On 12.04 2025 the youth from the Children and Youth Participation Program at Hope and Homes for Children met with the children and youth from the Family Type Placement Center “Aleko Konstantinov” in Sofia to talk about how they can and want to participate in different activities. In an environment of friendly conversations and laughter we did a focus group on the topic of children’s participation, how it happens and what is important for the youth.
Meeting children is very exciting, but when they have different disabilities from physical, intellectual, lack of vision you have to choose the best means of expression to express yourself. Drawing is one of the most enjoyable and accessible methods of presenting ideas and vision to youngsters. Each of the participants during the drawing was able to share their emotions and what youth participation means to them. In the drawings one could see houses, people holding hands, flowers, sun, or just a feeling of freedom.
The youth at Hope and Homes for Children Bulgaria were able to support and translate the words and ideas of the disabled youth at the Center. At the end, together they created a huge picture that was the embodiment of their thoughts, aspirations and wishes for them. Everyone emotionally wished for another meeting because we humans need communication and human conversations!
The activity is part of the project “Participate Now!”, which is implemented within the INSPIRE project: Improving national support for prevention, intervention, and response to violence against children, and
