Description
The project addresses the difficulties faced by the elderly in small villages in Smolyan Municipality due to depopulation and lack of social services. The project aims at empowering community leaders from 10 villages to voice their problems publicly. First, the applicant will boost its capacity with a 3-day training in civil participation, advocacy and campaign planning. Second, an information campaign will be held and 30 community leaders will be elected from the 10 villages. Third, the needs of the local community for social services and support will be studied through questionnaires filled in by 600 people. Fourth, the 30 leaders will attend 4 3-day trainings on community development, teamwork, leadership and conflict resolution, advocacy, NGOs and volunteering. Finally, an advocacy campaign will be. The project will benefit the elderly in 10 small villages in Smolyan Municipality, their relatives, decision-makers and the community in general.
Summary of project results
The project aimed at empowering the elderly from ten small villages in Smolyan Municipality who were left alone after their children and grandchildren left the villages. The project helped evaluate the needs and identify the problems, set priorities and organize an advocacy campaign during which opinion leaders voiced urgent issues and took steps to solve them. As a result of the project 30 representatives of the target group were trained, had their civic culture, skills and knowledge for organizing advocacy campaigns improved. The results achieved from the advocacy campaign organized are sustainable as the community members increased their self-confidence and experience to solve other problems as well. These activities helped boost the capacity of the civil society in small villages and towns as well as in the municipality. A constructive dialogue was established between the target group, the institutions and the stakeholders. Issues of common interest were discussed. The project had the following outputs: a methodology developed and an analysis carried out of the needs of the target group, trained people from the target group and certificates issued to them, thematic newsletters prepared and publications from the meetings and round tables carried out. The Smolyan Society for Knowledge Dissemination acquired experience and boosted its capacity to work with different communities and institutions. The organization improved its capacity to solve social issues and has been recognized as a major representative of the civil society in Smolyan Municipality. Elderly people at pre-retirement and retirement age from ten small villages in Smolyan Municipality took part in the project - 30 of them were trained, 250 took part in public meetings and 750 took part in discussions of 3 topics. Facebook page: Smolyan Society for Knowledge Dissemination
Summary of bilateral results