A pilot programme for prevention of domestic abuse started in 4 schools

A pilot programme for prevention of domestic violence for an application in the schools was developed by experts within the framework of the project for domestic abuse. The programme was sent for being discussed in the courts in the region as well as in the District Directory “Police”, the Directory “Social assistance” and the Regional inspectorate of education in Pazardzhik. The programme will be tested in 4 schools in the district – two in Peshtera, one in Pazardzhik and one in the village of Patalenitsa. It is conducted within the framework of 3 sessions each with duration of 2 school hours. Groups of 20 pupils are formed in the selected schools. A guidance to the programme is developed and it will facilitate both the lectors and the participants in it. After the end of the programme it will be discussed again with everybody who participated in its developing and application and only then will it acquire its final variant. Then it will be again applied in selected schools.

A training increases the capacity of specialists for working with the problem of domestic violence

Since the beginning of August Fund IGA has been working on the realization of a project “Increasing the capacity of the institutions and NGOs in Pazardzhik judicial region for dealing with the problem of domestic abuse and an effective implementation of programmes under article 6, paragraph 7 of the Law for protection against domestic abuse (LPDA)”. A training seminar for the specialists who apply the specific programmes and services and for representatives of the relevant institutions in LPDA took place at the seaside resort Sunny Beach from 22nd to 24th of September. The aim of this activity was to increase the experts and specialists’ knowledge with respect to the problem of “domestic abuse”, the ways of practical implementation of the measures grounded in the Law for protection against domestic abuse, the nature of social work and the psychological support for victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse. The grounded topics accented on increasing the awareness to the problem, as well as formation of adequate views of the specialists and the representatives of institutions for not-tolerating the acts of domestic abuse, showing understanding and compassion on the victims’ experience. The training set entirely practical aims as well: formation of practical skills for an identification of cases of domestic abuse, rendering help by directing to juridical protection and consultation and competent services for psycho-social support, as well as skills for working under specialized programmes. More than 30 representatives of institutions and specialists in application of the programmes and services took part in the training.

A final conference under the project “ENTER - 2”

A closing conference under the project of Fund IGA “ENTER–2 – Development of the model for a social inclusion of former prisoners” took place at August 30th at 9 o’clock in the conference hall of the hotel “Seven Hills” in Plovdiv. ENTER-2 is a specially developed model which gives opportunities to individuals, who have served a term of imprisonment, for an adequate social inclusion. During the conference the products which were developed and launched within the framework of the project were presented: Programme for a training of individuals who have served a term of imprisonment, in an Active socially-working mentoring, the social service Centre for a social rehabilitation and integration for the aimed group, Methods and an Educational programme for deliverers of social services – part of the model “ENTER-2”.
The project “ENTER-2 – Development of the model for a social inclusion of former prisoners” was realized in the period of March 2010 – August 2011 with the financial support of Operative programme “Development of human resources” 2007-2013, “Social enterprising – Popularization and support of social enterprises. Pilot stage”. The leading organization is Crime Prevention Fund –IGA, and the partners are – Regional Development Fund “ROMA” – Plovdiv, Association “Centre for training and services” and “Taurus – consulting” Ltd. The main aim of the project was to render support for a successful social inclusion of individuals who have served a term of imprisonment.

Club “PE” - on a visit in Rakitovo

Despite being in a summer vacation, the young volunteers from the Club “PE” did not give up from their activity for a realization of their tasks within the framework of Component 7 of the Programme “Prevention and control of HIV/ AIDS. An aim of the component is to reduce vulnerability to HIV among the young people who are in the greatest risk (at the age 15-24), by widening the range of services and programmes directed to adolescents.
At the end of July the young volunteers visited the Correctional boarding school – Rakitovo and conducted another of their health education sessions in front of 20 alumni of the school. The main topic that the volunteers presented was “Prevention and control of HIV / AIDS”, but gradually it expanded and covered the topic of drugs as well the relation of drugs to the dangerous disease. The young people from CBS were very active in the discussion of the topic and demonstrated good knowledge of its main aspects.

