Empower Children with Disabilities in Bulgaria

The Cedar Foundation is raising funds under the ”Give 12 Disabled Bulgarian Orphans a Loving Home” project, aimed at providing a loving and secure home for 12 abandoned children and young people with disabilities in Kazanlak.

The Cedar Foundation team took the challenge to climb the highest peak in the Balkans - Musala dressed as superheroes, if they succeeded in collecting the amount of $5,000 from 40 different donors within one month through the GlobalGiving online platform. On July 8, 2015 superheroes and their supporters climbed Musala. They headed towards their adventure in support of children and young people with disabilities from Kazanlak.

In the last 3 months the 12 children and youth have become significantly more confident and often go for walks in the city, where they meet new people and socialize. Their new favorite places are a beautiful park with swings and a small pastryshop in the center of Kazanlak. Some of the youth have begun to help with serving food, while others are involved in decorating the rooms in the house. For all children and youth in the family-type home activities are provided according to their individual needs. 2 of the girls started to attend a day center for people with disabilities, two children go to school for the deaf, and another 2 visit the center for social rehabilitation and integration. The rest of the kids are provided with resource teachers and individual activities which help them develop their skills and acquire new knowledge.

The Cedar Foundation is taking care of children and young people with disabilities in Kazanlak and Kyustendil, providing them a family-type environment, individual care, social integration, and opportunities for inclusion into different working programs, so that they can feel as an important, respected and integral part of society.