cultural and value system for their socialisation. It is precisely with this contribution that the family can and should be an important factor in good coordination between the home environment and the kindergarten. Read more “Children’s portfolio – a useful tool for partnership between kindergarten and family”