Innovative practices in Bulgaria
Sharing innovations for improving local self-government
Center Maria - One Good Practice
Center Maria Association
Background
Very often specialists working in the psychiatric surgery of the municipal hospital Sveti Ivan Rilski - Gorna Oriahovitsa and in the Regional Court meet women and children subject to physical, mental and sexual harrassment. Specialists provide psychological, medical and juridical assistance, but obviously this is not enough to solve the problem. Many of the women and children subject to violence have no information about the assistance they could have received to restore their health and social status. Some of the victims headed for Sofia thus getting involved in a long and inefficient process.
On June 9, 1997, at a meeting of the Democratic Union of Women a decision was taken after a discussion with representatives of different professions, to establish a center in Gorna Oriahovitsa that would render assistance and support to women subject to violence and to their children. The Municipal Council - Gorna Oriahovitsa at its session provided two buildings for the needs of the center. A project was prepared, with which the organization applied to Civil Society Development Foundation under the PHARE-Lien program. The project was approved and on April 2, 1999, Center Maria was officially opened. Center-Maria Association - Gorna Oriahovitsa is the first organization of its type in the country.
Very often specialists working in the psychiatric surgery of the municipal hospital Sveti Ivan Rilski - Gorna Oriahovitsa and in the Regional Court meet women and children subject to physical, mental and sexual harrassment. Specialists provide psychological, medical and juridical assistance, but obviously this is not enough to solve the problem. Many of the women and children subject to violence have no information about the assistance they could have received to restore their health and social status. Some of the victims headed for Sofia thus getting involved in a long and inefficient process.
On June 9, 1997, at a meeting of the Democratic Union of Women a decision was taken after a discussion with representatives of different professions, to establish a center in Gorna Oriahovitsa that would render assistance and support to women subject to violence and to their children. The Municipal Council - Gorna Oriahovitsa at its session provided two buildings for the needs of the center. A project was prepared, with which the organization applied to Civil Society Development Foundation under the PHARE-Lien program. The project was approved and on April 2, 1999, Center Maria was officially opened. Center-Maria Association - Gorna Oriahovitsa is the first organization of its type in the country.
Practice
Center Maria employs a team of different specialists comprising two psychologists, a psycho-therapeutist, a lawyer, 4 pedagogues, and 10 collaborators on the hot telephone line. The Center applied in different donor programs for financial and technical assistance - among the donors was Open Society Foundation and the PHARE Access program of the European Commission. The team has passed several trainings with specialists from Animus Foundation, JAR, Gender Project in Bulgaria , Bulgarian Gender Studies , Coalition Democratic Citizenship , Charity Know-How Fund , Physicians without Border , etc. Separated groups have been formed in the team: Consultative Assistance , GTL, Prevention and Lobbying .
Center Maria offers different types of services:
- Assistance to women subject to home violence: emotional support, information, qualified free psychiatric, psychological, medical and juridical help;
- Hot telephone line (0618) 421 81 for twelve hours every working day;
- Correspondence by post;
- Participation in an help group;
- Initiates periodic meetings of the Public Council for Prevention and Struggle Against Home Violence and Trafficking;
- Provides information about the problem to media;
- Accomplishes prevention work by training pedagogues and students, organizes discussions in class with the participation of the Youth Discussion Club;
Municipal administration - Gorna Oriahovitsa provided the repair works and a part of the furnishing of the reception and the consulting office of Center Maria , as well as free time on municipal radio. Humanitarian Activities Directorate has rendered administrative assistance in the introduction and implementation of the prevention programs prepared by Center Maria . The Mayor, Mr. Nikola Kolev, took part with ideas for restructuring some of the Center s activities. Together with representatives of Center Maria he has regularly participated in the national meetings with NGOs helping women who had experienced violence. Nikola Kolev is the first bearer of a white ribbon, given by Center Maria during the international campaign for men s contribution to struggle against violence against women in November 2001.
Center Maria has also worked effectively with the Municipal Commission for Fighting Anti-Social Deeds of Young People by exchanging experience, participation in joint trainings, coordinating their activities. The Municipal Council - Gorna Oriahovitsa has given at the disposal of the Center two municipal premises at a minimal rent. It has voted the amount of 3000 levs in Budget 2001, which was spent on the first sociological survey on the problems of domestic violence, smoking and drug addiction in the 12 secondary schools in Gorna Oriahovitsa, organized after a proposal from the Center.
The Center has worked together with the Regional Police Office on particular occasions and on training police officers; together with Municipal Service for Social Assistance, Labor Bureau and the Youth House Center Maria .
The difficulties that have arose in the process of work were connected with the lack of a second consulting office for attending the increased number of customers. In this respect the Center looked forward to assistance from the mayor and the Municipal Council - Gorna Oriahovitsa; changes in the management of some governmental institutions; opposition from a few directors to the idea for school work on the problems of home violence and traffic; difficulties in lobbying among local businessmen.
