The Bulgarian Government has made good progress on macro level reforms and accession to the European Union (EU) will aid infrastructure development. However, it will be some time before this is reflected in social improvements for the majority, let alone those on the margins.

Recent improvements in welfare have not been evenly distributed, pockets of extreme poverty exist in rural areas and poverty is linked to both ethnicity and unemployment. The country still faces a particular challenge in integrating its minority groups, particularly the Roma (gipsy) community.

Our support to areas in Bulgaria now spans 4 years. In 2003, with the help of Balkan and Austrian Airlines we despatched clothing, books and toys to the Gavroche children’s home in Varna and, later in the year, sent 8 refurbished PC’s to the City of Haskovo. With our aid the authorities were able to set up the first IT suite in a City school.

A further consignment was sent to the City in October 2005 and distribution of the medical supplies, clothing, toys, books and school materials (for destitute Roma and orphaned children) was personally overseen by Jeremy Hill, the British Ambassador to Bulgaria.

More recently we teamed up with the Leicestershire Police and Fire Services. In September 2006, a convoy of 4 donated police and fire service vans were driven over to Bulgaria by a team of 12 dedicated firemen. The vans were loaded with Konnect9’s ‘Gifts in Kind.'  Everything was  distributed to orphanages, disabled children’s centres and amongst the poorer Roma communities in the region.

See the latest news pages for recent information on the despatch of a 40 foot container to Kardjali.