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Among the children worldwide, which the Herbalife Nutrition Foundation (HNF) will help this year, are also those with which the specialists of “For Our Children” Foundation work. Thanks to the donated $ 10,000 through the HNF program “Casa Herbalife”, we can together, over the next 11 months, to ensure the best opportunities for healthy nutrition for dozens of children at an early age.   “For 25 years, the Herbalife Nutrition Foundation and our Members and employees have been dedicated to improve the children’s lives by helping to provide access to healthy meals and nutrition education. This time, we are proud and happy to contribute to the mission of For our Children Foundation both financially and voluntarily in order that children in need to get the nutrition they require to reach their full potential.”– shared Romeo Cazanescu, Country Director for Bulgaria.   “For Our Children” Foundation will invest the donated funds to ensure adapted milk and baby food for the babies and toddlers in our Family-Type Placement Center “Children’s House“. This will allow us to guarantee the daily full and healthy nutrition of its young inhabitants – an element of the overall care for their growth in a family-type environment. Some of the funds will help vulnerable families which “For Our Children” Foundation supports through the Community Support Centres in Sofia and Plovdiv and the Foster Care Centre in Sofia, providing them with food, necessary for the proper development of their children.     In the coming months, Herbalife Мembers will become a true part of the Foundation’s life by immersing themselves in the workplace of our specialists and supporting our team in their efforts to provide quality social services to children and families.   “We’re all very excited that this generous donation from HNF will enable us to ensure and improve nutrition of the vulnerable children supported through our services. It will also help us to increase awareness of the caregivers – parents, relatives, foster and adoptive parents, babysitters – about the healthy nutrition and encourage proper nutrition habits. Thank you, Herbalife Nutrition Foundation!” – said Galya Getzova, Director Corporate and Individual Partnerships and Communications of “For Our Children” Foundation….

It’s 1st June! Our day! Our favorite holiday!   To celebrate the International Children’s Day, “For Our Children” Foundation organizes a festive holiday with many balloons, delicious treats, presents and all sorts of surprises. Our helpers were one of the most loved children’s heroes – Pippilotta Viktualia Rullgardina Krusmynta Efraimsdotter Langstrump, also known as Pippi Longstocking, and a delicious purple lollipop – Miss Tutti Frutti. To meet our most special guests, from Disney’s world has arrived and Mickey Mouse, ready for a real celebration.   To make the day even more fabulous, a magician arrived from the distant city of the Soap bubbles, which filled our entire yard with colorful soap creations.     In a painting studio the little artists poured their creativity into colorful paintings, and with their miraculous brushes and paints Pippi and Tutti Frutti drew the faces of all children. The boys imperceptibly turned into Batman and Spiderman, and the girls, with crowns and butterflies on their cheekbones, became real princesses.     All this happened while the voices of the talented children from the children vocal group “Smehorancheta” intertwined in beautiful children’s songs that were heard through 9 buildings in the 10th.     And of course, what would be a child’s holiday without an appetizing “feast”, as it is in all the palaces and kingdoms of fairy tales. An infinitely delicious ice cream, warming up all the senses, chocolate waffles, jelly bears, hand-made cookies and a unique cake await all of our guests.     “I am very excited that today I have the opportunity to be here with you. It is a honor for me to celebrate today’s celebration, in which we respect the right of every child to have a happy childhood, with all of you – the guardians of this right, the people who, with a lot of hard work and genuine concern to the most vulnerable members of our society, do everything this right to be respected and all children in Bulgaria to grow happily in a safe family environment”, said the Executive Director of “For Our Children” Foundation in the field of Integrated and Social Services -Mariana Taseva.       For our magical celebration was heard from a lot of our partners and friends, who also wanted to join us to celebrate the children’s holiday together. Our special guests were Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy Zornitsa Rusinova, Deputy Minister of Education and Science Denitsa Sacheva, Eva Zhecheva, Director of the Children’s Rights Directorate to the Ombudsman, as well as representatives of the diplomatic sector in Bulgaria. We also received congratulations from the Minister of Health – Kiril Ananiev.           “I thank to “For Our Children” Foundation for the support of the children and families and for combining all services into one and for having a common purpose – all of the children in Bulgaria to follow their dreams and to be happy” – said deputy Minister Rusinova.           “Our children are our biggest teachers. I wish we, as parents, to keep their curiosity, to be as fearless as they are when we have to discover new things, to have their kind words and thoughts, so we can be their strength and support” – said deputy minister Denitsa Sacheva to the parents, who was our guest together with her son. To the children she wished to be healthy, happy and to study in order to succeed.         This holiday wouldn’t’ have been so magical without the support of Sofia Municipality. Raiffeisenbank Bulgaria, Coca Cola, “Cake Box”, “Vega Cakes”, “Serenata” waffles, “Jimmy’s” ice cream, children vocal group “Smehorancheta” and all of our donors and…

