Roma Policy Lab

Active Citizens Fund Bulgaria

NEW REPORT: The definition of energy poverty in Bulgaria – content and applications with an emphasis on highly vulnerable and marginalized groups

Bulgaria is in the final stages of adopting an official definition of energy poverty, but there is a risk that its use for the purpose of energy renovation of buildings will be done in a way that will not prioritize the energy poor and may even lead to an increase in energy inequality.

Project: “Motivated teachers – successful students”

This project was designed to support emotionally, mentally and methodologically those who work with students on a daily basis. To give them a sense that what they do is valued, that they have the tools to cope with difficult situations, and that they can be supported in difficult times.

Project: “Give Roma Health”

The main goal of this small, but very important project for local people, was to empower Roma health mediators in Pazardzhik district to conduct early screening of the Roma population for the prevention of socially significant diseases and allowing over 1000 people free access to these check-ups.

Project: “Model for Early Education, Care and Active Participation – I CAN”

The project will be implemented in Fakulteta Neighbourhood in Sofia, the second largest Roma neighbourhood in Bulgaria. The project aims at developing further a programme for early childhood education and care and gathering empirical evidence of its immediate impact on child care, children‘s cognitive development and academic performance as well as parents’ values and social skills and other fields of parents’ social life, namely employment and civic involvement.

Project: “Children for the Rights of the Child”

The main goal of the project is to develop innovative solutions for teaching children about their right to express and defend their opinions on issues that affect them. Association “Chance and Protection” also aims to develop its capacity to educate children about their right to participate, to study the effect of applying innovative approaches and to disseminate them.

Domestic and gender-based violence in Bulgaria. Methodology for Monitoring Policy and Institutional Practice

This publication is an analysis of the practical application, implementation, and evaluation of concrete legal, strategic, and policy measures set to counter the phenomenon of gender based and domestic violence in Bulgaria. Consequently, it shows how data, statistics and insights collected with respect to these types of violence could be interpreted and put into context. Ultimately, the methodology is intended to serve as a useful tool for experts, helping them identify and define acute challenges, key areas for improvement, as well as existing best practices.

Project: “Youth Theatre against Hate Network Development”

With this project, the capacity of more than 20 civil society organizations working with youth in four regions in Bulgaria was developed to use a model of work to overcome conflicts and develop critical thinking among young people through the means of theater.