The British Embassy hosted a charity event in support of early childhood development

More than 30 companies have gathered to support The Human Safety Net,the For Our Children Foundation and Generali Insurance AD

Charity event to promote The Human Safety Net at the British Embassy in Sofia – Photo: Ventsislav Petrov

A special charity event dedicated to vulnerable children and families was held at the residence of the British Embassy in Sofia, promoted by of Dr Rob Dixon and with the support of Generali Insurance AD, to support the "For Our Children" Foundation and The Human Safety Net, a Foundation initiated by Generali.
Over 30 representatives of socially responsible businesses in Bulgaria participated in a charity auction, which featured interesting and unusual objects and experiences, such as: a collection of historical books donated by the Ministry of Culture, a glowing "St. Georgi” icon by Stavri Kalinov, donated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a training with Yordan Yovchev, a workshop for making Italian ice cream and paintings donated by young artists.

"Many of you know that Bulgaria and the United Kingdom have worked together for a long time to make every child grow and develop in a loving family environment. We have a long tradition of cooperation between the “For Our Children” Foundation and the British Embassy in Bulgaria. Only four months ago, supporters of the cause gathered in Plovdiv to help transform the building of the former “Rada Kirkovich” Orphanage into a modern Early Childhood Development Complex. It was very inspiring to see how both the local government in Plovdiv and the business supported the initiative. I really hope that this support will continue in the future." With these words Dr Rob Dixon welcomed the guests and called on the business to continue to support the work of the foundation in Plovdiv.

CEO Generali Insurance AD, Nikolay Stanchev on stage with Ivanka Shalapatova, Executive Director of the "For Our Children" Foundation - Photo: Ventsislav Petrov

„Your support is important for our entire team, which even in a pandemic remains close to children and their parents. Our new complex for early childhood development in Plovdiv, which is in the building of the former orphanage "Rada Kirkovich", brings together the future, present and past of one of the symbols of empathy and charity in the name of children. I would like to thank the Municipality of Plovdiv for the trust and the opportunity to turn part of this building from a home for orphans into a wonderful center for harmoniously developing children. In our country over 400,000 children live at risk of poverty or social exclusion (NSI). 213,000 of them live in material deprivation, without new clothes, shoes, access to fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as nutritious food, without books and toys – these children do not participate in extracurricular activities because there is no one to pay for them. This is a life with many deprivations, in which dreams are a luxury. These are some of the reasons to create the Complex in Plovdiv. Now is the time to thank the people and companies who have already believed in us and supported us!“, thanked for the support Dr. Ivanka Shalapatova, Executive Director of the Foundation "For Our Children".
“In 2019, Generali Group, one of the world’s largest insurers, launched theThe Human Safety Net Foundation in Bulgaria. This initiative extends Generali’s purpose of enabling people to shape a safer future by caring for their lives and dreams to the most vulnerable in our society and this can lead to a sustainable change and create a positive effect. Helping children up to the age of 7 in their families is extremely challenging, but we believe that this help leads to a better relationship between parents and children, as well as to the growth of full-fledged personalities.
The Human Safety Net is an initiative inspired by the idea of "chain help", in which those who are supported can one day help someone else, creating vibrations of positive change. We draw on the energy of a large-scale movement of people who support people in need and thus build a better future for Bulgaria” – affirmed Mr. Nikolay Stanchev, CEO of Generali Insurance AD.

“For Our Children“ Foundation and Generali Insurance AD managed to raise for their joint initiative The Human Safety Net the amount of BGN 14 000 in support of young children and their families.
With these funds, we will support over 60 children and their families, with whom the specialists at the Early Childhood Development Complex in Plovdiv work.

Alan Barbieri, Head of Programmes The Human Safety Net, Ivanka Shalapatova, Executive Director of the "For Our Children" Foundation, CEO Generali Insurance AD, Nikolay Stanchev - Photo: Ventsislav Petrov

Among the official guests of the event were Mrs. Giuseppina Zarra, the Italian Ambassador to Bulgaria, the Deputy Mayors of Sofia and Plovdiv Doncho Barbalov and Georgi Tityukov, Alan Barbieri, Head of Programmes – The Human Safety Net, Nikolay Stanchev, Chief Executive Officer of Generali Insurance AD.

The host of the event was the popular radio host, TV journalist and friend of the foundation Evelina Pavlova, and the guests had the opportunity to enjoy the musical performances of the talents from the children's choir "Little Nusha" to vocal studio Nusha led by Nelly Andreeva.

The Early Childhood Development complex was created with the support of corporate, individual donors and the municipality of Plovdiv as a natural continuation of over 12 years of work of the For Our Children Foundation in the city. Since its arrival in Plovdiv in 2009, the Foundation has supported over 4,500 young children in the municipality and the district, who today grow up in a safe and developing family environment. We partner with professionals from the health, education and social sectors to provide the comprehensive support that children and parents need.

About For Our Children Foundation

For 29 years, the Foundation For Our Children has been successfully dealing with high-risk situations for children who live in a children's home, have a disability or a number of problems in their family environment - persistent poverty and social isolation, violence, indifference and alienation. For 29 years now, a highly qualified team of specialists has been working to ensure that every child lives and leads a full life in a family, so that they can develop their talents and abilities in the first years of their lives. From the beginning until now, the foundation has managed to help over 16,500 children and families.

The Foundation joined the global initiative The Human Safety Net at the end of 2019, which became part of a large-scale movement that helps children and families in vulnerable and difficult situations. The movement is inspired and supported by the Generali Group.

Learn more about the activities of the For Our Children Foundation and the ways in which you can help here.

THE GENERALI GROUP

Generali is one of the largest global insurance and asset management providers. Established in 1831, it is present in 50 countries in the world, with a total premium income of € 70.7 billion in 2020. With more than 72,000 employees serving 65.9 million customers, the Group has a leading position in Europe and a growing presence in Asia and Latin America. Commitment to sustainability is one of the enablers of Generali’s strategy, inspired by the ambition to be the Lifetime Partner to its customers, offering innovative and personalized solutions thanks to an unmatched distribution network.

The Human Safety Net is an initiative created by the Generali Group as part of the sustainable development strategy. The initiative aims to offer help to children and families in difficulty, as well as to refugees, so that they can form a more secure and peaceful future.
The Human Safety Net is a movement, with the goal of engaging more and more people so that we can create a "net of help". Thus, reaching as many people as possible, we believe that we can maximize the impact of what we do.
Generali Insurance AD joined the global initiative of Generali Group in 2019 in partnership with the "For Our Children" Foundation through the program "To give way to services for early childhood development in Bulgaria." Together we want to empower the most vulnerable in society by helping them reach their full potential through specialized help for children without parental care and children with special developmental needs.
At Generali, we believe that everyone should get an equal chance in life and be accepted in society. That is why early childhood help is key to the development and future of Bulgaria's children.