This year traditionally, with a lot of happy games, surprises, delicious treats and a cake, “For Our Children” Foundation and friends celebrated the International Children’s Day in Plovdiv. The magical holiday was our gift for all children and families our team from Community Support Center “For children and parents” works with.   Animators, fairy-tale characters and DJ were entertaining the children. The good mood was maintained by the sunny boys and girls from kindergarten “Zaharno petle” and the 11-years old girl Agleya Kaneva from Art Voice Centre.   Many of our friends and donors from the corporate sector, as well as representatives of local institutions, “Child Protection” Departments, the Regional Directorates “Social Assistance”. For the first time, many of the foster families joined our festival, which, thanks to our good partnership with Plovdiv Municipality, received our support from last year, have the opportunity to attend various upgrading trainings to make them even better at caring for children.   “It is our belief that foster care is a chance for many children not to fall into the isolation of institutions but to have a real family to give them individual care, attention and love. We thank them for their dedication to this tough mission” said Lina Samandova, Regional Manager in Plovdiv.   The Turkey’s General Consul in Plovdiv – Hussein Ergani, was also with us in order to celebrate the Day of the Child.   In order to congratulate children, families and our team in Plovdiv, where 27 years ago the Foundation has begun its journey, came the newest member of our Board – Aneliya Dimova.   “To me children are what makes life beautiful. There is no better moment than the childish smile and the glowing eyes of the curiosity and the endless questions of the little child, its stubbornness to climb the next challenge and to share the joy with its closest people.” she said. And turning to the guests, she added “Thank you for your presence here, motivating us even more strongly to be the support of hundreds of children and parents who need us, to give a chance for the development of Bulgarian children and an opportunity for their parents to be successful in their difficult task. Dear guests, small and big, entertain, smile, be happy at this wonderful children’s holiday!”   Every child deserves to have a happy childhood filled with a bunch of holidays! Let’s together make it happen!         We would like to thank all of our partners, without whom the holiday wouldn’t have been possible! Gifts for all children in the form of toys were donated free of charge by BART and backpacks – from language centers “Helen Doron”. “Svetlina Manufacture Confectionery” – Ivan Stanilov, made sure there are a lot of sweets for the guests. Delicious waffles – from “Serenata”, ice cream – cakes “Chochko“, and the unique two cakes were donated to us specifically for the holiday from “Leksi” Supermarket. And this year, Coca Cola took care of the water and juices for the guests of our holidays in Plovdiv and Sofia. Thank…

Among the possible solutions are the broadcasting of a child and family minister and a child ombudsman – that was announced during a press conference by the Network, held in 12 cities across the country.   Bulgaria needs leadership and responsibility for better coordinating child and family policies. This was stated by representatives of the National Network for Children during a press conference, which took place in Sofia and in 10 other cities in the country.   “Debates in recent months have shown it is time for Bulgaria to take more responsibility for children and families in Bulgaria”, said Georgi Bogdanov, Executive Director of the National Children’s Network during the event. “We as a group of 152 organizations working with and for children and families – professional and parental associations, are asking this today for Bulgaria to be a better place to live and develop children and families to be more relaxed and supported in the care for their children” he added.   In order this to happen, and to bring the child and family policies to the fore, we propose to set up a Minister of child and family. We think his or her task should be to provide a comprehensive approach to the problems faced by children and families. This leader should lead the public debate, unite, coordinate and offer policies that meet the different needs of the different children and their families in the Council of Ministers, together with all the ministers and state agencies, according to the National Network for Children.   This would be an expression of commitment of the state to families and a focus on family support as the best place for children. Currently in Bulgaria there are over 20 different normative acts, plans and strategies that regulate and plan the support, which makes it fragmented and even sometimes the policies in the different sectors – education, health care, social care – contradict. 