20 Jul RAISE Youth Demo center was established “po voda”*

*In Bulgaria when everything goes well and you have a great luck, we say that it is “po voda”, which means “on water”.

The torrential rain on Saturday morning, July 18, did not frighten nearly 50 people who came to support the grand opening of the RAISE Youth Center and wished success to the young people who will work and raise in it. Among those present were Mrs. Daniela Vladimirova, Deputy Mayor of Zemen Municipality and Stoyan Stoyanov, Secretary of Zemen Municipality. They not only expressed their greetings and readiness for support, but also stressed how talented today’s youth is.

“I believe in young people! They are proactive, they are talented, they have skills, they have opportunities and we as a society, as institutions, we must give them the opportunity to express themselves, “added Ms. Vladimirova.

Young people from almost all municipalities in the region were present, as well as representatives of many youth organizations from Pernik district. Some of them have already participated in various initiatives of the RAISE Youth project. Certificates for successfully completed courses in herbalism, beekeeping and storytelling were awarded. The event was attended by some of the trainers and the upcoming courses in e-shop management, tourism, training of mountain guides and embroidery were announced.

The RAISE Youth team was represented by its leader – Ms. Stanimira Hadjimitova, Director of Center for Sustainable Communities Development. She shared her enthusiasm for work and development in the region and stressed that the project is flexible enough to meet the needs and ambitions of all young people who recognize the initiative as their own. According to her, with joint efforts the young people can build a completely new look of Pernik region and make it even more attractive not only for tourists, but also for their peers and for themselves.

The creation of a mobile tourist application for the Pernik region is forthcoming within the project. The main body will again be the local young people, who will have the opportunity to tell about the most attractive sights of their native places through their personal stories with emotion and zeal.

The RAISE Youth project aims to support 500 young people from Pernik district. In addition to achieving a number of qualifications, some of them will be supported by the initiative to develop their own business in the region.