Cultural institutes, NGOs, student organizations, and more – Open Sofia would not be the same without their support
Written by Andrea Vushkova, edited by Lindsay Martin.
Center For Portuguese Language And Culture “Camões Sofia”
The mission of the Center for Portuguese Language and Culture “Camões Sofia” is to teach and promote the Portuguese language and culture in Bulgaria. The institute covers the management of the Portuguese teaching network and the organization of activities both within the Center itself, and in partnership with local institutions. It was inaugurated in November 2013 and is a public institute under the supervision of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Click for more info
Russian Informational And Cultural Centre In Sofia
The Russian Informational and Cultural center (RICC) works towards the development of interactions and partnerships between Bulgaria and Russia in the cultural, language, educational, scientific, and informational spheres. The center organizes scientific events such as societal-political seminars and conferences, theatre and concert programs, events for the promotion of the Russian language, and book presentations. Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation collaborate with state-members of the Commonwealth of Independent States and each of them has Russian centers for science and culture. Click for more info
Sofia Development Association
Sofia Development Association conducts research and analyses and aims to contribute to the sustainable development of Sofia as a modern European city. The Association aids entrepreneurship and initiative in the Bulgarian capital, promotes the development of civic initiatives, and assists the implementation of municipal policies, strategic documents and long-term programs. Sofia Development Associations also sets up forums for continuous dialogue among civil society, business, state institutions, and the municipal administration in an effort to create a good social and business environment. Click for more info
The Egyptian Cultural Program In Sofia
Activities of The Egyptian Cultural Program in Sofia include cultural outreach, artistic and intellectual events to advance cultural ties between Egypt, and both the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia. The objective is to encourage cultural exchanges and promote understanding and harmonious co-existence, and to introduce the cultural heritage of Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East region to the larger public. It was first implemented by the Egyptian Embassy in Sofia.
Multi Kulti Collective
Multi Kulti Collective (MKC) is one of the leading not-for-profit organizations in Bulgaria working on migrant and refugee integration, community development, and human rights. In order to have a bigger impact both in the country and across Europe, MKC works on the grassroots and policy level. It is also a social enterprise that has been empowering migrants since 2013 through offering culinary services to individuals, cultural institutes, and businesses. MKC is based in Sofia, but in 2015 it grew into a social franchise in the 8 biggest Bulgarian cities. The collective partners with policy makers, local authorities, international organizations, NGOs, business, media, researchers, migrants, refugees and youth. Click for more info
Hrankoop Sofia
Hrankoop Sofia is an informal group of people looking for clean food. The cooperative’s main activity is direct contact and dialogue with producers of bio, eco, and organic food. Hrankoop’s main goals are to support small-scale producers of this food and to make consumers’ access to it easier. To achieve this, they organize farmers’ markets, cooperative deliveries, catering with farm products, workshops and demonstrations, and participate in various events on clean healthy food and a sustainable way of living. Click for more info
Artist Tree Sofia
The Facebook community Creatives-Sofia is the largest international collective in Sofia for artists, writers, musicians, poets, and photographers. The community wants to support local artists and creatives who normally don’t have a platform for expressing their creativity. Now Creatives-Sofia has opened its own non-profit art studio, Artist Tree Sofia. It is suitable for a wide range of activities, and the founders want it to be a safe space to meet, share, communicate, and create. Ideas for workshops, events, exhibitions and projects are always welcome. Click for more info
Best Foundation (Bulgarian English Speech and Debate Tournaments)
The mission of the BEST foundation is to foster a community of democratically minded and engaged young citizens who can think critically and freely. The BEST Foundation began as the project of six Fulbright English Teaching Assistants. Their idea was to give a platform for intelligent debate and creative expression (all in English) to Bulgarian high school students. It started out in 2012 as the Bulgarian Forensics League (BFL) but in 2014 they officially registered as a non-profit and became BEST. Since then, BEST has hosted numerous debate tournaments, included more and more Bulgarian high schools, and sent students from Bulgaria to National competitions in the U.S. Click for more info
Sofia Accueil
Sofia Accueil aims to welcome and help French speaking newcomers quickly integrate into Sofian life. The organization holds various events, cultural exchanges, and regular meetings in a friendly atmosphere. Sofia Accueil currently has 120 French-speaking members of different nationalities (around twenty!). They come from a variety of backgrounds: Francophones newly installed in Sofia, as well as Bulgarian francophones who wish to maintain contact with French language and culture, and French language learners who want to become francophones. Click for more info and Facebook page
Synergy Bulgaria
Synergy Bulgaria strives to empower, inspire, and educate youngsters through experiential learning. Volunteers, youth workers, and trainers in this NGO aim to support young adults in their social, personal, and professional development. Synergy Bulgaria organizes cross-European trainings and youth exchanges, but also works on a local level with informal gatherings, educational programs, and workshops. Click for more info
