Sofia, Montana, Yambol, February 18-28, 2019
Partners in the project ‘My Body, my Rights’ (2018–2021) gathered in Sofia on February 25 and 26, 2019 to exchange experience and information. The initiative for health care, information and services for vulnerable people from marginalized families is implemented in Sofia, Yambol and Montana. The meeting gathered the team of BFPA, local project coordinators and health mediators form the three locations, as well as municipalities representatives.
So far, the project team conducted 24 focus groups in the three project locations Montana, Sofia and Yambol - 6 in each one. Participants in the focus groups were girls and boys aged 12-15, 16-25 and over 25 years old. The aim is to explore the attitudes of young people in the communities (especially marginalized groups) towards the family planning services offered and whether they can take independent decisions about their reproductive health.
The survey will be replicated in the middle and at the end of the project. Participants in the focus groups will be included to participate actively in local self-help groups throughout the whole project period. Part of the work on the project is to find cross points between the planned services and the policies foreseen at local level. Next activities to come are connected with trainings of health specialists and of experts in the social field work.
The project is supported by “MERCK for mothers” program of the MERCK company as a part of their initiative for corporate social responsibility. The initiative is international and similar activities will go on in Serbia and Romania.
