The National Network for Children (NNC) has opened a traveling exhibition called "150 Years of Children's Organisations in Bulgaria - History, Lessons and the Future" at the National Library "St. Cyril and St. Methodius". The exhibition will travel to more than 20 towns across Bulgaria, with a program that also includes public meetings and discussions.
"Behind children's organisations stand real people and activists who work every day to change a child's fate or to change the law - it's not just about logos," NNC executive director Georgi Bogdanov said at the launch.
Alongside the exhibition, Bogdanov also presented his book "Encyclopedia of Children's Organisations in Bulgaria: An Activist's Chronicles on Children's Rights". It came out in June in Sofia at the network's annual meeting and marks the 20th anniversary of the NNC's founding.
The encyclopedia tells the stories of people who have cared for children in Bulgaria over the years. Among them is Olga Skobeleva, who organized charity work and set up orphanages after Bulgaria's liberation. Alexander Georgiev, known as Kodzhakafaliyata, gave more than 25 million gold levs to the state and the municipality and founded an orphanage in Burgas. Yordanka Filaretova, known in Sofia as "the Lady", also set up an orphanage and backed education projects. Evgenia Kisimova from Veliko Tarnovo founded the first women's charity, "Charity", and the town's first maternity home, while Teofano Popova gave her own money to fund the orphanage in Stara Zagora.
The exhibition will be shown in 24 towns across Bulgaria - at universities, chitalishtes and other venues, Bogdanov said. The goal is to draw in more children, young people and public figures, and to give a push to activists working for children's rights. He said what remains are the deeds of the people who built homes and helped real children and families.
The NNC director said the network sends two or three opinions, letters or position papers to politicians every week. These don't just assess a given decision - they also spell out what should be done, he said. The positions draw on the work of 130 organisations that help nearly 200,000 children in Bulgaria every year.
Bogdanov also mentioned the "report card" initiative, which the network has run for 15 years. It's a report that tracks how well the state looks after children. The model comes from Ireland and was later used in Kosovo too. "The idea is for child policy to be shaped by data, not just by opinion," Bogdanov said. He added that politicians, public figures and institutions read the report, and it includes not just assessments but concrete proposals.
The NNC director also pointed to the LexTalks forum, where more than 400 people gather each year to discuss justice for children.
Bogdanov said the children's organisations sector has faced a number of problems since 2019. Some of this comes from public attitudes and from negative labels being pinned on non-government organisations. He said Bulgaria isn't alone in this - it's part of wider trends seen in other countries too.
Bogdanov also noted that no full strategy for children has been adopted in recent years, and that the current parliament has no committee on children. He said the fallout from these gaps includes child poverty, growing gaps between regions, and the state of children's health care.