October is a Refugee Month. Various events are organised during October 2017 at A Hub that are opened for everyone who want to learn more about the refugees and their cultures, as well as to support new social innovations for their integration.
In the frame of the Refugee Month Tulip Foundation organised Talk with Me Evening on 18 October at A Hub among the moving pictures from projects of The World Bank, Caritas Sofia и Beautiful Faces Of Syria and the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria. The event was set up so to publically present certificates to the participants in the project with the same name that was funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the EU. Our partners from Gemeinsam leben & lernen in Europa from Passau in Germany and Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca in Romania were with us in Sofia for this occasion. The project is aimed at development and adaptation of an innovative programme for young volunteers in support for young refugees and children refugees to help them to learn the language of the country where they have decided to stay. The aim is to create opportunities for speaking and sharing as the language serves as a basis for communication, thinking, acquisition and passing on knowledge and information. Refugees often do not have the opportunity to practice the new language.
During the whole summer young Bulgarians volunteered as language mentors for young refugees to help them to learn Bulgaria language and to learn more about the culture and the traditions in Bulgaria and the everyday life in Sofia through series of informal meeting and talks on various topics. The topics were prepared in advance by the volunteers themselves.
It was an emotional meeting for everyone. Mira, whom everyone knows well, told briefly about the meetings and the relations between the volunteers and the refugees. Many of them spoke about their impressions and emotions. Vladimir Kissiov, Chair of the Board of Tulip Foundation and Honourable citizen of Sofia, gave away the certificates to the volunteers and the refugees from the programme. Guests, friends and colleagues were present as well.
The Month of the Refugees is organised by European Commission in Bulgaria, A hub, Caritas Sofia, Bulgarian Red Cross, IOM Bulgaria, Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria, Beautiful Faces Of Syria, CVS-Bulgaria, HITL: Human in the Loop Services Provided by Refugees.
