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New Alumni Shine in Bulgaria

2016 Generation Of Alumni In Bulgaria

By Shebnem Niazi, YES 2013-2014, Bulgaria, hosted by World Link in Kalona, IA

A wave of excitement and curiosity splashed the senior alumni in Bulgaria as the new batch of YES alumni landed back at the small airport in Sofia. A second wave of creativity crashed into them when they met in person and welcomed the newest members of the YES alumni community.

Generation 2016: five incredibly motivated individuals who are eager to give back to their home community by practicing and expanding upon what they learned during their exchange year in the United States and by implementing various projects and initiatives. Their first project as a group took place in August in Varna, the sea capital of Bulgaria. They volunteered to serve and cook food for the poor and the homeless in St. Archangel Mihail church. They made about 300 liters of lentil soup, prepared more than 15 trays of cucumbers, and also had three big crates with loaves of bread and two huge watermelons. More than 200 people came and gathered in line waiting for food. Their first community service event together left them with a unique feeling of being useful, worthy, and important. They continued giving back to their home communities.

In November, Georgi Bakoev YES ‘16 finished a project that began during his exchange year in West Des Moines, IA, which was beneficial not only to his host community in the States, but also to his home community in Bulgaria. He decided to start an initiative called "It Only Takes One Can.” The project aimed to raise money for a children's orphanage in Sofia, Bulgaria by recycling empty soda cans. This way, Georgi encouraged the citizens of West Des Moines to recycle and fight against litter, and at the same time, to contribute to a better life for children in need. Many people supported Georgi's cause by either contributing cans or simply donating money online. In early November, Georgi donated all of the funds raised, approximately $175, to "Hope for the Little Ones" orphanage in Sofia. He did not stop there. Georgi participated in the StartQube Social Entrepreneurship Workshop organized in Krushevo, Macedonia for alumni, and now he is working on a post-workshop project to raise funds to create a quiet room for residents of a local nursing home who are suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia.

In December, YES ‘16 alumnae Viktoriya Angelova and Nazmie Mustafa organized a food drive in collaboration with the Bulgarian Red Cross in Kardzhali and local schools in Kardzhali and Dzhebel. The educational institutions served as food drive centers. The two YES alumnae consulted with members from the Red Cross to implement their project more effectively so that it could benefit more people from their community. The Red Cross provided advice on food safety, what types of items to accept or refuse, and what timing makes the most sense for the event. The alumnae decided to collect rice, legumes, cooking oil, salt, sugar and canned goods. Thanks to the media's help in spreading the word, more than 300 people contributed to the “Power of Good” drive. On New Year's Eve, the Red Cross delivered the collected products - more than 800 kg. in total - to families and individuals in need. Media representatives from Kardzhali were so impressed with the drive that they wrote several articles about it..

New alumni also participated in an alumni gathering in Sofia in December. There, they learned more about social entrepreneurship and Indiegogo, an international crowd funding website; met with the first generation of YES Abroad students in Bulgaria; and made cards for charity.

Witnessing the enthusiasm of generation 2016, I see the power of the YES program to bring people together, to create leaders, and to improve lives. I have always viewed my exchange year in the United States as a life-changing experience, but now I have realized that so is my time as a YES alumna. One thing is for sure: YES starts changing one’s life the moment one lands in the States, and continues forever.


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