Future and Hope Project - Halfway House for girls leaving social institutions
One of the most difficult moments in the lives of the abandoned teenagers and orphans living in the social institutions, is when they finish school and have to leave the institution. They have been deserted by their parents or relatives, and don’t have any material support or developed skills to start their independent lives. As many of them have special needs - either physical or mental disabilities - the need for more extended assistance becomes apparent.
In order to provide the much needed help for these young people, in June 2006 we started the Future and Hope Project - a Halfway House for girls who leave social institutions.
An apartment was rented in Sofia to accommodate up to five girls aged 18 to 23. Star of Hope’s staff assists them with emotional and behavioural matters and trains them in “skills for life” such as:
- Understanding their rights
- How to find work
- Budgeting
- Tenant responsibility
- Organizing their everyday lives, etc.
Our aim is to provide a safe and supportive environment that encourages the girls to make the best of themselves and to give them hope for a better future.
During my time with the Halfway House Project, I learned how to budget my income and also how to take care of
myself. Thank you!
Antonia, former resident
Over time, we would like to see this initiative expanded to include more teenagers of both sexes so that as many as possible can benefit from this kind of assistance.
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In June 2009 Star of Hope celebrated its 10th Anniversary. On this occasion, Mr. Parvanov - the President of Bulgaria, sent his congratulatory letter.
