A crowd of 50 dignita­ries, politicians, business­people and journalists gathered in Kyustendil on August 3 to witness the beginning of the construction on four new family-type homes used to re-house disabled children currently living in the institution for disabled orphans in Gorna Koznitsa.  

Also at the groundbreaking were the children due to reside in these homes on completion as well as staff from the institution in Gorna Koznitsa, earmarked for closure by the bulgarian government, that currently houses 58 severely disabled orphans.

The orphans in this institution – as is the practice in Bulgaria – were due to be moved to institutions elsewhere. The Cedar Foundation, the charity and NGO behind the construction of the new housing, believes that such plans fail to address the central problem, namely that such places should become obsolete.   

The semi-detached homes in Kyustendil will house 16 residents. The Cedar Foundation, an organisation operating in Bulgaria since 2004, has been working on this project since the spring of 2008. Working with the government, local municipalities, international experts, and other NGOs, the Foundation hopes to end Bulgaria’s culture of institutionalised care.

Work is ongoing
Cedar Foundation founder and executive director Mark O’Sullivan described the construction as the realisation of a longstanding dream. "We have been working so hard, for so long, to get to this point in the project that it is a bit surreal. Obviously, there is quite a bit of work still to be done, but we are very proud of this moment, hopeful for the residents who will live in these houses, and thankful for all the help we’ve received along the way."

The new houses are largely funded by European Union finances released by the state. The Cedar Foundation, with the help of local supporters, was able to get the architectural design created pro-bono by renowned Bulgarian architect Atanas Panov. Local development firms, LSP, Odessa, and Landmark offered their resources for free and acted as consultants during the tendering process.

Construction began on two additional houses in Bobov Dol on August 10 and these will house an additional 20 residents. After the completion of these homes, 23 residents will still be stuck in the institution in Gorna Koznitsa. The Cedar Foundation is currently looking for municipalities willing to accept these people.

"We are still trying to find a home for these residents, so this is a little bitter-sweet," says O’Sullivan. "We are happy that we are creating proper, alternative housing for 35 of the residents, but we refuse to stop there. Also, we refuse to allow these remaining residents to be placed in other institutions. It’s simply not an option."

The Cedar Foundation’s marketing manager Lincoln Frager acknowledged that the groundbreaking ceremony, while a major step forward, still illustrated the scale of the task ahead. "There are 153 additional institutions in Bulgaria, and at some point they should all be closed. The trick is ensuring they are closed properly with new, appropriate housing and an increased staff-to-resident ratio. There’s no question it will be a long journey, but as Lao-tzu noted, each journey starts with a single step."

If you would like to learn more about The Cedar Foundation please see their website at
www.cedarfoundation.org