Cedar facilitates positive social change in Bulgaria by assisting in the provision of quality, community-based care for disadvantaged children and young persons.

The Cedar Foundation

Български

Gorna Koznitsa Project

The Institution in Gorna Koznitsa (GK), located south of Sofia between Bobov dol and Kyustendil, is home to 48 physically and mentally disabled young residents.  This institution was designated for closure by the Bulgarian government and The Cedar Foundation is managing the proper closure of this facility. 

 

Properly closing an institution involves a lot more than putting a lock on the doors and moving the residents elsewhere.  It involves preparing the individual residents for their new homes (and in this case, even building new homes) and addressing their specific needs; hiring additional staff and providing training for new and current staff; working closely with the local municipalities and the state government to create and implement an appropriate transition plan; working with local partners to provide skill-giving activities; working with the local communities to assist in the integration of the residents; and a host of other components. 

 

We believe that we will have all of GK’s residents transitioned into new, family-type homes in the spring of 2010.  We are currently building new homes in Kyustendil and Bobov dol that will be used to re-house these residents.  These new homes, and the proper transitioning of the residents, are some of the first steps towards de-institutionalization within Bulgaria; and we are very proud to be a part of it.