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The Bulgarian Red Cross implemented the project "Raising public awareness on the problems of the elderly and protection of their rights" in the period 2003 - 2009, which was implemented with the support of the Swiss Red Cross.
The project introduced a new approach for Bulgaria to work with older people, which made the representatives of the third age active participants in the life of their communities, as well as in the discussion and solution of specific problems that directly affect them. The project was implemented in 10 regions of the country - Montana, Plovdiv, Blagoevgrad, Lovech, Smolyan, Dobrich, Shumen, Ruse, Vratsa and Targovishte and led to the inclusion of 1120 active volunteers from the third age.
Basic principles of the project:
- Participation
- Empowering the elderly
- Carrying out activities with and from elderly people
- Partnership
Among the main tasks and activities of this project are:
- Raising awareness and drawing the attention of local communities, state institutions and the media to the lifestyle and problems of the elderly
- Creating self-help groups for the elderly.
- Capacity building of older people to implement various initiatives for the benefit of the community
- Introducing older people to the rights they have
- Participation of the elderly in the process of discussing specific problems and lobbying local institutions for their solution
The project contributed to the social inclusion of the elderly and the adequate assessment of the existing needs in the individual communities. The elderly people from the regions in the project were the main people who conducted a joint study, the results of which were published in the brochure The Voice of the Elderly (2007). As a result of the undertaken activities, in partnership with other non-governmental organizations, specific problems in the separate settlements were solved and more vulnerable representatives of the community were helped - lonely elderly people; children from children's social institutions; people in need of treatment, etc.
The implementation of the project also contributed to the establishment of the Bulgarian Red Cross as an organization actively working for the benefit of the elderly both nationally and internationally. Proof of this is the acceptance of the Bulgarian Red Cross as a full member of the European Platform for the Elderly - AGE in 2009.
