Vigenin and Penkova with another charity initiative: „Being different is a privilege!“

On 25 April 2025 (Friday) from 14:00, at the Bulgarian Cultural Centre, 13 Veslets Street, the Delegation of the Bulgarian Socialists in the EP continues its social and public engagement and is organising another charity initiative under the heading „Being different is a privilege!“.

The charity discussion is a public conversation with follow-up and is devoted to the challenges and difficulties faced by children and young people with autism and their families.

The statistics show that in recent years the number of these children has been constantly increasing and that this is unfortunately becoming a lasting negative trend to which we cannot remain indifferent and uninvolved.

The discussion programme

The programme provides for discussion of key topics such as modern methods of early diagnosis and early intervention, which are fundamental to the fuller development of children with autism spectrum disorder. The discussion will also address the processes of inclusive education, employment and the need for equal access to the labour market, and good practices will be presented.

The discussion will be accompanied by a charity bazaar presenting creative and household items made by the social enterprise Tvoritelnitsa Art and Skok, for developing cognitive skills and building capacity, which involves children and young people with developmental problems. The funds raised will be donated to the Help for People with Developmental Problems Foundation and the Autism, Education, Future, Opportunities association for renovation work on Villa AutistikA, a project for a day centre and social enterprise for children with disabilities in Sofia.

The event will bring together representatives of the legislature in the person of the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria Assoc. Prof. Natalia Kiselova, of the executive in the person of Deputy Prime Minister and Chair of the National Council of the BSP Atanas Zafirov, the Minister of Labour and Social Policy Borislav Gutsanov, members of parliament and representatives of local government, medical specialists and university lecturers, educational centres, social and non-governmental organisations, and parents.