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Before & After
Community fund helps citizens of Bulgaria change their lives
Renovated Intensive Care Unit Serves Over 100,000
Photo of the Bulgaria Hospital before renovation
Before: High health risks associated with the intensive care unit at the local hospital in the Bulgarian town of Gabrovo resulted from poor hygiene but for years the local government budgets were insufficient to repair it.
Photo: PCFSEP/Desislava Dzurkova
After: Patients now enjoy appropriate hygiene standards in the hospital's premises. "The Community Fund made us believe that together we can change and improve our lives," according to one of the doctors.
The intensive care unit at the local hospital in the town of Gabrovo, Bulgaria has been renovated, costing $77,494 for repairs and refurbishing of the premises. USAID assisted in the establishment of the local Community Fund and provided training in areas such as community fund financial management, accounting, and fundraising. The Community Fund was created to undertake a large-scale fundraising campaign to mobilize existing local resources. Citizens were motivated to come together and take steps towards solving local problems, rather than waiting for the government or any other external force to do it for them.
USAID assistance blended financial support and the century-long experience of U.S. community funds with traditional Bulgarian charity and community involvement. The intensive care unit, which provides services to the 100,000 citizens of five towns, is the only one of its kind in the region. The patients are now spared high health risks due to poor hygiene that existed previously.
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