Optimism for Bulgaria

When Bulgaria declared a state of emergency on March 13, restaurants closed their doors to diners, and educational establishments moved their classes online. For private vocational institutions like HRC Culinary Academy, this posed a double challenge.

Tens of thousands of Bulgarians made charitable contributions during an April 8 benefit concert, titled #HelpFromHome, in support of the Bulgarian Food Bank. A staggering 230,000 levs was raised in the 24 hours during and after the concert.

In the early days of May 1995 Scott and Susan Carpenter and their 11-month-old son Alex moved into a simple two-bedroom apartment right off Vitosha Boulevard, by the National Palace of Culture (NDK), in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. They had a view of the nearby mountain, also called Vitosha, and would listen to the Bulgarian national anthem every 15 minutes.

“When you study World War II or the communist period, it’s just dry numbers. You can’t have an emotional connection to numbers. But if you can experience what it is like to be toiling away on Belene Island during peak mosquito season, history is less likely to repeat itself.”

ABLE Activator takes an unconventional approach to teaching entrepreneurship.

Life in 1990s Bulgaria wasn’t easy but made the family fall in love. They are back 30 years later.

Hristo Boyadzhiev wants to help Bulgarians work together, no matter where they live.

ABF will double every new donation made to the university by AUBG alumni between now and June 30, 2020, up to half a million US dollars.

“This way [through technology], Bulgarians abroad could become involved in Bulgarian life. Everyone can give back to their country, even if they don’t actually move there,” she says.