PRESENTATION OF THE “ROJDESTVO HRISTOVO” SOCIAL CENTER

The “Rojdestvo Hristovo”  Center , founded in 1998, works in the city of Sofia. The Project has been developed by the Catholic Apostolic Exarchate – Sofia, upon an initiative of the “Cor Unum” Pontifical Council and appears as a part of the Social Programme “100 Projects of the Holy Father”.

From the end of 2005 our Center achieved its own legal statute as a “Rojdestvo Hristovo” Foundation with the Catholic Apostolic Exarchate as a founder.

Mission of this Project is to provide moral and material support for single mothers who raise their children alone, as an expression of an unconditional protection and care for the human life, especially of the life of the child.

The basic direction of the work of the Center is the social stabilization of the mothers for which individual plans are developed collaboratively with the mothers.  During the execution of the plan, the mothers receive individual consultations and group sessions with a qualified psychologist and a social worker who connect them with appropriate government social institutions and who help them in their job search.  When visiting the Center, the mothers and their children receive different kinds of material support such as free food, medicines, medical help, clothing and use of the laundry facilities, etc.

During their stay, the women are required to participate in the activities of the Center.  According to each woman’s desire and ability, she can choose to help with the cooking, cleaning and children care – or participate in making the textile or ceramic products.  The involvement of the women in the activities of the Center contributes greatly to their social integration, helping them overcome feelings of isolation and restoring their belief in themselves.  The money from the products sold is distributed to the women according to their individual contribution.  This income, although very modest, increases their self-confidence – and together with the other forms of help – assists them in overcoming this critical period in their lives.

In 2006 a new form of support was started – emergency housing in a social apartment provided by the Center for mothers and children without shelter.

Through the last year our Center took care of 67 women, providing them with different kinds of moral and material support – free food, medicines, clothes and shoes, psychological training and juridical consultations, help for finding job etc. Every woman with serious social problems has an individual stabilization programs and is permanently assisted in its step-by-step implementation. Through the last year 12 of these programs were successfully completed, all these women found job and achieved more stable social statute. The children also had their special occasions – playing in the garden, studies with our girls-volunteers, learning singing songs, drawing, cooking, going to excursions… The entire spirit of our Center suggests optimism and calls up the hidden capacities and talents of the women. In the friendly atmosphere of our house disappear depression and fear, rise up hope, energy and faith. Here in the Center, socially disadvantaged mothers and children receive not only food, clothes and medicines, but they also acquire useful knowledge and skills and become able to manage their problems.

Our center, as an institution, achieved a new higher level – we were worthy of trust to have own legal registration as a juridical unit – “Rojdestvo Hristovo” Foundation. It is a good progress for developing our activities toward raising self-sustainability.

While maintaining the social priorities of the project as uppermost, we are hoping to develop a more active and more efficient handicraft works based on the products created in the workshops in the Center. We trust that this will create conditions for the self-sustainability of our project.

Liudmila Balikova                                                                            

Manager of the “Rojdestvo Hristovo” Foundation

Plovdiv - La casa del mercante