Center Maria employs a team of different specialists comprising two psychologists, a psycho-therapeutist, a lawyer, 4 pedagogues, and 10 collaborators on the hot telephone line. The Center applied in different donor programs for financial and technical assistance - among the donors was Open Society Foundation and the PHARE Access program of the European Commission. The team has passed several trainings with specialists from Animus Foundation, JAR, Gender Project in Bulgaria , Bulgarian Gender Studies , Coalition Democratic Citizenship , Charity Know-How Fund , Physicians without Border , etc. Separated groups have been formed in the team: Consultative Assistance , GTL, Prevention and Lobbying .
Center Maria offers different types of services:
- Assistance to women subject to home violence: emotional support, information, qualified free psychiatric, psychological, medical and juridical help;
- Hot telephone line (0618) 421 81 for twelve hours every working day;
- Correspondence by post;
- Participation in an help group;
- Initiates periodic meetings of the Public Council for Prevention and Struggle Against Home Violence and Trafficking;
- Provides information about the problem to media;
- Accomplishes prevention work by training pedagogues and students, organizes discussions in class with the participation of the Youth Discussion Club;
Municipal administration - Gorna Oriahovitsa provided the repair works and a part of the furnishing of the reception and the consulting office of Center Maria , as well as free time on municipal radio. Humanitarian Activities Directorate has rendered administrative assistance in the introduction and implementation of the prevention programs prepared by Center Maria . The Mayor, Mr. Nikola Kolev, took part with ideas for restructuring some of the Center s activities. Together with representatives of Center Maria he has regularly participated in the national meetings with NGOs helping women who had experienced violence. Nikola Kolev is the first bearer of a white ribbon, given by Center Maria during the international campaign for men s contribution to struggle against violence against women in November 2001.
Center Maria has also worked effectively with the Municipal Commission for Fighting Anti-Social Deeds of Young People by exchanging experience, participation in joint trainings, coordinating their activities. The Municipal Council - Gorna Oriahovitsa has given at the disposal of the Center two municipal premises at a minimal rent. It has voted the amount of 3000 levs in Budget 2001, which was spent on the first sociological survey on the problems of domestic violence, smoking and drug addiction in the 12 secondary schools in Gorna Oriahovitsa, organized after a proposal from the Center.
The Center has worked together with the Regional Police Office on particular occasions and on training police officers; together with Municipal Service for Social Assistance, Labor Bureau and the Youth House Center Maria .
The difficulties that have arose in the process of work were connected with the lack of a second consulting office for attending the increased number of customers. In this respect the Center looked forward to assistance from the mayor and the Municipal Council - Gorna Oriahovitsa; changes in the management of some governmental institutions; opposition from a few directors to the idea for school work on the problems of home violence and traffic; difficulties in lobbying among local businessmen.
Results
Center Maria has received recognition in the social life of Grna Oriahovitsa as the most popular organization with expert opinion on the problems of prevention and struggle against violence over women and children. The lobbying of the Center is orientated towards establishing contacts with officials from the municipality and state institutions with the aim of turning violence from a taboo theme closed in the frameworks of the family, into a social problem.
A novelty in the work for establishing a network in assistance of women subject to violence is the drawing up of a strategy for interaction with the institutions engaged with the solving of these social problems. In 2000 agreements were signed for cooperation between Center Maria , Municipality of Gorna Oriahovitsa, Regional Police Office, Municipal Service for Social Assistance and the Labor Bureau. The second step was the establishment of a Public Council for Prevention and Struggle Against Violence in Gorna Oriahovitsa, which helped to widen citizen s participation in the solving of their problems. The number of women directed to Center Maria from governmental organizations has increased. Members of the team have already consulted specialists from other institutions in cases of home violence and trafficking.
As a result of the training of students-volunteers and of the classes conducted in the Center on questions of violence and traffic, a Youth Discussion Club was established at Center Maria . Besides direct work with victims of violence and trafficking (1200 women and children have used the Center s services) Center-Maria Association has drawn up and has offered prevention programs for students, pedagogues, pedagogical advisors, and social workers.
Center Maria has received recognition in the social life of Grna Oriahovitsa as the most popular organization with expert opinion on the problems of prevention and struggle against violence over women and children. The lobbying of the Center is orientated towards establishing contacts with officials from the municipality and state institutions with the aim of turning violence from a taboo theme closed in the frameworks of the family, into a social problem.
A novelty in the work for establishing a network in assistance of women subject to violence is the drawing up of a strategy for interaction with the institutions engaged with the solving of these social problems. In 2000 agreements were signed for cooperation between Center Maria , Municipality of Gorna Oriahovitsa, Regional Police Office, Municipal Service for Social Assistance and the Labor Bureau. The second step was the establishment of a Public Council for Prevention and Struggle Against Violence in Gorna Oriahovitsa, which helped to widen citizen s participation in the solving of their problems. The number of women directed to Center Maria from governmental organizations has increased. Members of the team have already consulted specialists from other institutions in cases of home violence and trafficking.
As a result of the training of students-volunteers and of the classes conducted in the Center on questions of violence and traffic, a Youth Discussion Club was established at Center Maria . Besides direct work with victims of violence and trafficking (1200 women and children have used the Center s services) Center-Maria Association has drawn up and has offered prevention programs for students, pedagogues, pedagogical advisors, and social workers.
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