Lessons in care, patience, and responsibility
Pencho graduated with a degree in “Social Work” many years ago, but for a long time he didn’t work in his field. Life took him in various directions, including 13 years in England, where, as he tells us, it’s very difficult to establish yourself and find work in your profession. After returning to Bulgaria, a […]
When Work is a Mission: 13 Years of Dedication
What attracted you to social work? It seems I always wanted to work in the social sphere. When I was an undergraduate student, it was an unpopular profession and just starting to emerge. I started working with children and young adults with disabilities by chance, even though my major was focused on children with deviant […]
Where Water Heals
We welcome Stoyan and Georgi at one of our family-type homes in Kazanlak, and the children run toward them with arms wide open for a hug. This is how our conversation begins with the two rehabilitators who work with the children and young people with disabilities from our services in the city. They often joke […]
Desislava Anakieva, art therapist in Kyustendil
With a smile on her face, Desislava Anakieva, art therapist at our Social Rehabilitation and Integration Centre in Kyustendil, shares her journey from being an artist to taking on the important and inspiring role of helping people with disabilities express themselves and overcome their difficulties through art. For her, work is not just a profession […]
Being the grandmother of 40 children
Grandma Stoyanka, as everyone calls her, has been working as a social therapist at one of our family-type homes in Kazanlak for almost 10 years now. Her professional experience includes working at a blacksmith workshop alongside 300 men. And today, almost 70-years-old, she shares that she has finally discovered her true calling – being a […]
Irina Zareva, Social Therapist, Kyustendil
Irina is a teacher by profession, but more than 12 years ago she left school and took a different path. Then, accidentally or not, her life brought her together with children who had never had access to a school classroom – they had just been brought out of the large state institution where they had […]
Anna Stoyneva, social worker, Kyustendil
Anna is one of our social workers at the Social Rehabilitation and Integration Centre. She greets us smiling and ready to tell us about herself, about her challenging and good moments at Cedar. During the conversation, it becomes clear that working with young people with different intellectual disabilities is a true vocation for her. Her […]
Margarita Grigorova, occupational therapist, Kyustendil
Our conversation with Margarita took place during an occupational therapy session with one of the girls living in the apartments in Kyustendil. She chooses her own occupation and that is to paint her nails. It turns out that she does not like to apply a second coat to her nails, and Margarita regularly teaches her […]
All roads lead to Cedar
Alex’s story about her return to the central team My journey at the Cedar Foundation began in early 2016 when I joined the team as an intern. It did not take long to realise that this was my place and I wanted to grow professionally at the foundation. After completing my internship, I had the […]
Verzhinya Haralampieva, team leader, Kyustendil
We meet Verzhi as she has taken over for a fellow social colleague she is replacing. She talks about how “the kids” have just eaten, they are relaxed and resting, and she is busy with tasks. The serenity of her kind nature comes through in conversation with her, and in every personal encounter so far. […]