The P.U.L.S. Foundation is a wonderful example of empathy for the victims of violence in Bulgaria. Yulia Andonova has been part of the organization's team for more than 10 years, and her commitment has evolved and grown over time. In the beginning, she was involved in the Foundation's communications work. Gradually she started to take care of the success of fundraising campaigns, international relations and partnerships, and various projects. Her main mission is to inform the general public about the serious problems related to violence, which too often remain hidden.
The Foundation has its own crisis center, which welcomes around-the-clock people affected by violence and with deteriorated psyches. Often, Julia is on night duty to ensure that people have support in their most difficult moments.
In its 20-year history, the P.U.L.S. Foundation has met and helped over 10,000 people. The people at the Foundation provide warm, heartfelt, and timely support. They strive to implement violence prevention programs, but this is no easy task. Lack of adequate funding often puts them on the brink of survival. Government support is too inadequate and so they make efforts to attract donors or participate in funding programs.
Personally, Yulia says that what she needs most in her work is knowledge and tools that she can apply on a daily basis. Looking for new skills, she came across the WCIF's Initiative and its training. Meet Yuleto, as her friends often call her, in the video below.
The Project Initiative for building the next generation of civic leaders is implemented with the financial support of Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway under the Active Citizens Fund Bulgaria within the framework of the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area. The main objective of the project is an accumulation of knowledge, and skills and creating the conditions for transfer of experience to young leaders of civic organizations. The project is implemented by the Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation.