On 19 October 2026, the renewed paediatric ward at St. Ivan Rilski Hospital in Dupnitsa officially opened its doors, marking an important achievement for the local community and another inspiring example of Rotary in action.
The transformation was made possible through the collective efforts of Rotary Club Dupnitsa, the Za Dobroto Foundation and its Firefly project, Dupnitsa Municipality, the hospital, donors, volunteers, and the wider community.
The story reflects years of dedication and the determination of Rotarians to improve healthcare for children. During the 2020–2021 Rotary year, under President Slavcho Pavlov, the club continued its service through the difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022–2023, under President Iliyana Vakavchieva, Rotary Club Dupnitsa launched its “Let Us Give Health to Children” fundraising campaign. Beginning with its Christmas charity ball in December 2022, the initiative mobilised local schools, businesses, donors, and citizens. The first event raised BGN 45,000, while school Christmas bazaars contributed a further BGN 13,000. By the end of December, total contributions had exceeded BGN 75,000. Subsequent fundraising events brought the amount raised by the club to more than BGN 125,000.
As the scale of the necessary renovation became clear, the club joined forces with the Za Dobroto Foundation and its Firefly – A Hospital That Doesn’t Look Like a Hospital project, alongside the municipality and the hospital. The shared ambition was to create a welcoming, child-centred environment where young patients and their families could feel safer and more comfortable.
An important chapter in this story began through Rotary Friendship Exchange with Germany. During the German Rotarians’ visit to Bulgaria in April 2023, the needs of the hospital in Dupnitsa were presented. The friendship continued during the return visit to Germany in June 2023, when Iliyana Vakavchieva joined Rotarians from Bulgaria, including members of Rotary Club Sofia International.
These personal connections helped turn a local need into an international act of solidarity. Rotary Club Obereichsfeld-Heiligenstadt in Germany organised a generous donation from St. Vinzenz Hospital in Heilbad Heiligenstadt: 34 specialised hospital beds, mattresses, bedside cabinets, and an ultrasound diagnostic machine, with a reported value exceeding BGN 30,000. Rotary Club Dupnitsa covered the transportation costs to bring the equipment to Bulgaria. This is the power of Rotary Friendship Exchange: friendships built across borders can lead to practical, lasting benefits for communities.
The project’s progress continued through successive Rotary leadership teams and the commitment of club members. Metodi Dimitrov, President of Rotary Club Dupnitsa in 2024–2025, played an important role as coordinator of the Firefly project from the club’s side. His contribution, together with the sustained efforts of Rotarians, partners, donors, and volunteers, helped carry the initiative towards completion.
The renewed paediatric ward is more than a renovated medical facility. It is the result of a community coming together around a common purpose, supported by Rotary’s spirit of service and international friendship.
Rotary Club Sofia International is proud that its members were part of the Rotary Friendship Exchange connections that helped bring this story to life. The achievement in Dupnitsa reminds us that when people work together across clubs, communities, and countries, friendship can become meaningful and lasting change.
Our President, Ani Hristova, was among the special guests attending the opening ceremony and received a warm welcome from the Rotarians of Dupnitsa.
On 12 October 2026, Rotary Club Sofia International had the pleasure of meeting Rtn. Dinesh Sharma, a member of Rotary Club Bombay Bayview, India, whose visit to Sofia brought together a wonderful combination of international friendship, sport, creativity, and community service.
Dinesh was in Bulgaria to participate in the Sofia Marathon, demonstrating his passion for running and his enthusiasm for discovering the world through new experiences. An avid traveller, he explores different countries and cultures while building connections with people along the way – a spirit that reflects the very essence of Rotary fellowship.
Beyond his sporting achievements and love of travel, Dinesh is deeply committed to Rotary and community service. He actively participates in his club’s initiatives and, through a foundation established within his company, supports children’s education, helping create opportunities for younger generations to learn, grow, and build a brighter future.
