News

The World AIDS Day was marked all over Bulgaria from the Centers for community development. The centers operate from July 2011 within the 5 pilot municipalities and are created by Amalipe Center under “Promotion of the fieldwork on a grass root level in traditional and marginalized Roma communities” financed by Daphne Program of the European Commission. Each center has two community moderators.  They provide innovative, community based services mainly directed to:

-Prevention of school drop-out; increasing the motivation of Roma pupils to visit schools;

-Prevention of early marriages and early pregnancy among Roma girls;

-Prevention of child abandonment and placement in specialized institutions;

-Organizing of informational lectures for building awareness on health culture, social competences and educational status of the Roma community;

On December 1 - World Day to Combat AIDS, Centers for Community Development, joined to the international campaign and the community moderators held the following events:

The community moderators from the Center for Community Development – Byala Slatina in cooperation with the Regional Health Inspection – Vratsa on December 1 organized a free testing for HIV/AIDS in the building of the former polyclinic hospital in Byala Slatina.   Local community was informed about the essence of the free testing and that they are free and anonym. Also informational materials were given. Cabinet for anonymous and free counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS was attended by 17 people. Comparing the previous year this cabinet was visited only by 3 people.

  Throughout the day in the courtyard of the policlinic, in the city center and in the neighborhood, volunteers distributed condoms, brochures and calendars. Same was the situation in Etropole where after distributing condoms and brochures

The Center for community Development in Etropole in cooperation with Child Protection Department – part of the Social Assistance Directorate – Etropole organized a massive campaign.  All day long there were given condoms and brochures in the center of the town and in the Roma neighborhoods. In the evening of December 1, between 7 pm and 8.30 pm in the building of “Peyo Yavorov” High School was organized a special discussion on the health issue.

In Kameno, near the Black sea, the community organized discussions with 14-18 years old youngsters to explain them the ways of getting AIDS. There was screened the movie "It’s your turn" aimed at AIDS prevention. The movie has already won several international awards.

In Novi Pazar the community moderators from the Center for community development initiated a discussion with 8-graders from the local schools and with students from the special school. During the day there were distributed condoms and brochures provided by the Regional Health Inspection – Shumen. 

In Peshtera the event was held on December 2 instead of December 1. Anyway the activities of the community moderators there faced the citizen’s great interest.  At 10.30 am started the discussion “Showing empathy to the victims of AIDS”. Later in the day in the municipality hall was opened an exhibition with paintings of the pupils. All they long in Peshtera worked also the Cabinet for anonymous and free counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS.