We cannot show their faces, but we see them every day, they are among us. Every third woman in Bulgaria is a victim of domestic violence.

Domestic violence has severe consequences not only because it puts a woman's life at risk, but also because it leads to her children reproducing the pattern. Therefore, in working on this problem, we need to focus on each of the three stages that women go through - awareness of the problem, overcoming the period of active crisis and building a sustainable lifestyle in the long term.

In the causes we have done so far, the focus has mainly been on supporting the crisis centre teams who take on the huge burden of isolating the woman from the abuser and supporting her mentally and materially so that she has the strength and resources to take a new path. With our cause in November, we are building on this approach towards empowering women for sustainable change in their lives.

Why?

In 2023, we did a study in the direction of what happens to women in Bulgaria after they overcome the period of active crisis. We found that an extremely high percentage of women who have gone through crisis centres return to the abuser due to economic dependency, lack of employment or inability to retrain and acquire additional skills. Therefore, we believe that a key way to realize our goal of sustainable change in the quality of life for women experiencing domestic violence is by providing them with access to a quick and effective way to learn new skills and increase their qualifications.

So, in November, we are working with the PULSE Foundation to support women who have already been through a crisis centre and are working towards stabilising their lives afterwards. On the one hand, we will secure and improve living conditions in a licensed transitional housing facility. And on the other, we will support the retraining of two women. See details below.

How we will help:

1. Improve the conditions in the Transitional Housing

P.U.L.S. Foundation has been providing help and support to survivors of violence for over 24 years. Every year over 350 women, children and men cross the threshold of the organization and find professional support and protection.

The Foundation has its own housing converted into licensed transitional housing. Transitional housing for victims of violence is a new service for our country. Seeing how sometimes women who have been housed in the crisis center return to violent situations, are housed again, and this cycle repeats itself over and over again, the P.U.L.S. team realized the need for a sustainable way to support victims of violence. Thanks to donors and projects, they were able to purchase and renovate an apartment that can house up to 6 people. The purpose of the transitional housing is a natural continuation after leaving the services of the Crisis Center, for victims to prepare themselves with the help of professionals and build social skills for independent and autonomous living, finding a job, adequate parenting and effective adaptation of children in a calm and healthy environment.

Families are placed in the Foundation's transitional housing for a period of 6 months to 1 year. The flat has two terraces that need to be renovated and especially secured, as it is on the 9th floor and mainly accommodates families with young children. We will renovate one of the terraces and secure it. We will use the space to create cozy and safe places for board games and reading during the warmer months. If we can raise a larger amount for the cause, we will also renovate the second terrace.

2. Empowerment through skills development

After coming out of the period of "active crisis" comes the most important period - the independent steps towards independent living. Often women, despite their potential and capacity, take up low-paid jobs to provide for their families, and sometimes cannot even cover their basic needs, which condemns them to years of hardship and failure to develop not only themselves but also their children.

We will support two women who have the potential and desire to develop professionally and acquire skills that will help them improve their quality of life and build full self-sufficiency. For one woman we will pay for training to obtain a Master's degree in Finance, and for the second woman we will provide manicure and pedicure courses. The tuition fees are unaffordable for them.

We cannot introduce the women by their real names, but we choose to call them Maria and Ana. Here are their stories shared by the P.U.L.S. Foundation team.

Maria's story

She is a mother of two. She lives in a nightmare - the person closest to her harasses her and their children on a daily basis. Until one day they manage to escape. With only the clothes on their back! So a few years ago Maria first crossed the threshold of the P.U.L.S. Foundation where she found understanding, professional help and support. With her they are walking a long road to independent living, in which she is supported by psychologists, lawyers, social workers. For years, she and her two children have been part of the big family of the P.U.L.S. Foundation , who help her with free psychological and legal assistance, support for the first day of school and more.

It is very difficult for a single mother to cope with taking care of her two children and working. Maria lives in an apartment with her children and works, but her salary is low and she barely manages to cover the basic needs of the family. Maria dreams of developing herself and getting a better job. Her mentors at the foundation see in her a great potential for development, intellectual capacity and a desire to provide a better life for her two children.

We support her in her next step - a Master's degree at the UNWE, after which she will have the opportunity to get a better paid job and continue her life with dignity, independence, and without violence for her and her children.

Ana's story

Ten years ago, she almost died. She woke up one morning with pain all over her body, bruises and wounds. She remembers the horror she experienced the night before. She realises she was on the verge of losing her life and finds the strength to run away, seek help and save herself.

For more than 10 years, Ana has attended the P.U.L.S. Foundation's counseling program to overcome the effects of years of living with the horror of domestic violence.

Today, she is living a new life and has two dreams - to have her own place as she is living temporarily with relatives and her dream job as a manicurist. Galya currently works two jobs but strongly believes that one day she will develop a professional career as a manicurist, which will enable her to live independently. Ana's story can be seen here

The target amount this month is £11,996 and includes:

* Should we raise a larger sum we will put it towards securing and repairing the second terrace.