The situation in Gorna Koznitsa has dramatically changed since April. Much as we want it though, we could not paint the same colourful picture as we did last month. However, despite the controversies and the complexity of the matter, there is still some bright light to lead us.

The Government has finally provided a Methodology and Directions for the closing down of the Institution in the village of Gorna Koznitsa as it is familiar to you under the title “Home for children and adults with mental disabilities”. The most important thing, however, is that in spite of the formal talks and meetings on account of the proper allocation of the money for the Deinstitutionalization, the children are just as devotedly being taken care of by a group of volunteers, trained by an American volunteer Erin Smith who are individually working with the children.

The municipality of Kustendil has provided a Plan for the provision of the Social Care services for the children in the form of Family type centres for the 24 children who are about to be replaced to Kustendil with the very purpose of being integrated into the local community. The Cedar foundation team, including two of the Directors- Liane Macdonald and Bianca Summerfield, conducted a meeting with the Human resource manager from the Municipality of Kustendil and altogether the meeting left a positive feeling within the team. The representatives of the Municipality proved determined to cooperate with the Cedar foundation for the benefit of the children. The latter municipal officials proposed the building of the Family type centres on a plot of land, donated by the Mayor- Petar Paunov, where up to 8 children could be housed with 6 staff members, providing care for them.

However, the situation was slightly different with the Municipality of Bobov dol. The Mayor was of the opinion that the local municipality would not accept the young people with disabilities from Gorna Koznitsa, were they to be moved to the town. She was quite elaborate in stating that the local municipality does not possess a plot of land to be turned into a Protected Home for the adults with disabilities and further to this added that the Ministry of Labour and Social policy had refused to fund any project that was to be executed on the territory of Gorna Koznitsa. It should be completely and finally closed down. The Decision that the Municipal Council in Bobov dol finally reached on the 30th of May to completely close down Gorna Koznitsa, rather than remodel it, but the issue what to do with the young people there is still pending. The mayor in her capacity as a representative had asked the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy to send some of its officials there, on the spot and to give them some directions as to what to do with the over-18s- whether to open a new type of social service for adults with disabilities or to disperse the young people into small group homes all over the country. However, from a political perspective, it is quite doubtful that the Municipality of Bobov dol would agree on sending the young disabled people throughout the country, because then another issue becomes controversial and vague- the allocation of the government’s money for the Deinstitutionalization process.

Another controversial thing that has occurred for the last couple of weeks is the visit of representatives of the Bulgarian Association for people with intellectual disabilities, more specifically from its local structures in the town of Blagoevgrad- a town in proximity to Kustendil. The visit was paid by a team of social workers, a psychologist and a speech therapist and they have assessed that three of the young people, residing in the Home, i.e. Toni, Mitko and Ina (see pictures) are prepared to live in a Protected home. Therefore, they have offered to take them out of the institution and to move them into the Protected homes in Blagoevgrad that BAPID built last year. The Mayor of Bobov dol has given them her permission to enter the institution, however, no permission has so far been granted to the BAPID workers for taking the children out of the Home.

This mere issue, however, leads us to the dilemma, what indeed is in the best interest of the children and young people, currently living in Gorna Koznitsa. And this has always stood as a landmark in the entire implementation of the Deinstitutionalization project. Unfortunately, the aforementioned question tends to be getting lost throughout the insurmountable bureaucracy and prevailing political interests.

Despite this the Cedar foundation will not be discouraged or give up. Our team is still just as fervently asserting the rights of the children and young people with disabilities and will warmly welcome everyone who wants to get involved.