The Pass on the Gift Programme has finished successfully
Over 90 families with more than 180 children from 20 villages in Veliko Tarnovo and Pleven municipalities have been included in the Programme since its beginning until the middle of June 2011.
In June 2011 the last pregnant pedigree cows were donated to families with children undergoing difficulties in Pleven municipality under the Pass on the Gift Programme of Tulip Foundation. The Programme started in 2007 as a partnership initiative with Haifer International – an organization that is working in over 130 countries around the world.
The Pass on the Gift Programme offered opportunity to families with social problems to improve their life using their own resources and labour and to become donors themselves by passing on the gift they have received to other people in need. The programme activities were focused on providing an income and additional support to the selected families. These include giving the families a number of pregnant pedigree cows, offering them training and support and in case they need it additional resources for crop seeds, medication for the animals, etc. The selection criteria for the families that received a pedigree caw to breed and look after include: number of children, difficult financial situation, unemployed family members, people with disabilities, three generations living in the same household, experience in looking after animals and suitable living conditions for the animal. In return the participating families agreed to “pass on the gift” to other families in need by donating the first-born female offspring of gift cows when they come of age. The families that joined the next stage of the programme were selected among all families in need living in the community by a committee including representatives of the participating families, local civil organisations, local authorities, mayors and Tulip Foundation.
The total number of included families in Pleven municipality was over 60 with over 127 children living in 15 villages. The Programme was realized there in close cooperation with the local Chitalishte, Pleven Public Fund Chitalishte, the mayors of the villages and the Municipality of Pleven.
A total of 24 families from 5 villages were included in the Programme in Veliko Tarnovo municipality. The local partners of Tulip foundation there were – the families, St. Ivan Rilski Charitable Association, St. George Association, the mayors of the villages and the local community.
Tulip Foundation will look for new opportunities to continue the Programme in other municipalities in the future.
Currently 24 families from 5 villages (Balvan, Maslarevo, Velchevo, Samovodene and Hotnitsa) have received a pregnant pedigree cow to look after in their homes. The cows are purchased from farms on the territory of the municipality.
Six new families were included in the Programme during 2010. All of them are families with children undergoing difficulties cause by financial problems. Hotnitsa is the new village from Veliko Tarnovo municipality that joined the Programme in 2010.
In total nine families have “passed their gift” to other people in the same or a neighbouring village. Another three heifers will be given to new families during the current 2011 year.
The next families to join the programme will be selected among all families in need in the five villages. The selection will be carried out based on the programme criteria by the families which have already joint the programme, representatives of St. Ivan Rilski Charitable Association, St. George Association, Tulip Foundation, the mayors of the villages and the local community.