An exhibition “The world through my eyes”

The young people from the “Peer Education” Club (PE) in Pazardzhik who work on Component 7 of the Program “Prevention and control of HIV / AIDS” carried out their next initiative. It is part of the national campaign “The young people in action” of the International Y-PEER network in Bulgaria. The young people from Club “PE” staged an exhibition of paintings and photographs under the title of “The world through my eyes” in the lobby of the town hall of Pazardzhik. Their peers from Gabrovo and Pernik have chosen the same way to express their attitude to the topic. The exhibition is staged in the lobby of the town hall of Pazardzhik from August 1st to August 10th. It contains 32 photographs and paintings on the topic.
The Club “Peer Education” has been functioning in Pazardzhik for 3 years as part of Component 7 of the Program “Prevention and control of HIV / AIDS”. The aim of the component is to reduce young people’s vulnerability to HIV, especially of those who are in the greatest risk (at the age 15-24), by widening the scope of services and programs directed to adolescents.

Project “ENTER - 2” trained 30 deliverers of social services

Last Friday (July 22nd) was the end of the training of specialists who work for a social inclusion of former prisoners within the Project “ENTER 2” Development of a model for social inclusion of former prisoners. 30 representatives from the General Directorate of the Ministry of Justice “Performance of punishments”, the municipalities and the NGO working with the target group were trained. When the training came to its end they set a respective exam and received a qualification for applying the model “ENTER 2”.
The training was held by Fund for Crime Prevention – IGA and by the partner organizations “Centre for training and services” and Taurus Consulting.
The project is financed through the Operative Program “Development of Human Resources” and co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund.

An Open Day in CSRICRG in Plovdiv

An Open Day was held at the beginning of the week by the Centre for social rehabilitation and integration of children from risky groups (CSRICRG) – Plovdiv. Citizens, children and specialists who are concerned about the problems of under-age children who have committed antisocial activities and about the children with a risky behaviour had the opportunity to get acquainted with the activity of the Centre.
CSRICRG is controlled by Fund for Crime Prevention – IGA which has been working with offenders and their families for 10 years. CSRICRG is an innovative service whose aim is rehabilitation and integration of children and adolescents with an asocial behaviour and decreasing the number of anti-social acts performed by under-age children. At the Open Day the studies of the social workers were organized as parlours where the visitors received information about the activities and the educational-corrective programs. The presentations made by Fund - IGA and CSRICRG introduced to the attendants the results that were achieved, the difficulties that were encountered and the direction of development of the innovative social service. Representatives of professional secondary schools, Children's Pedagogical Room, the Regional Department “Implementation of punishments” and the Section “Protect the child” took part in the discussion and evaluated highly the professionalism of the team of CSRICRG and its efficient interaction with the institutions.

Fund IGA signed two contracts for delivery of social services in Plovdiv

Crime Prevention Fund – IGA signed contracts for delivery of two social services at the territory of Plovdiv Municipality during the last month. The first service is a “Centre for social rehabilitation and integration (CSRI)” - support for children to develop skills for a self-dependent life and prevention of risky behavior. The target group of this service includes children and adolescents who live in Homes for children deprived of parental care (HCDPC), adolescents who are leaving specialized institutions for children, children who are at risk of dropping out of school, children who have already dropped out of school, children in their school years who are beyond the scope of the educational system and the families of all mentioned above as well.
The second contract concerns the delivery of the social service in the community “Monitored care unit” for adolescents who are leaving HCDPRC. The target group of this service includes men and women of full legal age capable of working, who will be taken out from specialized institutions, transitional care units and protected care units. Also, it is possible that there will be an accepting of individuals from the community who are capable of working and are at risk, who do not have families or do not receive family support and need professional support in their transition to a self-dependent life.
Crime Prevention Fund – IGA won the competition launched by Plovdiv Municipality and it will run the two delegated activities after it successfully implemented a pilot project. This project was financed by the Operative program “Human Resources Development” co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund. Within this project these two services were made available for 8 months.
The contracts were signed for a period of 3 years.