An initiative called "Bench of Generations," which started at a care home for the elderly in Kameno, has now reached the presidency in Sofia, the head of state's press office said. On International Day of Older Persons today, Iliana Yotova met the people behind the idea and those taking part in it at 2 Dondukov Street.
The idea came from the "The Faithful Guardian" association. The bench is meant to bring generations together so people don't lose the bond between them. It has already toured several spots in Burgas and the surrounding region, and Sofia municipality helped set it up outside the presidency building, where it will stay until October 6.
"Initiatives like this matter a lot, because they bring generations together," Yotova said. Older people need more than care and social support, she added — human dignity matters too. Each person's life experience and professional experience, memories, stories and wisdom, she explained, make up the memory of society.
Yotova believes people need to keep finding ways, day after day, to let generations talk, understand each other and stay close. She said this bond matters most now, as people grow more isolated and children lose the habit of playing and sharing with others.
"Bulgaria's older generation built the homeland we have today, and we will never ignore or forget that," she said. While the bench stays in Sofia, Yotova hopes people of different ages will sit on it and share their memories and dreams with each other.
Earlier the same day, the head of the National Social Security Institute handed out awards to the winners of a petanque tournament and congratulated everyone who took part.