Agapedia Plovdiv Foundation
Center for Working with Children in Disadvantaged Social Situations
Our Why?
Who Are We?
The Plovdiv branch of the Agapedia Foundation Bulgaria is a center that offers social services including information and consultation, training,
and support for children who do not have parental care and are being raised in family-type accommodation centers. The center also assists
children from families facing disadvantaged social situations in Plovdiv.
Our organization provides support for children and youth ranging from early childhood to those who are leaving social institutions.
We focus on developing skills for independent living and our services are primarily aimed at individuals aged 7-21 who are without parental care. These individuals are typically accommodated in social institutions or family-type centers located within the municipality of Plovdiv.
Our
Team
As a team, we are a family, and we hold to the direction of our work, which is to provide the support and confidence that children and young adults lack, much like parental care. We work entirely based on their individual needs, motivating them to fight, to be strong and courageous, and to pursue their dreams, so they can have a fulfilling and purposeful life.
Our work begins from the moment we meet them and ends when they demonstrate the skills to manage independently in life – consistency in the workplace, renting an apartment or community housing, proficiency in managing their monthly budget, and more.
Our
Mission and Vision
Our mission is to help children develop their personalities, realize their. potential, and prepare them for successful integration into society.
Our program fosters growth through education, cooking, creativity, and engaging grown-up youths as volunteers.
At the same time, we provide vocational training courses to help youths find employment and establish self-sufficient livelihoods.
Our
History
In 2008 we decided to connect with the Agapedia Bulgaria Foundation
and opened a branch in Plovdiv. This made us a part of the larger Agapedia family, which operates in Germany, Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova. We rented and furnished a 100-square-meter floor of a house near the foster home, which we used for 13 years. The space was designed to provide a family-like environment for the children.
In previous years, we had a vision of having more practical space for our activities with the children. Finally, in 2021, we discovered and leased the
area that we had been longing for. We rented a 120-square-meter floor of a house in a better location, which had already taken shape in our minds, and furnished it to provide more functionality, homely comfort, and atmosphere.
Our
Stories
The Story of D.
We first met when he was twelve years old, as part of the inaugural group to be under the care of our foundation. He had been taken away from his family due to extreme poverty, which made it impossible for them to provide adequate care. At the time, he was part of a family of four, and he and his younger brother were placed in an institution. He made a promise to his mother that he would take care of his brother.
The Story of G.
This is a story about a child who grew up with dreams, some of which they have already experienced, and others that they have yet to fulfill as a young adult. G was placed in residential care as his grandmother could no longer care for him, causing him to feel abandoned and neglected.
The Story of I.
He spent his childhood in social institutions, with an uninterested mother and an unknown father. We met him at age 11.
I. had a difficult childhood. He was an outsider both at school and at home, and he was often subjected to humiliation and mockery by everyone except us.
Causes
Part of our ethos is getting to know—not just the children and young people we work with, but people in general. We are pleased to have known Dimitar Vasilev for 8 years and have been part of his journey.
Dimitar Vasilev hosts a podcast about “donation and transplants”…
Before the closure of the Nursing Home for Medical and Social Care, where children aged 0-3 were accommodated, we conducted individual meetings with them and prepared them for a smoother and easier transition from the institution to foster care or adoption.
The Family-Type Accommodation Center in Lesichovo Village is located 65 km from the city of Plovdiv. The children accommodated there range in age from 3 to 18 years old.
News
Partners
