2003 – European Year of People with Disabilities Equal chance for all 2002 Caritas Bulgaria 9, Oborishte Str. 1504 Sofia, Bulgaria Tel.: (+359 2) 944 1858, Fax: (+359 2) 946 1133 e-mail: [email protected] http://www.caritas-bg.org Our addresses Caritas Plovdiv Caritas Rouse Caritas Sofia parish organizations parish organizations parish organizations Caritas General Nikolaevo Caritas Malchika Caritas Kuklen 4150 Rakovski 5917 Malchika 4101 Kuklen 1A, Vitosha Str. tel. (+359 6534) 24 01 5, Vazragdane Str. tel. (+359 3151) 36 68 Contact person: Rev. Remo Gambacorta tel. (+359 32) 62 10 32 Contact person: Joseph Bakardjiev Contact person: Rev. Daniel Gillier Caritas Belene Pope John Paul II in Bulgaria Caritas Parchevich 5930 Belene Caritas Burgas (Greek catholic) 4150 Rakovski 3, Benkovski Str. 8000 Burgas 23-26 May 2002 6, Hristo Smirnenski Str. tel. (+359 068) 23 028 1, Sheinovo Str. tel. (+359 3151) 47 08 Contact person: Elka Duleva tel. (+359 56) 402 90 Contact person: Contact person: Deyan Jordanov Rev. Maksimilian Balabanski Caritas Pleven 67, Georgui Kochev Blvd. Caritas Pokrovan Caritas Sekirovo 5800 Pleven 6575 Pokrovan 4150 Rakovski tel. (+359 64) 46 271 tel. (+359 3667) 366 2A, Nikola Vapcarov Str. Contact person: Rev. Angelo Gorgeta Contact person: Maria Pandova tel. (+359 3151) 46 63 Contact person: Maria Pensova Caritas Oresh 5280 Oresh Caritas St. Joseph“ 10, Kamchia Str. 1000 Sofia tel. (+359 6328) 20 33 125, Knyaz Boris Str. Contact person: Sister Kristiana tel. (+359 2) 981 39 31 Contact person: Jolanta Zafirova Caritas parish Ruse 7000 Ruse Caritas Burgas 14, Episkop Bosilkov Str. 5, Tzar Petar Str. tel. (+359 82) 82 15 11 tel. (+359 56) 84 02 09 Contact person: Darina Kalapish Contact person: Vladislav Berger Caritas Belozem 4150 Belozem Sinchec Str. mob. (+359 87) 67 60 72 Contact person: Raina Kostadinova Caritas Zhitnitsa There are many ways 4172 Zhitnitsa in which you can support Caritas efforts to serve the people. tel. (+359 3170) 34 63 Contact person: Ana Karacheva Take part in Caritas projects Pray for someone in distress – often the moral support Caritas Duvanli is more desired than material one. 4174 Duvanli If you no longer use a certain thing, do not leave it in the cellar 4, Lale Str. or the attic to decay as something useless – many people would be happy tel. (+359 3123) 24 39 to have just that thing. Contact person: Radka Draganova If you want to renew your wardrobe – give your kept with love clothes to somebody that may be has just one. Caritas Kaloyanovo Make your cash or in kind donation. 4173 Kaloyanovo 31, Hristo Botev Str. tel. (+359 3123) 26 59 Contact person: Slavka Pesheva Caritas parish Plovdiv Published by: NCF Caritas Bulgaria 4000 Plovdiv 3, Maria Luiza Blvd. Director: Emanouil Patashev tel. (+359 32) 27 02 91 Editor: Svetlana Gyoreva Contact person: Diakon Hristo Tabakov Proofreader: Nikoleta Doumanova Caritas Miromir Translation: Dialogue Company 4180 Miromir Photography: Snezhana Loukanova and Caritas archives 34, Tzar Kaloyan Typeset and printing: Rakurs Sofia tel. (+359 337) 36 45 Year of publishing: 2003 Contact person: Rev. Dimitar Dimitrov Total print: 1000 СONTENT President's words / 3 I. ACTIVITY 2002 / 5 For the children and young people with special needs / 6 For the drug addicts / 8 For the unemployed / 9 For the refugees / 10 For the single mothers / 11 For the farmers / 12 For the elderly, single and sick people / 13 Financial report / 15 II. THAT IS CARITAS /19 Events in 2002 /20 The Holy Father in Bulgaria /20 Lighted candles for peace / 21 Caritas Day / 21 III. CARITAS NETWORK /23 How to contact us /24 Our addresses /24 Let us help together /24 Dear Friends, This year we celebrate ten years since Caritas Bulgaria has been established and begun its hard work – years of support to the needy, the suffering, of protection of the dignity of every person. Activities that were made possible thanks to our partners’, friends’ and donors’ support. Our organization has developed with the encouraging smiles of our beneficiaries as well. The beginning of our activities was laid thanks to the enthusiasm and the active participation of the people from the Catholic community, who in the hardiest years of transition organized collection and provision of humanitarian help for the poorest people in our country, for hospitals and institutions. From the very beginning our work has been focused on the marginalized groups in our society that for different reasons hardly lead any active social life. Today we perform different activities and provide such social services, which help our beneficiaries to develop their potential and resources so that they could be their own advocates. Activities that become possible thanks to our joint efforts and shared love – love that inspires, love that is wholeheartedly being given to others. That is why we address you all – our supporters, partners, donors, volunteers, all of you that often remain anonymous, but truly implicated in the pain of those suffering, those in dire situation, the ones rejected by society. Through your acts of empathy and support you contribute a part of yourselves in the heart of Caritas. You bestow love that gives true joy to those in need. Thank you for your enthusiasm and energy, empathy and tirelessness, for the love you contribute so that the heart of Caritas may beat and bestow hope. Bishop Petko Hristov President of Caritas Bulgaria It is in my power to see my fellow-man If I open my eyes - I will see my brother in every man and every woman, in every brother and in every sister. If I open my heart - he will be there. If I listen to my soul - I will make no exceptions or differences, because in every person I shall see a fellow man and God Himself. To be able to see my fellow-man - means to overcome my egoism, It is in my power to look deep into his eyes, to notice him or pass him by, to open his soul, It is in my power to feel his joy and share his sorrow. to confer meaning on him or not, It is in my power to make him a fellow man of mine… For the children and young peoplewith special needs • For the drug addicts • For the unemployed • For the refugees • For the single mothers • For the farmers • For the elderly, single and sick people • Financial report • I. ACTIVITY 2002 For the children and young people with special needs They dream, they create, their smiles are infectious... Even if not living in a fairy world, they dream fairy dreams full of magic… They generously bestow true love full of tenderness and long to receive at least a small grain of it… The most needed support – the investment in our children’s education To discover the potential in any child, to help them develop their abilities, irrespective whether they are attending school or their families lack of means has deprived them of that chance or has limited their opportunities for development, irrespective whether they are playing in the street or watching the world through their windows because they are confined to a wheel- chair – that is the aim of Caritas work. All our efforts and activ- ities for children and young people with special needs are focused in this direction. • In 2002 we continued to work with our young beneficia- • Many children of families, living in hard circumstances, ries in the out-of-school centers of Caritas in the villages of have talents, but they cannot afford to attend expensive fine Kouklen and Malchika. 120 children attended the centers every and applied arts courses. That is why, for these young talents day. At the centers the children are assisted in the preparation Caritas is organizing for a second year now a whole year course of their lessons, they are trained in computer skills, their talents in iconography and decorative art in Rouse. In 2002 18 children are being developed, they have manual training lessons. With finished the course. During the course of training they were the help of the teachers seven and eight grade students pre- acquainted with the life and works of prominent artists, with pare themselves seriously for high schools and vocational fine and decorative arts different techniques and materials, schools entrance exams. In Malchika the children study English with iconography technologies. Those finishing high school too, which undoubtedly enhances their development. Thus seri- were provided a special training for fine arts university entrance ous preparation and entertainment are being combined, chil- exams and the younger ones – for the high schools in arts dren use their free time adequately and parents feel secure that entrance exams. Works of our young artists were exhibited not their children are doing well at school and have the ambition to only in Bulgaria, but also in France and Belgium. develop themselves. 6 • In 2002 Caritas motivated 230 children of Roma origin in the village of Banya to regularly attend school classes by pro- viding them daily with warm lunch. To 20 Roma children from the village, that decided to continue their education after eighth grade in the town of Nova Zagora Caritas provided monthly scholarships. The activities under this project started in 1996 and are being implemented with the support of our partners from the Nova Zagora municipality and the village of Bania council. Another important task is to increase the number of those willing to continue their education and finish secondary school. This is a fact already – in the new school year 30 children con- tinue their education in the neighboring town. Expansion of the activities is forthcoming, which comprises a study of the needs of parents and active work to motivate them to take part in the project.