91% of the parents that the National Network for Children consulted 3 years ago, believe that government policy which supports families is ineffective. A substantial part of their criticism is related to the lack of quality childcare services and to the resources allocated by the state to support families. In addition, the structures responsible for policies in support of children and families don’t have the necessary powers or are not positioned to assert their commitments. There is a lack of coordination between the different institutions. This leaves the policies of children and families stagnant and even sometimes in regress such as quality of parental support and especially in dealing with cases of children in need of protection. The most common recommendations we hear from children and their parents during the preparation of our annual “Notebook” report are related to the fact that there is a huge gap between state institutions and people. Very often people don’t think they are heard and don’t believe something can change. In recent months, it is obvious that public trust in state institutions in terms of policies for children and families is extremely low. That’s why it is necessary to have a clear plan on what state support policy for the family is to provide support and support to all children and parents.   But to have a Minister of Child and Family is not enough. There is a need for an institution to monitor both its work and the work of all state institutions concerning children and families. That is why we insist on the Ombudsman for the child, whose role would be to advocate for children’s rights and to solve the problems that parents encounter, including potential violations by state institutions. Bulgaria is one of the few countries in Europe that has no ombudsman responsible for children. This puts children’s questions in competition with a number of other issues – about steam prices, the working conditions of adults, etc. and accordingly, many of the problems remain not only unresolved, but also not on the agenda. Creating the position of the child ombudsman will make it possible for children’s interests to be a real task for the state, and because the good life of the children is inextricably linked to the good life of families – and to the parents themselves.   If Bulgaria has a Minister for Child and Family, he can be a leader and assert the rights and interests of children and families in all systems – health, education, social, justice and etc. This will result in greater integration and improved coordination and interaction to meet the needs of children and families. These include the creation of opportunities for parents’ economic development and support for a better standard of living and active inclusion especially of women and mothers, policies to reconcile work and private life, ensuring equal access to support for all children and parents, regardless of status, income and risk; connection between family and school, and between school and social support; regulating tax concessions; promoting and facilitating other sectoral policies – energy, transport and cultural policies. Serious strengthening of the child protection system is also needed. If we have a Minister, he will be able to provide the Parliament a better basis for developing legislative changes and social policies and participate in planning for government investment in children and support for parents – budgeting the costs of child and family support.   “We from the National Children’s Network believe that investing in children and parents is no less important than investing in the country’s economy and gross domestic product. A better implementation of policies for children and families requires both leadership and a clear financial commitment to ensure that they won’t just remain on paper.” – that was announced by the National Network for Children.       National Network for Children is a reunion of 152 civic organizations and adherents working with and for children and families across the country, including “For Our Children” Foundation. Promoting, protecting and respecting the rights of the child are part of the key principles that unite us. In 2018, organizations members of the National Children’s Network supported 74,000 children and their families with their work. 4 500 specialists working with children and families throughout Bulgaria (teachers, psychologists, police officers, judges, social workers) were supported by NNC organizations through trainings, consultations and joint activities. If you want to keep up-to-date on child and family information, join the new Facebook group “For a Better State of Our Children”.    …

Four new “powers” joined the team of the Board of Trustees of “For Our Children” foundation. In the fulfilling of our difficult mission, we rely on the strategic support of our Board of Trustees – a community of people who put their experience, knowledge and enthusiasm into the development of the organization and the success of our activity.   The more and more expanding needs and spheres of support for children at an early age, as well as the need for a quality change in policies, which guarantee their rights, provoked us to expand the members of the Board of Trustees and also the spheres of influence and the guarantees that the children of Bulgaria will have all rights and opportunities for development and happy childhood.   After an opened selection and long meetings with the candidates, our current presidents – Silviya Tsanova, Kapka Stoikova and Georgi Kamov decided these 4 new “superheroes” to join the team.   