Last December, as part of our Christmas Charity Give initiative, we donated 25 EUR on behalf of each Pwrteams team member to a charity of their choice across our three locations – Bulgaria, Ukraine and
Poland. This resulted in a total contribution of 19 375 EUR to nine remarkable organisations working to make a difference in their communities.
One of the organisations chosen by our Bulgarian team was the Rusalya Association, which manages an arts-based educational school for underprivileged children. To learn more about their mission, the challenges they face and the power of creative learning, we spoke with Animari Dimitrova, Director at the association. Read on to discover what she shared with us:
Tell us more about the Rusalya Association and its mission.
Rusalya Association is a non-governmental organisation, a successor of BIS BARD Theatre Formation, whose principles we strictly uphold as we continue along its path. Rusalya focuses its efforts in two key areas: arts and social work. Our team has completed numerous projects in these areas.
We have worked with over 1 700 children in 17 institutions across the country such as “Dialogue with the young”, “Will for change”, “My choice”, “Art – a tool for change”, “The children of Bulgaria”, “TURROMBOL”, “For a better tomorrow” and “A chance for youth”. These initiatives have been supported and funded by EU programmes, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the MATRA KAP programme of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Ministry of Culture and others. Today, many of the children who participated in these joint projects are now firmly in control of their lives and futures.
The School of Arts and Crafts for underprivileged children is a result of our deep belief that a good education is the foundation of a fulfilling life and a strong, democratic society.
How did you start and what inspired you?
Perhaps the idea had long been simmering in my mind and heart. And it gradually came to the surface as we spent time with children from orphanages – institutions that were widespread before 1989. We often visited these homes while touring the country with our theatre, performing children’s shows. These were places where your awareness would shift to another level and the emotional impact was profound. We discovered how many bright and curious children were out there. They communicated with us freely and naturally, and were eager to immerse in every moment we could give them. We saw their infinite potential.
On a material level, things were relatively fine – they had food, clothes, supposedly attended school – but they were “starving” for love and spiritual connection. So, we took a leap into uncharted territory. That’s how our work with children in orphanages began.
Our goal was to unlock these children’s creative and intellectual potential through various methods and forms of engagement, to nurture their natural talents and, most importantly, to connect with them.
Our first project involved children aged 3 to 6 years old in Haskovo. We offered them activities in music, dance and theatre and organised meetings with children from public kindergartens. It was a serious challenge that required a great deal of effort and energy – but it was worth it. That marked the beginning of a decade of projects we have implemented across the country.
Although we did well, we were left with a lingering dissatisfaction – the projects were wonderful but of limited duration and limited in scope.
So, one morning, I woke up and simply said, “We’re going to build a school for gifted and underprivileged children!” And so we did.
What challenges does your organisation face, and how do you overcome them?
Finding the funds was the first hurdle. Then came the second – finding the right place to establish the school (I won’t exaggerate if I say we travelled all over Bulgaria). And, truthfully, the challenges have continued with every new task to this day.
Back in 2014, a rented minibus brought 17 children (from preschool to 1st and 2nd grade) from different parts of Bulgaria to the school. It was an intense period, and we suddenly realised what we were getting into. Countless tasks had to be solved on the go, and we weren’t prepared for many of them. The living facilities weren’t fully ready, we had no laundry room, the heating system wasn’t finished and the canteen was still under rough construction.
The children had a range of challenges – social, emotional, educational! It was a time of realisation, affirmation and growing stronger.
We were also very lucky with our first mentors – the people who looked after the children outside of school hours. These were young men and women who carried the full weight of something new, unexpected, daunting and very difficult. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for staying strong through all the challenges.
We’re also grateful to all the teachers who have understood that our school is not like the others – it requires a new approach to teaching, lots of flexibility and creativity!
Step by step, day by day, things started to fall into place, and today we are proud of many achievements, but most of all - we’re proud of our bright and kind children.
What are some of the proudest achievements in your journey so far?
We see the journey of every one of our students as our greatest achievement.
Twelve of them are now in secondary education, studying in some of Bulgaria’s most prestigious schools. Two of our students, Plamen and Zyumbula, are at the National High School of Stage and Screen Arts in Plovdiv. Gabriela and Valter are at the National High School of Applied Arts in Tryavna. Violeta Marinova is studying at the National School of Folklore Arts in Shiroka Laka. Veselin attends the National Stonecutting School in Kunino, and Violeta Ibramova is enrolled in the Aprilov National High School in Gabrovo. Kaloyan is at the School of Transport and Transport Management in Kazanlak. Bogomil studies at the “M. V. Lomonosov” School of Electrotechnics and Electronics. Andreya and Asen attend the “St. Cyril and Methodius” Humanitarian High School in Veliko Tarnovo. Valentina studies at “Dr. Vasil Beron” Vocational High School of Tourism, also in Veliko Tarnovo.
