40 young people live in the village of Gorna Koznitsa (Municipality of Bobov dol). Due to the lack of various forms of entertainment and leisure time possibilities, these children felt isolated from the modern communication life and lacked interesting ways to spend their free time. Since the village did not offer access the Internet as a form of learning, entertainment and communication, the young people looked for such possibilities only in the neighbouring bigger town. The people from the village did not have the opportunity to get timely and actual information and administrative services because of the lack of computers and Internet technologies. This could be ensured, at least at a basic level, with the implementation of the idea of the local community to create a Communication Club, where adults and elderly people could have access to the information and services they need and young children could find interesting and modern ways to make better and sensible use of their free time.

Aleksander Dimitrov community centre developed the project idea for the Communication Club and applied for funding under the Improvement of the Social Environment Programme of the Foundation for Local Government Reform/Charles Steward Mott Foundation. The project successfully competed with many other project ideas and was approved for funding. The main project leader was the community centre, which once again affirmed its role of a innovator, promoter of the ideas of importance to the local community and factor for the preservation of the local traditions and spirit.

The project and its objectives and ideas have been announced officially within the pages of the regional newspaper Dupnitsa and through posters among the village population. The local community showed great commitment towards participation in the project realisation and establishment of the Club. A voluntary fund-raising action has been initiated, which helped the accumulation of a small fund. The moneys from the fund were used to buy the necessary materials and reconstruct the old room within the local library. 5 local volunteers took part in the renovation activities and as a result the Club room was ready to take its new function. Support and assistance has also been provided by the mayor of the village who ensured the long-term free of charge use of the room, which is located in the very centre of the village, near to the post office, to the health-care institution, to the local mayoralty administration and to the disabled children care centre.

4 new computers have been purchased with the project funds and the necessary resources for buying the Club furniture was provided by local small companies and donation from the local people. The official opening of the Club was a memorable and interesting event in the small village. Many people attended the ceremony: representatives from the mayoralty, the Municipal Council Bobov dol, local and regional media, project partners, many people from the village. For a first time in the village (and on the territory of the municipality as a whole) such an initiative was realised and people showed great interest towards it. Those who took part in the project implementation were honoured during the ceremony and local people felt proud with what they have achieved through partnership and joint commitment.

A next step within the project was the organisation of a series for training courses in computer skills for all the children in the village and those adults, who have never worked with computers before. This initiative helped the adults to overcome the mental barrier existing towards the use of new and modern technologies and ways of communication.

The Club works successfully and offers a variety of services to the people: access to several administrative services at a symbolic fee, access to computer and communication. Through the new Club the elderly people from the village can spend interesting hours with their favourite movie stars from classic or modern Bulgarian films. The films are played on the computers in the Club once a week and now even the elderly people started to collect new DVDs which are seen in the Communication Club. The Club became a lively and visited place, offering active socialising, informal communication, training and access to computers, printing, copying and computer writing services.

Young people and most of all the children from the village are regular visitors in the Club. During the vacation periods the Club initiated and organised a computer-games contest and many youngsters from the village and neighbouring villages took part. The winners were awarded a small price, but the price was just a symbolic aspect of the real value of the initiative. For the children this contest has been an interesting and unforgettable event. The Club is also visited by some of the disabled children from the mentally disabled child centre in the village. The Communication Club attracted many people and this also brought added value to the local library: children and adults started to use more often the library fund.

The Communication Club became a local centre for social contacts and helped the access to information and new technologies for the local people. The population was activated and through the initiative become more involved in the process of solving local problems and taking part in initiatives with public value. The project increased the knowledge of the population about the new computer technologies and created favourable environment for the introduction of new ways for communication and leisure time activities.

The successful project implementation is a living proof of how modern technologies could be a driving force for the mobilisation of the local potential and bring people back to the traditional cultural centres using modern approaches.

Contacts:

Rositsa Arsova

Village of Gorna Koznitsa

Municipality of Bobov dol

Tel.: 0 0 359 887 635710