We at Radiant Encounter believe that everyone has a God-given destiny and has the right to grow to the fullness of their potential.
Prior to the institutions closing, many children with disabilities were placed in them. Some entered with a disability like blindness and ended up being left in a cot and underfed, leaving them malnourished and disfigured. When they finally got out of the cots, they found themselves stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives. The institutions only began closing at the beginning of this decade, when Bulgaria started to see that people with additional needs can be part of society.
Only in 2015 did Bulgaria pass the Pre-School and School Education Act. This act established the conditions for the inclusion of about 32,000 children with disabilities into the mainstream education system. Just three years later, in 2018, Bulgaria passed the Persons with Disabilities Act. This act made it illegal for an employer to deny a person work based on their disability alone. It has opened the working world to those with disabilities. Now, an employer with 50 or more workers must have at least one worker with a disability.
Despite efforts made by Bulgaria, people with disabilities remain one of the most excluded groups in society. In Bulgaria, 90% of all children in infant homes and 50% of children in family-type residential facilities are children with disabilities. Additionally, data shows that many people with disabilities aged 15-24 years are not in employment, education, or training.
The pictures above are of Blyan Day Center, which is an incredibly unique place in Bulgaria. There are only a few facilities like this center. They were among the first places to open when institutions started to close. Before places like Blyan Day Center opened, people with various additional needs were locked away in institutions, uncared for and neglected, until the institutions started closing at the beginning of this decade. These included people with blindness, right through to people with severe autism and behavioral problems. Places like Blyan Day Center made it possible for institutions to close and for people with additional needs to start being recognized as individuals who can be part of daily society.
Blyan Day Center serves a diverse group of customers with various disabilities who come in daily. These individuals span all ages and have a wide range of disabilities, including autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, learning disabilities, and many more. The center offers a comprehensive range of support services, including art therapy, language and speech therapy, psychological support from a specialist psychologist, kinesiotherapy, occupational therapy, educational training from a special teacher (pedagogue), and engaging activities such as outdoor games, field trips to forests and parks, and train rides. These activities aim to teach and facilitate the integration of customers back into society, particularly for adults who may have experienced abandonment in institutional settings.
Blyan Day Center’s primary goal is to foster independence in everyday life for most of its customers. Achieving this requires access to good equipment, but currently, they have several broken items that need replacing. That’s why we’re fundraising for this cause and similar projects.
Back in 2014, we witnessed a massive miracle when we first visited Blyan Day Center. They desperately needed fourteen new beds for the customers to rest during the day. We didn’t have anywhere near the funds needed for the beds, so we turned to God and trusted Him for it. True to His faithfulness, our amazing God came through, and all the necessary funds arrived right on time.
Now, we find ourselves in a similar situation. Once again, we lack the funds for this project, but we are placing our full trust in God. We ask you to join us in prayer for the funds to come in. If you feel led to give, please do so. You can donate to our fundraiser or visit our donate page. When giving through our donate page, please ensure that you write “Blyan Day Center” in the reference box. Your support and generosity mean the world to us and the individuals we serve at Blyan Day Center.
Some of the information stated is from https://www.unicef.org/bulgaria/en/data-children-disabilities-bulgaria-and-around-world
Some of the information stated is from https://www.tmf-group.com/en/news-insights/articles/2019/march/bulgaria-new-people-with-disabilities-act/