We continue to support these young people, and they return to Rusalya at the weekends even though they now study elsewhere. They are our pride and proof that the school’s mission truly matters. Had they not come to us, it’s unlikely they would now be part of, as harsh as it sounds, the “normal” society. Their path would have resembled that of countless children growing up in complete social isolation, marked from birth as doomed, deprived of an equal start and a chance to grow.
Every year we welcome new pupils and hope each one of them will find their best place in life.
Tell us more about the School of Arts and Crafts and how it impacts the children who attend it?
The boarding School of Arts and Crafts for underprivileged children is a unique project – in concept, structure and strategy it’s the first of its kind in Bulgaria and with no parallel in the Balkans or Europe. What makes it truly innovative is its focus: bright and talented children from the most underprivileged layers of society. Children growing up in complete social isolation, carrying the stigma of hopelessness, denied an equal start and opportunity to thrive - these are often the children who fall into the “left the education system due to poverty” statistics. What is concerning is that their numbers are growing and extend far beyond minority communities.
This is a major issue for Bulgaria, and it confronts both our society and our state with serious choices and responsibilities for the future.
We believe the school’s mission represents a first, necessary step toward solving this problem. It is the only school in the country that offers children at risk a completely free education and care – without severing their ties to family or community. During school holidays, they return home because they need that emotional connection, though we try to balance their time to minimise negative influences. This may sound harsh, but it’s a fact – our pupils come with a number of social, emotional and educational gaps that require time, patience and distance from their usual environment to overcome.
Our goal is to give them hope for a better life and future. When placed in the right environment, these children can recognise and choose an alternative path – one that transcends the limitations of poverty and isolation. This led us to a strategic decision – to support the children throughout their entire educational journey, from preschool to 12th grade.
Currently, the school provides education up to 7th grade, with year-round accommodation, high-quality education, a well-equipped living environment, individual care and lots of love! Our curriculum includes core academic subjects as well as enhanced arts education – theatre, music, dance, drawing and ceramics.
After 7th grade, the children move on to other schools, but our support continues, as described above. Our aim is to raise tolerant, open-minded individuals with strong values and life principles, intelligence, confidence and creative thinking.
We are convinced that our work saves lives and changes destinies, making it of great national significance.
Rusalya Association was one of the organisations we supported through our charitable campaign last December. How did our donation help you?
Every donation matters for our survival, and we rely on people with big hearts and great kindness. Thanks to ongoing financial support, we’ve managed to survive and pursue our mission for 11 years now.
We used your donation to cover mainly expenses for food and utility costs for electricity and heating.
What are your plans or aspirations for the future of the school?
Our priority is to complete the construction of the entire school complex.
Our initial strategy envisaged a school for 250 children from preschool to 12th grade, and when we purchased the site, we ensured the space would be sufficient for that purpose.
Our next steps include building a secondary education block (something we haven’t managed to do yet due to financial limitations), constructing four or five more boarding houses, developing a multifunctional sports facility, building an open-air amphitheatre and achieving a convenient and beautiful infrastructure.
That’s the general overview.
For those who are inspired by your mission, what are the most effective ways they can support your foundation?
We need support in order to continue our work. The support can take many forms. For the past eleven years, we’ve made it thanks to kind-hearted people. We’ve become used to walking a tightrope, but it would be wonderful to have a little more security for the future. In difficult moments we’ve said to ourselves: “The grown-ups here will manage to cope (without our help), but what about the children?”
It’s important for us people to believe in our cause and in what we do, and to support us in whatever way they can – whether financially, with supplies for the school and boarding houses, with logistics, by sharing and spreading awareness or even simply with love.
Here are our contacts:
Committed to making a difference
At Pwrteams, giving back is part of our long-term commitment to building stronger, more inclusive communities. By supporting organisations like Rusalya Association, we help open doors to opportunity, confidence and creativity for children who need it most.
We’re proud to stand with our employees and partners in supporting meaningful initiatives that inspire change. Want to learn more about how we give back? Read about the initiatives we’re supporting and how we’re making a difference together.
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