November 29th, 2024 - posted in News and Events.
At the heart of the festive season, Rotary Club Sofia International is participating actively in the Rotary initiative “From Child to Child – Become a Secret Santa Claus”.
Let’s not forget that the Magic of Christmas begins in childhood with the presents under the tree and the hanging stockings full of goodies. But for some children, Christmas is anything but magic.
For second year, Rotary Bulgaria and Sofia Christmas Fest unite around the Cause “From Child to Child – Become a Secret Santa Claus”.
Parents can come with their child to the Rotary house (next to the Ferris wheel) so that the children can become a Secret Santa by giving a gift and a packaged treat to a child in need. This year, the Rotary house will also host BTV Media Group, where there will be a letter box. Anyone who wishes can write a Christmas message to the children on “Bulgarian Christmas”.
The goal is for all gifts to reach the homes of socially disadvantaged families in various cities in the country. More than 300 thousand are socially disadvantaged families in the country. 8 out of 10 children live in material deprivation because their families have low incomes. The gifts will reach children in different cities in the country through the network of Rotary clubs in Bulgaria.
Last year’s success exceeded expectations – more than 1000 gifts were delivered to 11 settlements – Berkovitsa, Tutrakan, Glavinitsa, Harmanli, Samokov, Vidinsko (Archar, Gradets), Shumen, village. Malki Iskar (Concordia Family Center), Plovdiv (Center for Social Rehabilitation and Integration).
There are already whole classes of children from Sofia schools who are eager to bring gifts and write their letters to the unknown children and thus become their “Secret Santa”.
Members of Rotary Club Sofia International are taking part during the Fest in the Rotary initiative. When it comes to causes that make the world a better place, all of us at Rotary come together! Ani, Tedi, Mitko, Eli, Hrisi, Svetla were the first volunteers and stayed some of the first days at the Rotary house and promoted actively the project welcoming heart fully families and children who wish to contribute for the good cause.
The initiative continues till 22 December and we are looking forward to welcoming more families and gifts for the children in need.
Thank you to all the parents and children who contributed for the good cause.
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November 17th, 2024 - posted in News and Events.
The Vibrant Club District 2482 Bulgaria Yearly Seminar took place in Ruse, Grand Hotel Riga on 16th of November 2024.
The seminar was a whole day event and in general was organized in interactive sessions with a lot of interesting discussions. It included innovative themes as AI, Storytelling, Video power, effective communication, Rotary Fellowship, ICC and others. The seminar was hybrid and there was a number of participants that took part online that could not attend for one reason or another in person or travel to Ruse. There was also a District Governor of Serbia Vlado Marich that participated online and shared the experience of projects and active club life in their District.
One of the main topics of the Seminar was the Club culture and the Past President of RC Sofia International Hristina Malchevska was one of the Rotarians invited to share best practice, participated in a discussion, as well as presented information about our club life and answered two questions:
For understandable reasons, there is a more frequent change in membership in your club. How do you maintain an atmosphere of camaraderie and engagement?
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November 6th, 2024 - posted in News and Events.
On the 6th of November we had our regular Rotary Club Sofia International club meeting in Hilton with possibility of online participation of our friends that could not attend in person. Our Past President and Chair of International Service Committee of our District 2482 for 2022-2025 Hristina Malchevska presented an interesting Rotary organization – End Plastic soup that are working for solving the plastic problem worldwide.
More and more clubs and districts, now in 48 countries, have joined the Rotary EndPlasticSoup initiative, started 6 years ago in Amsterdam. This bottom-up club initiative is all run voluntarily by and for Rotarians and Rotaractors. The Goal is to stop the plastic pollution problem by 2050.
Today over 100 Ambassador Clubs represent Rotary EndPlasticSoup in their district and Supporter Clubs are being asked to join, get into action, and pay a small donation (200 euro/year or 500 for 3 years) to support this worldwide initiative and the many international projects. In return they get all (online) materials for free, that include pictures, videos and information. They get support for their actions and projects, exchange experiences, and get access to the worldwide network of alliances and solutions.
Plastic is fantastic
Plastic is a fantastic product: many different products and applications, light weight, long live and cheap. Plastic also causes huge problems as many countries cannot process the waste. Plastic never disappears and just becomes smaller. Microplastics (0.1-5 mm) and nanoplastics (smaller than 0.1 mm) cause real issues for our climate, all life on our planet and our health. In the past couple of years, more and more data and knowledge has been gained from research regarding the impact of nanoplastics and the poisonous additives on them. PFAS is just one of the examples.
