Radio Sofia’s new series “A home far from home” was launched six months ago with the financial support of the Bulgarian Fund for Women, under a project aimed at empowering refugees. Every Saturday, after the news at 12 noon, we air the stories of refugees in Bulgaria, in the Bulgarian language, and how the institutions can assist them in their integration in this country.
The series aims to open, by the means available to our station, a public integration forum for the people who have chosen to make Bulgaria their safe harbour, as they are demonized, and the myths of how different they are consume Bulgarian society, causing it to plunge into panic.
In a series of features, “A home far from home” discusses how society and the institutions can come to know and communicate with the people who have been given international protection in this country. Radio Sofia’s reporters present the way migrants in this country live, their lifestyle and cultural values, with a focus on the social environment and their place in local communities.
Another aspect of the project is to ascertain whether refugees are discriminated against, what they need in this country, what perils they face and what the existing ways to guarantee human rights in Bulgaria are.
It is our professional desire to provoke a positive change in general societal attitudes towards refugees and migrants, and by painting their portrait, their mentality, by bringing listeners authentic, genuine stories, to overturn the conservative fears in our society, and instead of pointing a finger at them, to lend a helping hand to the people who have chosen this country to be their home far from home.
The project is being implemented in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bulgaria.A new master’s degree programme “Social work with refugees and migrants” opened at the Faculty of Education of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"at the beginning of the 2018-2019 academic year. The master’s programme is being..
In this edition of “A home far from home”, in which we bring you the stories of people with protected status, we present young Jalil and his two sisters – Sahar and Urut. They fled from Iraq because of the war. First, their father came to Bulgaria..
In “A home far from home” this time we bring you the story of a family from Syria who chose Bulgaria to be their home far from home. Presenting first the eldest child of the Abud family – Alyamama who is 12 and speaks Bulgarian..
In this installment of “A home far from home” we bring you the Sharaflis, who come from Syria. The father, Abdul Ahed, clings to the hope that one day he will be able to take his family back to his country, but while he is in Bulgaria, together..
In this edition of “A home far from home” we presentthe REST certificate (Refugee Employment Support and Training), awarded to companies developing their potential of working with refugees. Certificates of honour were awarded, at an..
Rafik Hana came to Bulgaria with his family from Egypt. At the employment agency for refugees he met his current employer – engineer Boyko Vatov, who says he does not make any distinction between people, the colour of their skin, their religion or..
Empathy and helping without wanting anything in return changes lives and gives hope of a better future. The cold winter nights and the need of warm clothing is what prompted the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria to organize the campaign “Give..
Public sentiments regarding refugees are mixed, they are frequently viewed through the prism of prejudice and are rarely understood. The “Mission Wings” foundation from Stara Zagora has the mission of breaking this stereotype by building on the..
One of Caritas Sofia’s many activities is to help refugees in Bulgaria, who, like anyone else, need medical assistance and outpatient care, counselling and support in finding a home, a job, a school and social services. The organization may cover..
What do refugees expect and how can we help them integrate? Where can the corporate needs of businesses intersect with the interests of refugees so that we can give them the support they need to lead economically independent lives –these are the..
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