Erasmus Student Network Bulgaria
ESN Bulgaria is part of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) – the biggest student association in Europe. ESN’s goal is to develop and support international student exchange. The organization is volunteer based and works on local, national, and international levels under the principle SHS (Students Helping Students). ESN provides opportunities for cultural understanding and self-development, works to improve the social and practical integration of international students, motivates young people to study abroad, and helps with the reintegration of homecoming students. Click for more info
Teach For Bulgaria
Teach For Bulgaria is part of the global network Teach For All. Their mission is to work long-term towards positive change in education in Bulgaria. They recruit, train, and develop people who are motivated to contribute to every child’s access to quality education in Bulgaria; quality education which leads to a functioning economy and a strong society. Teach For Bulgaria also work with school teams and develop partnerships at an institutional level. The NGO was created in 2010 with the support of the America For Bulgaria Foundation. Click for more info
Medical Students On A Mission (M.S.O.M)
It all started as the project of students from Plovdiv Medical University who were united in their passion to provide healthcare to those in need. Medical Students On a Mission (M.S.O.M) was founded in 2017 and is now a legalized NGO with two additional branches in Sofia and Pleven. MSOM’s aim is to actively participate in prevention and healthcare in Bulgaria. MSOM mainly targets areas deprived of basic primary care and aids the community through particular camps and outreach programs led by doctors and students. Click for more info
Student Aid Drop
Student Aid Drop is a youth led NGO with one shared passion: make a difference in the current refugee crisis that has affected millions of people worldwide. A small team of university students was established in Sofia in order to raise awareness about the cause. Their mission is to create sustainable development in refugee camps, and provide food, games and education for the children and families. The primary focus of Student Aid Drop is to visit as many refugee camps in Bulgaria as possible and continue delivering donations first hand. Click for more info
Meeting Points Foundation
Meeting Points is a not-for-profit organization based on the belief that the beauty of human meetings inspires togetherness and leads to positive changes within communities. The mission of Meeting Points is to create opportunities for interaction between people from different backgrounds. The organization hosts regular events such as city walks and community dinners and is engaged in several creative projects across Sofia. Click for more info
Green Association
The Green Association’s goal is to keep life “clean and green” and promote non-standard solutions for environmental protection. A group of friends started this project at the end of 2012 and throughout their work they try to preserve their originality, authenticity and freedom. The association mainly relies on personal resources, donations and voluntary work. They have two main projects: Green Summit and Green House. Green Summit promotes living in small communities with environmental care. Green association organizes a series of events and activities that engage young people to spend their time outside the rush of the big city and closer to nature. Green House is a social center with the aim of being a shared workspace that supports positive change in each visitor. Click for more info
Listen Up Foundation
The Listen Up Foundation is an advocacy-based organization for deaf people in Bulgaria. Their mission is to unite and empower the deaf community, to improve the education system for deaf and hard of hearing children and adults, and to build skills and knowledge of all deaf Bulgarians. Ultimately the foundation is striving towards equality and inclusion of deaf people in Bulgarian society. Click for more info
Medipath International
Three young women founded Medipath International with the mission to create a bridge between medical professionals and students of medicine and improve the relationship between medical professionals and the general public. The NGO’s aim is to expand the educational experiences of medical students and to provide an up-to-date medical education for all. Medipath International hosts virtual lessons, workshops, international symposiums with a focus on emergency medicine and much more! Click for more info
Networking Premium Coworking Space
Networking Premium is a stylish coworking space that provides a high performance environment where entrepreneurship and innovation thrive. The elegant venue is designed with the use of Feng Shui techniques which generate energy to enhance the creativity and productivity of the space members. Networking Premium hosts corporate events, conferences, parties, seminars and lectures. Members can take advantage of numerous perks such as parking, an in-house chef, entertainment and napping rooms, yoga, beer, and wine. Click for more info
K & G Finance
K & G Finance provides finance, accounting, and legal services to managers of Bulgarian companies. The main goal is to free businesses from tedious administrative work. They provide oversight on tasks such as the monitoring of policies and deadlines, business transaction recording, and examining credit conditions of different banks. K&G Finance supports companies so managers can focus on better running their businesses. Click for more info
Sigura Insurance Broker
Sigura Insurance Broker offers tailor-made insurance products and multidisciplinary legal service for individuals and companies that need to: comply with legal obligations in Bulgaria, resolve and prevent conflicts, clarify differences between the legal systems of their home country and Bulgaria.