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June 16th, 2024 - posted in News and Events.
Rotary Club Sofia International celebrated an evening at the Croatian-Bulgarian Cultural Association in Sofia, where our friend and member, Mr. Domagoj Stefan, welcomed us and ensured the evening honored cross-cultural heritage and fostered friendship among Rotarians and guests. We were captivated by the association’s dedication to preserving Croatian traditions in Bulgaria.
After our Secretary, Ms. Ani Hristova, opened the evening, Mr. Domagoj Stefan presented slides and guided us through the history and traditions of Croatia. We were fascinated to learn about the country’s development from the early 90s to today, discovering a beautiful place worth visiting. We eagerly look forward to building bonds and collaborating on projects with Rotary Clubs in Croatia.
Rotary Club Sofia International will host its next meeting on June 19 at the Hotel Hilton Sofia, where we will hear about current risks and efforts towards green energy transition in Bulgaria and the world from guest speaker, Mr. Dimitar Enchev. As we approach the end of our meetings for the Rotary year 2023-2024, we express our gratitude to our President, Mr. Dale, for his exceptional leadership and for keeping the spirit of Rotary alive. Join us in experiencing the magic of Rotary in uplifting societies in Bulgaria and around the world.
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June 16th, 2024 - posted in News and Events.
For the fourth consecutive year, Rotary Club Sofia-Vitosha presented the annual “Architect Atanas Dinev” award! This award honors the memory of the architect Mr. Atanas Dinev, whose contributions to architecture and society are invaluable. Architect Dinev was a lecturer, a member of the Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria, and an active Rotarian – one of the founders and President of Rotary Club Sofia-Vitosha.This year, three architects were distinguished – Mrs. Sofia Georgieva, Mr. Mihail Subotinov, and Mrs. Kamelia Pokraeva for their innovative projects focusing on ecology and innovation.The ceremony was attended by numerous guests, friends, and prominent Rotarians, including the daughter of Architect Dinev, Stefi Dineva. The event was also honored by the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at UACEG, Prof. Dr. Architect Orlin Davchev.
At the event, Ms. Ani Hristova from Rotary Club Sofia International attended and congratulated the organizers on behalf of the club.
Source: Rotary Club Sofia-Vitosha Facebook page.
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June 16th, 2024 - posted in News and Events.
At Meeting #30, our member, Mr. Boyan Griffen, told us about his recent, amazing trip to Korea for three weeks during May 2024. He delivered a presentation on “Korea: From History to Modern Times,” which is available separately. The focus was on geography, historical contexts, the division of Korea in 1953, politics, and economics. In recent years, South Korea, home to 55 million citizens on a territory 90% the size of Bulgaria, has significantly surpassed the other Asian tigers and dragons. South Korea is an extremely advanced country in nearly all aspects of life, including sciences, medicine, industry, and manufacturing. We are familiar with brands like Samsung, Hyundai, LG, SK, POSCO, and KIA, and their success stories continue.
The scale of Rotary International in South Korea is grand, ranking second only to the United States in terms of giving (Annual Fund, Endowment Fund, and Total Contributions; 2021-22). Korea is home to the fourth-largest Rotarian community in the world, after the United States, Japan, and India. There are approximately 1,660 clubs (160 in Seoul, a city of 25 million) and about 65,000 Rotarians nationwide. The Rotary Club of Seoul, founded in 1927 during the Japanese Occupation (1910-1945), has been in continuous service, uninterrupted even during the Second World War when it operated out of the seaside city of Busan, providing assistance during war efforts.
During the May 15 meeting, members discussed various charitable efforts and projects and expressed eagerness to collaborate with Bulgaria. Boyan attended a meeting with the Rotary Club of Seoul (which has approximately 120 members) and the Seoul Young Leaders Club (Rotaract). Guests included past-presidents from the Sudbury, Ontario, Canada Rotary Club. Like the Rotary Club Sofia International, the Rotary Club of Seoul is the only English-speaking club in the capital. The Rotarians were all incredibly engaging, and Boyan had conversations with many current and past presidents and district governors. He particularly enjoyed conversing with Mr. Sang-Hyun Song, who served as President of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Korea was an original member of the court, and Boyan learned about Mr. Song’s tremendous life and career experiences.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time in advance to arrange for a proper flag exchange. However, Boyan received a flag from the Rotary Club of Seoul, which he passed on to President Mr. Grant Dale and the Rotary Club Sofia International during the meeting.
