Nevena Madzharova is the founder of the Nonprofit Organisations Club in Targovishte and one of the most dedicated advocates for the rights of children living in poverty. For more than 26 years, she has worked tirelessly “on the ground” – among children, families, and communities, where the need for humanity is most palpable. She received the Special Contribution Award at the “Golden Apple” Awards in 2015 for her long-standing advocacy and fieldwork supporting children and their families. In 2024, she was honoured by Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev on the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In this personal story, Nevena takes us to one of those moments that stay with you forever – the moments that remind her why she can never give up. It is a story of pain, struggle, and the meaning that survives despite everything.
It was early in the morning. I don’t remember the exact reason I went to the home of one of the families we worked with back in 2011. A single mother with five children, living in a tiny brick room she had built herself. Inside, there were only two beds and a small cupboard.
Although it was still so early, the mother had already left. She had gone on her daily rounds in search of food – scavenging through the city’s bins. The door was slightly open. I entered quietly. The two younger children, aged five and six, had just woken up. They looked at me with sleepy eyes, without asking anything. Their hands reached for breakfast – a plate of pickles made from peppers and green tomatoes, and bread they dipped in the pickle juice. That was their breakfast.
I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t explain why I was at their door. I just turned around and left. I returned to the office and told my colleagues. We all fell silent. We felt sad. And then we said one thing – we must not give up!
Over the years, I have seen much more – hungry, beaten, humiliated, sad children. But the image of pickles for breakfast… it has stayed with me forever.
You have two choices – to give up, to tell yourself you cannot change anything… or to persevere. To keep going! To hold on to the idea that even a single drop in the ocean of pain and poverty can make a difference. I often quote Mother Teresa:
“The ocean of suffering, hunger, and misery is vast, but even if you reduce it by one drop, it is worth it.”
Even today, years later, when I see the children of our first “beneficiaries” – I don’t like that word; for me, these are not numbers, but human lives – when I see that they live slightly better than their parents, that they care for their own children as best they can… when I meet boys who were once expelled from their homes and slept on the streets, and now have jobs, families, and dreams of better housing – that is success. That is meaning. That is worth it!
Yes, there are still many undernourished children, many cold nights, teenagers who are bullied… but the ocean is a few drops smaller.
I am Nevena, one of the founders of the Nonprofit Organisations Club in Targovishte. We started as a small group of about ten enthusiasts, united by the desire to do something meaningful for our town and its people. For over 26 years, we have kept moving forward – learning, adapting, gaining experience, and navigating the uneven struggle against “doubters” in civil society.
I look around – the same people who started with me are still here, along with those who joined along the way. Our team has hardly changed over decades – a sign that we are on the right path. And the feeling of leading others with you, of having allies, and finding such people in other towns across Bulgaria… wow! That gives you strength; it grounds the purpose.
It doesn’t matter who is in power, what politicians or institutions say – the wheel is turning. And there’s no turning it back.
Perhaps we are not fundamentally different from other organisations. But there is something special about us. We are not a Roma organisation, yet for years we have worked to support the most vulnerable Roma families. We combine direct fieldwork with policy advocacy. We involve young people, teachers, doctors, and experts who believe in the cause. Because we know we cannot achieve change alone. We have to work as a team. That is why we are part of almost all national networks and associations.
Our work has always been connected to the bigger picture – the rights of children. We may not be large, but we are committed. We share experience, take clear positions, and are not afraid to speak inconvenient truths. We defend every child’s right to grow up with their parents, believing that support, not sanctions, is what families need.
And the National Network for Children? I am not just “part” of it – I am in it, it is in me. I admire and learn from people like Zhorо Bogdanov, Maria Brestnichka, Dani Koleva, Zhorо Elenkov, Vyara, Hristo… from so many who have left their mark. I can always turn to them; we maintain constant contact. The Network is like a living being – sometimes it soars, sometimes it stumbles, but it is always there. And you feel it.
If someone asked me what I would say to a person starting work with children today, I would say – it’s hard, but it is worth it. There is no certainty. But there are challenges. And if you feel this is not your path, it is better to step back early. Because with children, you cannot work formally.
There will be bureaucracy, disappointments, obstacles… But this is part of real life. Learn to be creative, to see the good, to remember the successes and the smiles, not the criticism. And definitely find allies – because alone, it is impossible.
If you feel it. If it moves you. If you care. Then you are one of us.
There are children whose stories remain unheard. Your support makes them visible and loved. Give care and love at: www.nmd.bg/dari
This article is part of the National Network for Children’s new series, “Stories from the Heart of the Network,” inviting you to explore the world of those who, every day, often quietly and unnoticed, work for the rights and well-being of children in Bulgaria. We share real stories of professionals, activists, and specialists from NNC member organisations – people who do more than fulfil their professional duties; they live with the cause of creating a better future for every child.
