SOS Children's Village Sofia
Bulgaria is one of the poorest countries in Europe: children suffer due to the social and economic changes that the country has experienced recently. We are currently supporting children, young people and families in Sofia and Pernik, which is around 40 km outside the capital.
Many families cannot stay together
A glimpse into family life: Children in our care cooking together (photo: SOS archives)
More than 1.2 million people live in the capital city of Sofia, and the city is constantly growing as people arrive in search of a better life.
The economic conditions for families and children were extremely bad during the transition to democracy in the early 1990s. The situation has somewhat improved, but Bulgaria remains one of the poorest countries in Europe.
Nearly 6.8 per cent of people living in Sofia were unemployed in 2017. Families struggle to make enough money to care for their children – to give them a warm home, nutritious food, clothes and to send them to school. Even when these basic needs are covered, parents often find it hard to give their children emotional support and a sense of security.
Given the economic hardships, a significant number of people have moved abroad in search of work. In some cases the children are left behind and do not receive enough support from their extended families. Children who grow up in single-parent families and in households with many siblings are most likely to end up living in poverty.
Children thrive best in families
In 2010, the Bulgarian government announced it would gradually change its policies regarding children in care. Children without parental care would no longer live in orphanages, but would either return to their families of origin (whenever possible), be cared for by foster families, or be adopted.
The government also pledged to assist families so that they could stay together. In spite of the government's best efforts, families who are at risk of breaking down continue to find it hard to get support. This is where the work of SOS Children's Villages becomes vital.
What we do in Sofia