For more information about the Rotary Club of Seoul and the Seoul Young Leaders Club, you can visit their websites:
Rotary Club of Seoul
Seoul Young Leaders Club
Two other important events occurred during the meeting: Our Past President, Ms. Ani Hristova, was congratulated on her birthday with a special surprise. Club members presented her with a delicious cake and sang a heartfelt birthday song. It was a wonderful and touching moment, and Ms. Hristova expressed her gratitude to all the members for the surprise.
Lastly, Rotary Club Sofia International’s nomination for the Rotary Laureate is the Association “Children with Oncohematologic Diseases,” which emerged as the winner! A solemn ceremony for awarding the statuette, created by sculptor Assoc. Momchil Mirchev from the Academy of Arts in Sofia, is being organized. The nomination campaign for the Laureate of the Rotary Bulgaria Award for 2024 received a total of six proposals from the Rotary and Rotaract clubs in the District:
- Association “Children with Oncohematological Diseases” was nominated by Rotary Club Sofia International.
- International Foundation “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” Sofia was nominated by Rotary Club Sofia-Vitosha and Rotary Club Sofia-Center.
- Dimitar Lazarov Urdev was nominated for his work with children with special educational needs by Rotary Club Blagoevgrad – Center.
- Rotary Community Corps “Samokovi” was nominated by Rotary Club Samokov.
- Dr. Slavena Stoykova from Sofia University “Kliment Ohridski” was nominated by Rotary Club Sofia-Triaditsa and Rotary Club Varna.
- Dr. Kiril Peev from UMBAL “Tsaritsa Joanna” – ISUL was nominated by Rotary Club Sofia-Triaditsa.
This prestigious award is being presented for the fourth consecutive year. The Rotary Club of Sofia International extends its congratulations to the clubs that have nominated their candidates. We also express our gratitude to the Commission for their diligent work in selecting the 2024 Laureate of the National Award of Rotary Bulgaria.
For more details, you can visit the Rotary Bulgaria website: Rotary Bulgaria News.
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June 15th, 2024 - posted in News and Events.
On June 1st, Rotary Club Sofia International had the distinct pleasure of hosting esteemed guests from Rotary Club Rüsselsheim – Groß Gerau. Led by the dedicated Rotarian Mrs. Sigrun Comati, who played a crucial role in facilitating a generous donation of medical equipment to Bulgaria through our Med-Bul project, their visit was a testament to the spirit of international friendship and collaboration that defines Rotary.
The evening unfolded at the picturesque Vodenitsata Restaurant, where our guests were treated to a delightful showcase of Bulgarian cuisine and culture. Amidst the warm ambiance and scenic surroundings, we enjoyed local delicacies that delighted the senses and provided a true taste of Bulgaria’s culinary heritage.
Highlighting the evening was a mesmerizing display of traditional fire dancing, a spectacle that captivated all present with its rhythmic beats and vibrant energy. It was a moment where cultural traditions fused seamlessly with Rotary fellowship, creating memories that will be cherished by both our guests and hosts alike.
Beyond the festivities, the gathering was an opportunity for meaningful exchange of ideas and experiences. Discussions flourished, friendships were nurtured, and plans for future collaborations were forged. The atmosphere was vibrant yet relaxed, reflecting the strong bonds of camaraderie that unite Rotary clubs worldwide.
At Rotary Club Sofia International, we are deeply grateful to our friends from Rotary Club Rüsselsheim – Groß Gerau for their visit and for enriching our community with their presence. Together, we reaffirm our commitment to service above self and to making a positive impact in our respective communities and beyond.
As we look forward to future exchanges and collaborations, we celebrate the power of Rotary in bringing people together across borders and cultures. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this evening a resounding success.
Here’s to continued friendship, collaboration, and shared Rotary values.
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June 15th, 2024 - posted in News and Events.
Meeting #29 of the Rotary Club Sofia International took place on 31 May 2024 at the Hilton Sofia. We had the distinct pleasure of hosting a joint meeting with our dear friends from Rotary Club Paris-Agora, including Mr. Alain Mortreaux, Mr. Guy Billoud, Mrs. Blandine Billoud and Mr. Yann Ababou. The evening was truly delightful, filled with the exchange of ideas and warm fellowship that left us all feeling inspired and connected.