His talents extend beyond sport and philanthropy. Dinesh is also a gifted painter, expressing his creativity through art – another inspiring dimension of a personality that brings together an appreciation for life, a passion for new challenges, and a desire to contribute to society.
Meetings like this remind us that Rotary is much more than a network of clubs around the world. It is a global community of people who share a commitment to friendship, understanding, and service. Regardless of where we come from, our common values create meaningful connections and open the door to new ideas, collaborations, and lasting friendships.
Rotary Club Sofia International is delighted to have welcomed Dinesh to Sofia and to have had the opportunity to share this special moment of fellowship with a fellow Rotarian from India.
Because wherever Rotary brings us together, friendship inspires action – and every connection has the potential to make a difference.
During their recent visit to Bulgaria, three Rotarians from Germany – Hohenstein, Thomas König, former President of Rotary Club Hameln, and Wolfgang Schröter from Rotary Club Dortmund-Neutor – presented an inspiring international healthcare initiative: ET4Care – E-Training for Care.
ET4Care is a digital education programme designed for healthcare professionals, with a particular focus on modern wound management and the treatment of chronic wounds. The programme consists of 17 training modules and around 20 hours of video content, covering topics such as wound types and healing, pressure ulcers, diabetic foot syndrome, hygiene and infection management, nutrition, wound cleaning, modern wound-care materials, patient communication, assessment, and documentation.
The training combines online education with practical application, examinations and certification, as well as telemedical support. The project has already been implemented internationally, including in cooperation with the Odessa National Medical University and Rotary Club Odessa International in Ukraine, with support from a Rotary Global Grant.
During their visit to Bulgaria, our German friends visited the Medical College Sofia “Yordanka Filaretova”, the specialised nursing college, where they presented the ET4Care project and discussed possibilities for future cooperation with Bulgarian healthcare and Rotary partners. We were warmly welcomed by the Director of the Medical College, Prof. Maya Vizeva, PhD, together with guests from the medical community. Among them was Hristina Gurbeva, Chief Nurse of Alexandrovska University Hospital, who joined the discussion and showed interest in the initiative.
The initiative is currently being developed in cooperation with Rotary Club Pazardzhik, while Mr. Lyuboslav Barzanov and Rotary Club Samokov have also expressed interest in becoming involved. We are therefore looking for additional Bulgarian Rotary clubs and partners who would be interested in joining this international project and helping bring ET4Care to healthcare professionals in Bulgaria. More information is available at www.et4care.eu.
A special mention goes to Rtn. Rumen Rusinov and Dr. Nikolay Tsaribashev from Rotary Club Sofia International, who have been working closely with our German friends on this initiative for the past three years.
This is a wonderful example of how Rotary friendship and international cooperation can connect medical expertise, education, technology, and service across borders. Together, we can create new partnerships and contribute to better healthcare.
The annual Rotary Danube Alliance Conference, held in Ulm, Germany, on 3–5 July 2026, brought together Rotary leaders and members from across the Danube region to strengthen international cooperation, exchange best practices, and explore new opportunities for humanitarian service. The event was attended by Rotarians from seven countries in the Danube region.
The program featured presentations on the Rotary Danube Alliance’s successful initiatives, including the EndPlastic Soup project and its role in environmental action, as well as the Global Grant project “Surgery for Life” for Vidin’s hospital, and future initiatives addressing youth development, environmental sustainability, healthcare, and community service. There was also an interesting presentation by Catherine Adelmann of the University of Applied Sciences in Ulm on local innovation projects for sustainability. The event provided valuable opportunities for networking and the development of new cross-border collaborations.
The conference welcomed high-level Rotary leadership, including the District Governor of the host district in Germany, three Past District Governors, and two Assistant District Governors. Their participation underscored the growing importance of the Rotary Danube Alliance as a platform for collaboration among Rotary clubs and districts across Europe.
