2020 Q3 Report

2020 Q3 Report Overview The second round of COVID-19 relief kit distribution took place in July. Following the first distribution in April and based on an analysis of the benefits of the relief kits on the most vulnerable families, the team identified 15 families living in the village of Petrevene to receive additional kits. These families have at least 4 children each and are at high risk of separation, poverty and domestic violence. They are all Roma families and their living conditions are far from adequate to raise children. Most of the adults lost their temporary money earning activities due to the COVID-19 situation and the lives and wellbeing of their children were at stake. A total of 15 families (parents and extended family) and 58 children aged 0-18 (7 babies, 40 children aged 0-12 and 11 teenagers) have been supported with essentials and Element of Play® at Home kits. We identified our top 5 strategic partnerships for 2021 and the first round of planning meetings took place in July. Our top 5 partners are HESED (Sofia), NGO Club (Targovishte municipality), Znanie Association (Lukovit municipality), Nov Pat Associaltion (Oryahovo municipality) and Hayachi Association (Novi Pazar municipality). The agenda of the planning meetings included identification of locations, provisional number and children and adults (parents and professionals), introducing new language in terms of programs, monitoring & evaluation requirements, tools and process, communication (impact storytelling) and reporting. It is expected that these 5 organizations will work with more than half of the total number of children and families WWO SUPPORTED Bulgaria supports. THIS QUARTER As part of the monitoring & evaluation process with our partners, we led the a focus group with parents at the 756 Children MIR center, run by the Health and Social Development Foundation. 10 mothers, 1 father, and 5 children took part in 145 Parents the focus group. 5 Specialists 1 Overview Continued WWO Bulgaria WWO Bulgaria is a member of the National Network for Children Country Director, - the biggest network of organizations working in the area of child Rosita Bogalinska- protection, welfare, rights and services. The annual 2020 meeting took Petrova, place August 28-30 with the participation of more than 150 members was elected attending. One of the topics was the election of 6 new board members unanimously as and a board chair. WWO Bulgaria Country Director, Rosita Bogalinska- board chair of the Petrova, was elected unanimously as board chair, which is not only great recognition for our organization but an opportunity to have our National Network voice heard. for Children. Another focus of our work was the development of three training programs which target the community centers, the kindergartens and the professionals working with refugee children. In 2021, WWO Bulgaria will have two new partners - Znanie Association and New Road Association. Though we have a two-year partnership as part of the TSA funded projects “Quality Education for Equal Start” and “Play to Have Chances” we plan to become partners with our Element of Play® and Skills Development programs. This involves identifying key professionals to train, locations for setting up Element of Play® Learning Spaces and designing the program so that it meets the needs of each group of trainees. We plan to train locals to develop their skills to work with children using the Element of Play® program in marginalized communities in the two regions. The third training program is designed upon request of an organization working with refugee children at a reception center on the Bulgarian-Turkish border. It requires careful consideration of the topics in view of the traumatic experiences of the children and families. 2 Element of Play® For Meliha, everyday life is difficult, split between During one visit to their house, the local mediator working as a grocery store salesperson and a was adamant that Aidan and Adem didn’t not know mother caring for three-year-old Aidan and six- how to have fun and referred Meliha to the our year-old Adem. Their father left 2 years ago and Learning Space. When they first came, Aidan and in his new family mention of these two children Adem stood still not reaching for the toys, as if or providing basic care for them is not welcome. frightened by the other children. They did not speak Meliha’s only support is her mother, who, after Bulgarian or Turkish. parting with her husband, sheltered her in her small poor house in the city’s Turkish neighborhood. Gradually, they began to notice certain things in the room - Aidan liked a ball, and when she learned Meliha still can’t overcome the separation, she to hold it with both hands, she began to carry it often thinks about what happened and cries or and pass it to the other children. The first toy that throws herself into cleaning and tidying up. In such caught Adam’s eye was building blocks. He liked to moments, her children’s natural desire to play take them out and then put them in the box. burdens her even more and she sends them to watch television After her divorce, Meliha started Today Aidan and Adem are curious and active in saving money that would normally go to pay for Element of Play® sessions. They’ve already made kindergarten, and the children were taken care of friends and Bulgarian words soon began to flow by their grandmother. Being an elderly lady with during play. Adam now unmistakably names the poor health, Aidan and Adem’s grandmother hardly colors of the building blocks, can compare towers of found the energy to engage with the children in a according to height and place “below, above, on the playful and positive way. In addition, she only speaks left, and on the right.” Aidan enjoys arranging multi- Turkish and the children started to forget the little layered puzzles and playing with a doll family. For Bulgarian they had learned before. Meliha, the smiles of the children and their small victories brought her back to pleasant moments of During one visit to their house, the local mediator engaging with her children being more important was adamant that Aidan and Adem didn’t not know than caring for a messy house. how to have fun and referred Meliha to the our Learning Space. When they first came, Aidan and Adem stood still not reaching for the toys, as if frightened by the other children. They did not speak Bulgarian or Turkish. 3.

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