The next day, our journey took us to Samokov, where we had the honor of attending the christening of the Centre for Social Rehabilitation and Integration of Children and Adults. This significant project, a Global Grant initiative supported by Rotary Club Paris-Agora, stands as a testament to the incredible collaboration between Rotary Club Samokov and the local municipality (represented on the day by current Mayor: Mr. Angel Dzhorgov and past mayor Mr. Vladimir Georgiev) . Their combined efforts to bring this project to life were nothing short of amazing, and we were proud to witness the fruition of such a meaningful endeavor.
In Samokov, we also visited the local town museum, which provided us with fascinating insights into the region’s rich cultural heritage. Later in the afternoon, our group visited the picturesque Tsarska Bistritsa in Borovets. The beauty of the surroundings and the rich history of the site added a special touch to our visit. A big thank you to the organizers:
Mrs. Evelina Spasova;
Mrs. Ekaterina Vadajiiska, Assistant District Governor;
Mr. Radoslav Naydenov, President Elect;
Mr. Vladimir Vassilev, Past President;
Mr. Luboslav Barzanov.
All in all, it was a lovely few days filled with fun, camaraderie, and the true spirit of Rotary fellowship. We cherished the time spent together and look forward to many more opportunities to connect and collaborate.
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June 14th, 2024 - posted in News and Events.
The first anniversary of the twinning of four Rotary Clubs – Rotary Club Ćuprija Morava, Rotary Club Vidin, Rotary Club Zaječar, and Rotary Club Sofia-Balkan (from Rotary District 2483 (Serbia and Montenegro) and Rotary District 2482 (Bulgaria)) was celebrated on May 24. A joint meeting was held on this occasion at a beautiful 12th-century Orthodox monastery – Izvorski monastery. Ms. Ani Hristova, a Past President, represented our club.During the special worship service, the priest conducted a mass in which he mentioned the names of the Rotary Clubs and prayed for the members and their families.Following the service, a lunch was held in the parish house, attended by guests from Rotary Club Bor, Rotary Club Balkan, Rotary Club Sofia International, and Rotary Club Sofia-Serdika.
An agreement was made that each year, each club will contribute 300 EUR (a total of 1200 EUR) to this anniversary fund. The funds will be awarded to the host club for a service project of their choice. Rotary Club Vidin has chosen to use the funds for the publication of the collection “Stories from the Border,” which contains stories written by children living on the borders. The stories are translated and the book features amazing paintings. Anyone interested in obtaining a copy should contact Ms. Hristova to arrange it.
Rotary Club Sofia International expresses its gratitude to Rotary Club Vidin for their hospitality, especially to the President Mr. Lydmil Ivanov, and congratulates them on the wonderful book project.
The day was filled with laughter, Serbian and Bulgarian music, and a great time together!
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May 31st, 2024 - posted in News and Events.
We are delighted to share moments from our recent meeting at the Hilton Hotel in Sofia, where we had the honor of welcoming our esteemed friend, Dr. Anastasius Christakakis, President of Rotary Club Alexandropolis in Greece, along with other guests. During this gathering, we discussed several important topics, including our ongoing efforts to eradicate polio, a successful summary of our recent fundraising event, and our eagerly anticipated upcoming meetings.
Dr. Christakakis traveled specifically to Sofia to deliver a compelling presentation on their club’s significant contribution to Rotary’s most critical mission: the eradication of polio. This disease, once feared worldwide, has been successfully tackled through collaborative efforts. The plan involved connecting five countries- Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania- by organizing Rotarians to participate in a six-day motorcycle ride or meet the team in one of these nations. The funds raised through this remarkable initiative provided over 17,000 vaccines, contributing to the global fight against polio.
The success story of polio eradication underscores the power of unity and collaboration. Rotary, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, worked tirelessly to provide vaccines and improve sanitation in affected regions. Together, we have achieved what was once considered impossible.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who joined us, sharing inspiring stories and keeping the spirit of our mission alive. Additionally, we express our sincere thanks to those who attended and supported our fundraising event. Their contributions will significantly impact our commitment to establish a photovoltaic plant at the center for families and children recovering from oncohematological diseases. Furthermore, the funds raised will advance our Med-Bul project, which facilitates the provision of medical equipment in Bulgaria.
As we gather each week, we eagerly exchange valuable experiences, build lasting friendships, and strengthen our unwavering belief in Rotary’s mission—to create hope and positive change in the world.
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