Among the speakers was Hristina Malchevska, ADG, District 2482 and Past President of Rotary Club Sofia International, who together with Dora Scusz, Rotary Club Budapest-Center, delivered a presentation highlighting the importance of international Rotary cooperation and the role of the Rotary Danube Alliance in fostering sustainable partnerships. In addition, Maya Borislavova and Stoyan Ivanov presented the Global Grant project “Surgery for Life” in Bulgaria, demonstrating how international collaboration can improve access to specialized medical care and create lasting humanitarian impact.
The conference was also attended by Past President Claude Badan and members Inna Badan and Domagoj Stefan from Rotary Club Sofia International, who joined the Bulgarian delegation and participated in the discussions and networking sessions throughout the event.
The Rotary Danube Alliance Conference once again demonstrated that collaboration across borders is one of Rotary’s greatest strengths. By bringing together leaders, experts, and committed members from different countries, the Alliance continues to inspire new projects, stronger partnerships, and sustainable solutions that improve lives throughout the Danube region and beyond.
On 17 June, Rotary Club Sofia International had the pleasure of welcoming Helene Visser, Jacqueline, and Graham Cladon from Rotary Club Blouberg, South Africa.
The highlight of the evening was the signing of the Inter-Country Committee (ICC) Charter between Bulgaria and South Africa. The Charter was signed by Nina Miteva, PDG and ICC coordinator for Bulgaria, Hristina Malchevska, Rotary Club Sofia International Foundation Chair, ICC Chair for Bulgaria, and Helene Visser, ICC Chair for South Africa, reaffirming Rotary’s shared commitment to friendship, peace, international understanding, and future cooperation on humanitarian projects. Claude Badan, President of Rotary Club Sofia International, exchanged club flags with the guests and expressed gratitude for their wonderful support of local communities.
The visit also celebrated the successful cooperation between our Rotary communities. Rotary District 9350 in South Africa supported the Global Grant project “Paradise for Children”, while Rotary Club Blouberg and Rotary Club Port Alfred generously contributed donations to the project. We highly appreciate the support from South Africa and value the long-standing friendships and commitment that have developed through our collaboration.
What began as a vision has become a reality with the successful completion of the Global Grant “Paradise for Kids.”
The project was implemented at the Rehabilitation Center for Children with Oncohematological Diseases in Opitsvet, creating a more sustainable and inspiring environment for young patients and their families. Through the establishment of a solar park, a bio garden of 100 planted trees, and training and environmental awareness initiatives, the project promotes renewable energy, nature-based learning, and responsible environmental practices within the rehabilitation center.
This remarkable achievement was made possible through the dedication and collaboration of more than 18 Rotary Districts and Clubs from nine countries, united by a shared commitment to making a lasting difference. The project has a value of 55,000 USD, and the solar park officially opened on 31 May.
The successful implementation of the grant is a powerful example of what can be achieved through international cooperation, shared values, and the Rotary spirit of Service Above Self.
We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who believed in this vision and supported it from the very beginning. Your generosity, friendship, and unwavering commitment have transformed an idea into a meaningful project that will benefit children and their families for many years to come.
The completion of “Paradise for Kids” is not the end of a project – it is the beginning of a lasting legacy of hope, sustainability, and international Rotary cooperation. Together, we have demonstrated that when Rotary members and partners unite around a common purpose, meaningful and sustainable change becomes possible.
Some partnerships cross borders not just on paper, but in the most tangible way possible – with a fully loaded truck. That is precisely what happened in the spring of 2026, when Rotary Club Stege from Denmark sent a major shipment of medical equipment to the Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment “St. Petka” in Vidin, one of Bulgaria’s most underserved healthcare regions.
The project, coordinated under the MED-Bul Vidin initiative and carried out between March and April 2026, brought together Rotary Club Stege, Rotary Club Vidin, and Rotary Club Sofia International in a joint effort to address a long-standing problem: the hospital’s reliance on outdated, insufficient, or difficult-to-access medical equipment, which had been hindering quality diagnostics, treatment, and patient care.