Who are they? Why and how they share our causes? Ekaterina Panova   Ekaterina Panova is a journalist, editor, psychologist, photographer and a good parent. She has worked as a reporter and editor in news agencies for more than 15 years. At the moment she is a political reporter at BTA and author of the blog “Where the heart lives”.   “As a mother and a person with a big heart, I face a disrespectful attitude towards children every day – it looks like adults in different roles and uniforms seem to forget what is like to be a child. This makes me feel really sad and at the same time it makes me strive for change. The kind words, the gentle smiles and the warm hugs don’t spoil. On the contrary – they sow goodness in every child’s soul. When we respect the children as individuals, when we are interested in their opinions and respect their desires, they develop their potential in the most useful for them and for the society way. I believe that the loved and supported children are our better future. That’s why I gratefully accepted the invitation to be part of “For Our Children” foundation, so we can together multiply our love.” Aneliya Dimova   Aneliya Dimova has many years of managerial experience in the field of managing people in large multinational companies and part of her responsibilities include corporate social responsibility management policies. She also involves and manages projects, aimed at helping local communities, children with special needs and educational projects.   “To me, children make life meaningful. There is no bigger moment than the one when you see the smiles of the children and their shining eyes on the other side, the curiosity and the endless questions of the little оne, its stubbornness to climb the next challenge and to share the happiness from the achievement with the closest people. “For Our Children” foundation is a platform and a team, working to provide a supportive environment for children and families in need. It is a great honor to give my personal contribution to this cause.”     Gergana Ivanova   Gergana Ivanova is managing partner of The Smarts communication group, Paragraph 42 PR Agency, IGMedia, Shoot. As the head of one of the strongest creative agencies on the market, Gergana is perfectly aware of the need of every good cause to be explained and to reach people in the most emotional and convincing way. She has been a supporter of the causes of “For Our Children” foundation for many years. Apart from being an individual donor, Gergana and her team support all of the foundation’s campaigns, by giving messages and visions of the causes it fights for.   “I believe in the power of Good and its final victory. Children are the personification of this Good. The most important thing which is worth fighting for every day. I believe that the more we listen to children, their voices and unadulterated wisdom, the better chance we give to the Good to win.”     Metodiya Chadikovski   Dr. Metodiya Chadikovski is a formal general manager of Roche Bulgaria. Currently he has an international role in Roche and with his work he helps the women with breast cancer to fight the disease. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Sheffield, UK.   “I don’t think there is something more important than my family. That’s why I am really happy there is such a foundation in support of our children. As a parent, I realize my importance in my children’s lives and I accept any care for children, who need it, to be extremely meaningful and important. It is my honor to support “For Our Children” Foundation and to contribute to their success.”   We are glad that people with sensitivity to social causes join our Board of Trustees – people who are motivated to work and for whom the rights of children are a mission, who believe that INVESTING ON TIME in children is a guarantee for success! Welcome to our…

We are one step closer to fulfill our big dream – to open a Complex for Early Childhood Development in Sofia and Plovdiv. Thanks to the donation of the „PricewaterhouseCoopers” Company, “For Our Children” Foundation already has some of the furniture and materials needed for the future buildings – interior doors, building elements, desks, shelves, racks and more.   With this really good gesture, the international company shows that it’s not only professional in quality auditing, consultancy and tax services, but also in realization of good.   Thank you, PwC Bulgaria for make it possible to support more children to have an equal chance to develop their full…

On an official ceremony for the second consecutive year “For Our Children” Foundation won an award in the category “Most publications at ngo.org in 2018” from The Information Portal of Nongovernmental Organizations in Bulgaria.   We thank to the NGObg.org portal for giving us a place where we can share the good. In order to motivate more and more people.   A famous parable tells how one man goes to the beach after a harsh storm and sees how another one is throwing sea stars in the sea. “But they are so many. You can’t save all of the stars, they are thousands. You won’t be able to change the things.” The man took another sea star in his hands, threw it and said – “yes, but look – I change the faith of this one.”   Every good story, every good work, deserves to be shared.   The good news were not going to exist without the people who made them possible. “For Our Children” Foundation has a really good team – people with experience, people with high professionalism but the most important thing – people who live with the thought every child in Bulgaria to live in a security environment. People, who are so much acquainted with the cause of the organization that they are experiencing every single case and every faith that touches them.   The good doesn’t like to be…

