The National Network for Children organized for the sixth consecutive year ceremony for awarding the prizes “Golden Apple”. The awards are a tribute to the efforts invested by various people, organizations and institutions to improve the lives and welfare of children in Bulgaria. The prizes were awarded on the eve of the International Children’s Day June 1.
This year the awards are in 10 categories devoted to the 10th anniversary of the National Network for Children: “Hero of the children”, “School”, “Hospital”, “Municipality”, “Journalist”, “Charity”, “Inspirer” “Campaign or social innovation,” “Organization’s Achievement” and “Special award”.
For the “Hero of the children” was chosen Vera Kirilova from Plovdiv, network coordinator of the National Alliance for volunteers for the organization of a number of voluntary initiatives involving young people or for the benefit of underprivileged children. The nominations in this prestigious category were 16, and the winner was chosen after online voting by the general public.
The President Rossen Plevneliev was honored with a Special Award for its systematic efforts and support on issues related to the protection of children’s rights and their inclusion in the agenda of Bulgarian authorities. “It is important to put children’s rights at the center of political and social life”, said the President after receiving the prize. He reminded that Bulgaria, as a chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe, including 47 countries prioritized the topic of children’s rights, and the high-level conference, which took place in Sofia and “Sofia strategy” were adopted unanimously by all European countries.
Organization’s Achievement Award was given to Irena Yankova from the school board of “Hristo Botev” school in the village of Trnava.
The prize for “School” go to school “Hristo Botev” in the village of Galabnik, Radomir municipality for their active work with children at risk of social exclusion and dropping out of the educational system.
The award “Hospital” was awarded by the jury to the Hospital “Dr. Histo Stambolski” from the town of Kazanlak for the inclusion of a social worker in the maternity ward, which advises pregnant women and mothers at risk of abandoning their children.
The Municipality of Veliko Turnovo won the „Municipality“ award for the effective operation of local administration in the last 10 years to purposefully build a sustainable network of social services to support children and their families.
The award in the category “Journalist” was given to the “Children’s Diary” – a special rubric of the online edition Dnevnik for the long-term commitment of the media to promote children’s rights and social causes.
The award in category “Charity” was awarded to the Bulgarian company “Ficosota” LTD for contribution in kind of over 10,000 liters of liquid cleaning and hygiene products and seven tons washing powder that member organizations of the National Network for Children distributed to the neediest families across the country.
The award – “Campaign and social innovation” went to Reach for Change and Competition “The change” of Nova Broadcasting Group, which detects social entrepreneurs that improve children’s lives.
The award “Inspirer” won Dr. Lydia Marinova, who for many years worked actively in Varna for prevention of child abandonment, supports families of children with disabilities and improve the health awareness on regional level.
Awards “Golden Apple” collected a total of 40 candidates in 2016. The winners in categories “School,” “Hospital,” “Municipality”, “Journalist”, “Charity”, “Inspirer” and “Campaign or social innovation” were selected by the jury including: Boyan Zahariev, Program Director at the “Open Society”; Dr. Masha Gavrailova, a health expert; Elena Atanasova, UNICEF Bulgaria; Maria Cheresheva Association of European Journalists; Rositsa Dimitrova, National Association of Municipalities in Republic of Bulgaria; Iliana Zechariah, Director of Corporate Communications at Mtel, which this year supported the awards “Golden Apple”; Victoria Kraneva – representative of Youth network “Megaphone”, which represents the views of children and young people. Two special awards are voted on by the Managing Board of the National Network for Children.
Statues of the awards were made by students from the National School of Applied Arts “St. Luka” in Sofia. They were sculptured by students from different classes and were created from different materials – wood, glass, metal, textiles and paper.
On the occasion of the “Golden Apple” awards the National Network for Children received congratulatory letters from the EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, the Healthcare Minister Dr. Peter Moskov, The Chairman of the State Agency for Child Protection Ophelia Kaneva and the American Chamber of Commerce.
The awards “Golden Apple” 2016 is realized with the support of Mtel.
Media partners of the initiative are Bulgarian National Television, Dnevnik, Capital weekly, “Woman Today” magazine and Webcafe.
More about the winners and nominees
A short video of the ceremony “Golden Apple” 2016