The donation was remarkable in both its scale and breadth. Among the items delivered were an ultrasound machine, syringe and infusion pumps, portable aspirators, vital signs monitors, SpO₂, ECG and blood pressure equipment, an otoscope and ophthalmoscope, a spirometer, medical refrigerators, hospital beds and bedside cabinets, wheelchairs, walkers, infusion stands, lead X-ray aprons, laboratory clothing, autoclave pouches, syringes, catheters, and more. The estimated value of the donation stands between €50,000 and €100,000 – contributed entirely by Rotary Club Stege and supported by local partners.
The beneficiaries are many. The medical staff – doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, and support personnel – will work more effectively and safely with access to modern tools. And the true measure of success will be felt by the thousands of patients from the Vidin region who, year after year, will receive faster, more accurate, and better-quality care – without needing to travel to another city to get it.
The effort on the ground involved five members from Rotary Club Stege, two from Rotary Club Vidin, and one member from Rotary Club Sofia International, who collectively gave their time to make the logistics possible.
This is Rotary at its most direct – identifying a real need, building the right partnerships, and delivering something that truly matters.
Our ‘more youthful’ partner club Rotaract Club Sofia International just turned 17 years of age! This was quite an achievement, and quite a party too.
On the last 19th of April, most if not all the Rotaractors of the Sofia International Club gathered to celebrate together with at least 50 guests other Rotaractors and friends, for a memorable party, comprised of a welcome cocktail (or two glasses of nice wine), a warm welcome speech by the President of the Club, and raffle.
In due time like Cinderella before midnight came the Birthday Cake, a wonderful personalized logo sweet treat. Clearly a nice conclusion, not for all but at least for a slightly older visitor like me, from the ‘senior’ Rotary Club Sofia International (RCSI) – nonetheless feeling absolutely at home and welcomed as a former Rotaractor and President of the Rotaract Club of Gorizia (district 2060), feeling proud as an exception to wear beside the Rotary pin, also an old Rotaract one (the one with the big R in the center, that the President still uses on his collar today). The time passed pleasantly fast, with the very educated and smart Rotaractors of RCSI, something to be proud of at their 17th anniversary.
An old-time Rotaractor always appreciates the vibes and the energy of RotarAct – as in the name, Action is the very essence of sharing our Rotary wheel logo of movement, by putting into action the ‘rotary engine’ in motion, of course in their own way, that can only be a good thing to add to the Rotarian family in general, and to RCSI in particular. This is why, in my humble opinion, our Rotarian family should be united to serve as one, no matter the logo to be purely gold and blue or with a red background. Blue and red are actually synergic like water and fire, similarly to the energies that the more mature and experienced can join with the vibrant initiatives and energy of younger generation – now either students or young professionals and tomorrow potentially leaders of ethically and morally strong businesses – that hopefully one day may join our RCSI, as a natural continuation of their life in the Rotarian family that extends in the World from East to West, like the path from the youthful dawn to the maturity of sunset of a full circle of a Rotarian’s life.
Winter can be a difficult season for many families in rural Bulgaria. For the students of Nikola Vaptsarov Secondary School in the village of Ruzhintsi, snowy days sometimes meant something no child should face – having to stay home from school simply because they did not have the right shoes to walk in.
It was school principal Venislav Kostov who first brought this reality to the attention of members of Rotary Club Sofia International. His message was simple and honest: many of the children, from grades 1 to 11, lacked proper winter footwear. What followed was a quiet but meaningful mobilization.
Club members reached out to friends, relatives, and the community, organizing a collection of second-hand shoes in good condition. A private student center in Sofia’s Oborishte district also lent its support, helping gather pairs that families could no longer use but that still had much life left in them. In total, ten pairs were collected – among them a set of well-preserved summer skates that brought an unexpected smile to the effort.
