Journalism is not merely a job. It is also a cause and does not suit everyone. Some have the gift and the talent to become the perfect journalists and others don't have those qualities, because they have other vocations in life. It is not enough to study journalism in university, in order to become a guardian of truth. The Journalists in School initiative, which has been held for the 4th consecutive year in Bulgaria, enables high-school pupils to ask topical questions and learn some of the secrets in journalism in Bulgaria. They learn the answers from popular Bulgarian TV and radio hosts and journalists working for various printed media. The Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation came up with the idea of those meetings. More from the foundation's CEO Iliana Nikolova:

“This initiative is part of the public activity of Valya Krushkina fund which was established 6 years ago. The fund works in favor of the journalist societyand has the experience to work beyond that field with the new generation young people. There are many wonderful journalists in Bulgaria and it is to the interest of the young generation to meet with them. That is why 4 years ago we launched those meetings in Sofia. We were choosing the schools and were inviting the students at those events. Last year we decided to organize meetings in other Bulgarian towns and cities and allow the local schools to invite journalists. We received more than 30 candidatures from various schools and managed to visit more than 20 of them.”

The journalists who agree to take part at such conversations and meetings must be well-prepared and ready to answer provocative questions. The number of students who want to know for instance who owns certain media and whether information in given media is reliable has been increasing. The young people often ask questions related to the security of that profession and the risks hidden in that field. Pupils learn that one becomes a journalist, in order to be helpful to people, to look for the truth and make peoples' problems public, rather than to be under the spotlight.

The Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation is the initiator of the awards in memory of celebrated Bulgarian journalist from the Bulgarian National Radio and the Bulgarian National Television Valya Krushkina, which became a standard of high-quality journalism. Besides, the foundation has been working under other projects such as Living Heritage Fund, Giving Circle, Youth Bank and Rainbowdirected to children and young people who need support, in order to fulfill their dreams. Here is what Iliana Nikolova told Radio Bulgaria about those projects:

“The Youth Bank is a model which involves young people in grant-making within their local communities. This group identifies local problems and works with youth, in order to solve those problems. Currently we support 15 youth banks in Bulgaria in Silistra, Lovech, Veliko Tarnovo, Kyustendil and Sofia. The young people have the difficult task to persuade the elder Bulgarians that their initiatives are meaningful. Rainbow program works with organizations which support child and youth development. Due to that programme we started to speak about a new phenomenon in the Bulgarian society for the first time related to children of economic migrants. Their parents are forced to work in other European countries due to the lack of employment perspectives in Bulgaria. Many middle-aged people from Northwest Bulgaria left their cities in search of employment abroad. The cities in that Bulgarian region consist mainly of children, teenagers and elderly people.”

Living Heritage programme aims at preserving and promoting local cultural heritage. Its purpose is to restore old and forgotten traditions and customs. Each project aims at solving a certain problem in our society. We should not remain indifferent and must provide our assistance, because it is up to us to make the necessary changes. You can learn how to help at http://www.wcif-bg.org/ .