MIR Centre Sofia – Fakulteta neighbourhood

In 2002 Hesed created the country’s first Health and Social Centre for Community Development in the Roma neighbourhood of Fakulteta in Sofia, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, the National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Demographic Issues, Sofia Municipality and the “Krasna Polyana” region, and with the financial support of Cooperating Netherlands Foundations for Central and Eastern Europe and the American National Institute of Health (NIH) through the Medical University in Wisconsin.

The facilities of the centre include rooms suitable for individual counselling and group work; a large room for trainings and events; a kitchen where food is prepared according the principles of healthy nutrition; a kid’s corner for younger children and a courtyard where various activities are carried out in the summer. A team of health and social community assistants work in the centre, assisted by specialists.

When the former European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, László Andor, visited the Centre, his first comment referred to the cost-effectiveness of this approach: one team and one package of services covers many areas and everything happens with the financial management of only one centre.