Our training course for tolerance and friendship has passed with a lot of emotions with the students from two of the 3rd grade classes of Vasil Levski Primary School in Rogosh, Plovdiv. Chief Expert Early Childhood Development – Tsvetelina Ganeva and the social workers Stela Aleksandrova and Margarita Cherneva from The Community Support Center “For Children and Parents” did their best to gain the knowledge of the students related to the emotional intelligence, the ways to cope with an aggressive behavior and the building a positive relationship between each other.   The pedagogues from the school connected our specialist with a request to share with the children more about the good ways to express our feelings, on the base of their expertise, so that we don’t offend or hurt the others. And also how to be more tolerant of the differences between us.   Right from the beginning of the training sessions, we created together some group rules. In order to remember them better, we played a several games – exercises with the students. The most interesting for the children was the discussion for the best friends and for the qualities they need to have.     Here are some of the descriptions of a friend, which were given by the children:    He has to be good and to help me in difficult moments, to play together..  To drive bikes together..  We have to help each other and to play together..  The best friends are not only boys, they can be girls too..  Ivan is giving me ideas..  My best friend plays football, watches movies and wants to become a goalkeeper one day. If he does, I would be really happy for him..  You have to share with your best friend secrets and he has to keep them safe..  My best friend’s name is Stani. We both go to visit his grandmother together. He always helps me in difficult times. When we fight is just for one minute, He is the person who helps me and I believe he won’t let me down if I share him a secret.  My best friend’s name is Mariya. Once I struggled with a task and she helped me. We love playing hide and seek.   The loneliness is one of the most common problems in today’s “digital childhood”. The sooner we start building an atmosphere of tolerance for our children, give them a chance to say what they need to say, in order to hear their opinion, the earlier we would be able to prevent future forms of aggression. It’s important for children to recognize the different emotions – both theirs and those of others. This way the children build positive relationships, teamwork and cooperation.   We are looking forward to hear what the bigger children think on topics, related to the emotional intelligence. To be continued..     P.S. all of the names of the children in the material have been replaced by fictional ones in order to keep their true identity in…

In the days before the bright Easter holiday, “For Our Children” Foundation surprised all of the children and families it works with, with Easter eggs hunting.   Under the sounds of spring melodies, in the company of a good weather and warm sun lights, and encouraged by a real Easter rabbit, the children and their parents enjoyed the Easter adventure. All of the guests who has an Easter spirit and a research flair, had the opportunity to take a part in the searching of more than 150 hand-decorated, unique Easter eggs, which were made by the team of the organization earlier that day.   In addition to the Hunt, we were prepared a colorful program to tell our little and big friends for the Easter traditions, how to celebrate the holiday and how to greet the other people during the three days of Easter. The answers of the children of the question “Why the first egg has to be red?” were a lot and all of them were different. Some of them were “Because this is my favorite color” or “that’s what my grandmother said” until we heard “the right” answer, which was given by one of the biggest kids – “because it symbolizes God and his blood”. We told them some not so popular traditions in Bulgaria and the most interesting for the children was the legend for the Easter rabbit. Maybe because they heard it from him – how on the first day of Easter, even before the dew rose, he jumps from a garden to garden and leaves colorful eggs for the owners of every house, in order their year to be good and happy.   Even though the children were really tired, they participated in the Easter limbo and dances, with witch the holiday rolled to its end.   Apart from all of the eggs they had discovered, the little “goldsmiths” came home with a lot of presents, balloons and candies, but also with one red Easter egg. With this present, the Foundation’s team wished all of the families to be healthy and to greet the holiday in the warmth of their homes together.       Every child deserves to have a happy childhood, full of special moments, holidays and traditions! We share the same view with our partners from Raiffeisenbank. Without the support of their charity initiative “Choose to help”, the event “Hunt for Easter eggs For Our Children” was not going to be possible. We are thankful from our…