The small projects of medical students this summer gained momentum with a number of initiatives to disseminate information and guidance on the still prevailing coronavirus and the methods to prevent infection, including information events on the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
Maria Nemtsova ("Midwife" degree at Medical University - Varna, Sliven branch) conducted an initiative to inform people in several Roma communities in Sliven to discuss their knowledge and fears related to the virus and its effect on them. In addition to the symptoms, risks and ways to prevent infection, Maria's personal history and path to university, her ambitions and dreams were of great interest among the people in the community.
In another corner of the country, Byala Slatina, Alisa Rumenova („Nursery” degree at Sofia University) ran an information-dissemination initiative focused on the vaccination campaign against Covid-19. After individual conversations with people in her neighborhood in Byala Slatina, Alisa shared about her efforts to provide key, practical information about the vaccine options, the possibilities for their administration in the town, as well as what can be expected after the vaccination.
The largest effort in connection to Covid-19 prevention was the information campaign in the center of Parvomay, designed by Alexei Mitkov ("Dental Medicine” at Medical University-Sofia), Krassimira Krasimirova ("Medicine" at MU-Plovdiv), Alexandra Boyanova ( "Nursery" at MU-Sofia) and Dimitrinka Dobrinova ("Medical Assistant" at Mu-Sofia, Vratsa branch), supported by Prof. Ani Kevorkian (mentor of Krassimira and lecturer at MU-Plovdiv) in their preparation. The students talked to the locals about the coronavirus, what we know and don't know about it and the vaccines. The topic provoked different emotions and fears in people, but with patience and a smile they answered all the questions, shared personal experience from their work in hospitals and provided practical advice.
All of the students are participants in the program for Scholarship Support for Roma Students Enrolled in Medical Studies and their small community initiatives are executed with TSA’s support, as part of the project for Mentorship support for Roma Students Enrolled in Medical Studies, within the framework of the Active citizens fund Bulgaria.
Active citizens fund Bulgaria is implemented with the financial support of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway under the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021.