But the response did not stop there. Fellow Rotarian Ivan Dyakov stepped forward and sent 19 pairs of brand-new shoes directly to the school – a generous gesture that more than doubled the impact of the initiative. In the end, approximately 30 children received footwear, ensuring they can attend school throughout the winter months without interruption. The school expressed its heartfelt gratitude – and, with hope in its voice, also asked whether summer shoes might be possible in the season ahead.
Beyond the shoes themselves, the project carried something more lasting: parents and children at the student center learned about Rotary and its charitable mission, planting the seeds of awareness in a community that may one day give back in its own way.
The project, carried out between January and March 2026 entirely through donations and approximately 30 hours of volunteer work, is not considered finished. Rotary Club Sofia International has committed to continuing the initiative until the need for footwear at the school is fully met.
Because sometimes, Service Above Self begins with making sure a child can simply walk to school.
For more information, please contact us at info@rc-si.org.
On 24 March 2026, Rotary Club Sofia International held an official meeting at the Meg Lozenetz Hotel in Sofia.
Our Vice President, Mrs. Ani Hristova, serves as the Rotary Friendship Exchange Chair for Rotary District 2482, and we were delighted to welcome a delegation of Rotarians from Egypt, District 2451, led by their Friendship Exchange Chair, Mr. Jean Moutran, as part of our Rotary Friendship Exchange.
Rotary Friendship Exchange is an international programme that gives Rotarians the opportunity to experience different cultures, traditions, and communities by visiting fellow Rotarians around the world. Exchanges are based on hospitality and mutual hosting, allowing participants to stay with local Rotarian families, discover their country from a local perspective, and, most importantly, build lasting international friendships. It is a wonderful example of how Rotary brings people together across borders through fellowship, cultural understanding, and shared values.
Following Bulgarian tradition, our Egyptian guests received a warm welcome at the airport with bread, salt, and honey – a traditional Bulgarian gesture symbolising hospitality, friendship, and wishes for a sweet and prosperous stay.
This meeting marked the official beginning of the exchange and the start of an incredible week in Bulgaria. During their stay, our guests had the opportunity to discover Bulgarian culture, traditions, and hospitality, meet fellow Rotarians, and take part in various activities, including a visit to the District President-Elect Training Seminar (PETS).
We were truly happy to share Bulgaria with our fellow Rotarians from Egypt and to strengthen the bonds of friendship between our two Rotary Districts, in true Rotary spirit.
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On 19 October 2026, the renewed paediatric ward at St. Ivan Rilski Hospital in Dupnitsa officially opened its doors, marking an important achievement for the local community and another inspiring example of Rotary in action.
On 12 October 2026, Rotary Club Sofia International had the pleasure of meeting Rtn. Dinesh Sharma, a member of Rotary Club Bombay Bayview, India, whose visit to Sofia brought together a wonderful combination of international friendship, sport, creativity, and community service.
During their recent visit to Bulgaria, three Rotarians from Germany – Hohenstein, Thomas König, former President of Rotary Club Hameln, and Wolfgang Schröter from Rotary Club Dortmund-Neutor – presented an inspiring international healthcare initiative: ET4Care – E-Training for Care.
Some partnerships cross borders not just on paper, but in the most tangible way possible – with a fully loaded truck. That is precisely what happened in the spring of 2026, when Rotary Club Stege from Denmark sent a major shipment of medical equipment to the Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment “St. Petka” in Vidin, one of Bulgaria’s most underserved healthcare regions.
Our ‘more youthful’ partner club Rotaract Club Sofia International just turned 17 years of age! This was quite an achievement, and quite a party too.
Winter can be a difficult season for many families in rural Bulgaria. For the students of Nikola Vaptsarov Secondary School in the village of Ruzhintsi, snowy days sometimes meant something no child should face – having to stay home from school simply because they did not have the right shoes to walk in.
On 24 March 2026, Rotary Club Sofia International held an official meeting at the Meg Lozenetz Hotel in Sofia.
