This project is part of an Initiative for support of vulnerable families to overcome difficulties in the context of the pandemic. It is implemented under the We Care project, aiming to improve infant and maternal health outcomes of Roma communities in Bulgaria. Within the Initiative, the TSA supports 295 families from 8 locations in Bulgaria. Designed in two phases, the Initiative includes
- Provision of direct support to low-income families with children up to 3 years old;
- Advocacy for sustainable solutions in long-term: improvement of policies and social measures in support of most excluded families and young children;
- Community participation;
The Thirst for Life association provides direct support with products / materials to 30 vulnerable families from Nadezhda neighborhood in Sliven.
In the context of the pandemic and all imposed measures to combat the outbreak of the virus in the country, a large number of the families with children living in the Sliven region (who are with already low, unstable, or irregular income) are losing any opportunity to meet their basic needs. They barely have an access to regular and complete nutrition, use of health services and purchase of medicines, protective equipment (masks, disinfectants) for prevention of transmission of the infection, etc. This harms the health and opportunities for the full development of the child and increases the risk of malnutrition and poor hygienic conditions. With this being said, the support for families in this region will be quite beneficial, as the neighborhood is notorious for its infant mortality rate in the district being 2 times higher than the national average.
Key Project Activities:
- Direct support to low-income families and infants – provision of specific products to address identified urgent needs of pregnant women and children up to 3 years for the period of 4 months, with a budget of 40 BGN per family - provision of drugs, based on medical prescription; food packages in support of regular and adequate nutrition; masks, disinfectants, and other hygienic agents; daily care products for infants, etc.;
- Covering costs related to accessing health services during pregnancy of uninsured pregnant women (payment of medical examination, including test costs in case of complication during pregnancy of uninsured women, living in poverty);
- Raising awareness on preventative measures for protection from the pandemic;
- Advocacy, community empowerment and participation.