CSCD – Center for Sustainable Communities Development

Center for Sustainable Communities Development (CSCD) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, registered in 1995 in Bulgaria.  It works on promotion of gender equality in all spheres of the private and social life. It lobbies Bulgarian authorities to implement EU and UN Gender Equality Policy.

CSCD works on the following main crosscutting themes: Economic Rights of Women; Development Education and ODA policy; Roma Women Empowerment; Violence against Women as a Violation of Human Rights; Political Empowerment of Women; Media and its Role for Overcoming Gender Stereotypes.

CSCD is a co-founder of the Bulgarian Platform on International Development (BPID). Since June 2005 CSCD has been an Associate member of the National Council on Gender Equality to the Council of Ministries of Bulgaria. In 2016 CSCD experts were invited by the Ministry of Economy to participate in the working group on Strategy for Support of Women’s Entrepreneurship development.

Stanimira Hadjimitova, Centre for Sustainable Communities Development, Project Coordinator

Stanimira is responsible for the coordination of all project activates that are taking place in Bulgaria.

Stanimira participated in project writing, implementing, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of more than 90 projects run in Bulgaria and SEE. As a civil society activist she participated in numerous international events connected with the global women’s movement, like the NGO Forum at the fourth UN Conference on Women, Beijing, 1995.

Alexandra Konstantinova, Centre for Sustainable Communities Development, Manager skills and competences

Alexandra has 14 years of working experience in different professional fields, as well as a degree in Finance. Her experience in tour guiding, financial and sales management are of great benefit to her work on the RASIE YOUTH project where she is organizing various workshops, trainings and lectures. She works well under pressure and is good in working with others to achieve specific objectives on time and with excellence.

Diana Kovandjieva, Centre for Sustainable Communities Development, Assistant

Diana worked on projects for empowering rural women, gender equality and building rural development networks. Working on the RAISE Youth project is a natural extension of the causes that she had worked on so far and which she hopes we can fight for together.

Nancy Borissova, Centre for Sustainable Communities Development, Communication Manager

Nancy Borissova worked as a journalist for some Bulgarian media outlets on topics related to human rights, women rights, migration and minorities. She is the prize winner of Journalism for development award 2018.

At the RAISE Youth project Nancy is responsible for contacts with the media, writing press releases, news articles for the project, infosheets, flyers, handling the social media account and promoting the project and its efforts on social media.

Diana Dimitrova, Centre for Sustainable Communities Development, Outreach Meeting Coordinator

Diana has working experience as a consultant, project manager, external assessor on various EU funded projects with private companies, municipalities, institutions and diverse partners. Working on the RAISE Youth project is a natural extension of enhancing the professional expertise and adding value to the society by supporting and encouraging NEETs to be aware of their opportunities.

Rosen Hadjimitov, Centre for Sustainable Communities Development, RAISE Youth Demo-Center Manager

Rosen worked for many years on organization and control of construction activities for numerous private companies. He has excellent organizational skills and abilities to coordinate teams in program development and logistics. In the RAISE Youth project Rosen is responsible for the establishment and management of the Raise Demo Center and for the organization and monitoring of the Pottery training.

Desislava Alexandrova, Centre for Sustainable Communities Development, Links coordinator

Desislava graduated in Business Administration and her professional experience includes secondary education and participation in projects.

At the RAISE YOUTH project she is responsible for finding NEETS, reaching out to different stakeholders and organizing motivational workshops.

Adriana Stoyneva, Centre for Sustainable Communities Development, Assistant “Farming”

Adriana has a bachelor’s degree from the Southwestern University “Neofit Rilski” – Blagoevgrad. She is one of the three people engaged in the RAISE Youth Center in Breznik where she is responsible for gathering support and information from local farmers and assisting NEETS in implementing sustainable farming methods.

Milen Milanov, Centre for Sustainable Communities Development, Assistant “Tourism”

Milen graduated BA Media and Journalism and MB Regional Development at the University of National and World Economy in Sofia. His professional experience includes working for various news media and also dealing in PR and trade. As a “Tourism” assistant at the RAISE Youth Center he is responsible for gathering information for archeological, natural, architectural, cultural and other interesting sites in Pernik Area

Nikola Nikolaev, Centre for Sustainable Communities Development, IT Assistant 

Nikola graduated from Vasil Levski High School, Information Technology class, then continued his education at SWU Neofit Rilski, Blagoevgrad, majoring in Kinesitherapy.

His role at the RAISE Youth Center as an IT assistant is to provide help with the e-platform being developed to promote goods and services from in Pernik Area, as well as the ones offered in the future by people who participate in the project and successfully complete their trainings and start their own businesses.