Ferdane and Vasko, both 19, have just become the first residents of our new House of Opportunity for state care leavers in Ruse, Bulgaria. They were welcomed into our third House of Opportunity by houseparents Mariana and Maria. They are settling in well and have already secured jobs with local employers. Just one year ago, this story could have been very different…
In Bulgaria, a country with an estimated 8,000 children living in orphanages, there is no state responsibility for young people once they turn 18. On reaching adulthood, those abandoned to orphanages are asked to leave. Many have no home, no family, no money. Their options? Life on the streets or in a poverty stricken community, earning enough to survive through prostitution, odd jobs or crime. Or, worse still, becoming the victims of human traffickers.
Our Houses of Opportunity equip young orphanage leavers for independent life by providing life-skills training and facilitating access to employment. The two year programme also provides accommodation in a small, family-style home with houseparents dedicated to caring for and encouraging each resident. We’ve seen young lives transformed by Houses of Opportunity and our Bulgaria team is working hard to start more houses across Bulgaria, giving Bulgaria’s abandoned children a brighter future.
