Young people in Bulgaria need a place where to learn and experience children rights and democratic values. Such place will be The House of Children. We plan to build it as a Center for children's rights protection. We are The National Network for Children and unite up to 140 NGOs working in children's interests in Bulgaria. We already purchased land of 870 sqm thanks to the support of OAK & VELUX foundations. We believe in two years it will turn into a modern and up-to-date House of Children.
Bulgaria is ranked on the first places among the European countries by number of young people who do nothing with their lives - they don't work neither study anywhere. The number of those children is quite close to the citizen's number in the fifth biggest town in Bulgaria - Stara Zagora. To change the extremely negative statistics, children and young people need to be motivated from early age to take part in the family as well as the society life. This is what we aim to reach with our project.
The House of Children will provide active and growing environment for children of different age, families, groups and social status. This will be a child friendly, modern and innovative house of all children throughout the whole country. It will be a place for children's rights protection and support as well as a center for training and preparation of young people for their leading future. This also will be a place for know-how exchange between members of the National Network for Children.
When built, the House will be run as a social enterprise. This will bring stability over time and opportunity for young people from institutions and foster care to work and train. Additionally, the House will actually be a house of near 140 nonprofit organizations in Bulgaria. Their work aims at preventing risks like poverty and social exclusion, risk from dropping out of school and abandonment. The House will be a hub for all organizations to provide their advocacy and policy activities.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
