We are pleased to announce that from today, you can already start buying tickets for the 2016 IWC Charity Bazaar on 4th December from Ticket Portal.

Here is the link that goes directly to our event.

http://www.ticketportal.bg/podujatie_search.asp?id=43948&lang=BG

With this link, you can buy tickets online from home. You can print your ticket or you can go to the event with the bar code to be checked at the door as in any other kind of event or concert.

As well, for your convenience, you can buy the tickets in different points of sales around Bulgaria. They can print the ticket for you. Here is the link where you can find all the shops where they sell tickets.

http://ticketportal.bg/pmiesta.asp

Dear IWC friends,
The International Women’s club of Sofia (IWC) is pleased to inform you that preparations are underway for its 22nd Annual Charity Bazaar, scheduled to take place from 10:30 until 19:00 on Sunday, 4th December 2016 at the IWC Charity Bazaar Official Venue — IEC.
Every year the Annual Charity Bazaar provides an opportunity for countries to proudly showcase their handmade crafts, music, souvenirs, folklore, national cuisine, clothing, literature, culture and tradition. At last year’s bazaar there were 70 stalls, 49 of which were representing 52 countries, 11 charities and 10 IWC Stalls. 1,200 volunteers worked to make this happen and more than 8,000 people visited the bazaar. The IWC is extremely proud that now in its 22nd year, the annual charity bazaar is a long standing favourite with the people of Sofia.
Thanks to the funds collected during the 21st Annual Bazaar, the Charity Foundation of IWC-Sofia was able to fund 23 projects — four new and eighteen ongoing projects. The total amount of financial support was approximately BGN 350,000 and it will affect the lives of over 2,500 people from the most vulnerable social groups in Bulgaria.
A few examples provide a glimpse of this: the IWC Charity Foundation is one of the biggest donors to the Soup Kitchen of Sofia, where from December to the end of March more than 1,700 people on very low income, including those with disabilities, are offered food each day. Another project receiving funds by the IWC Charity foundation with a national impact is Teach For Bulgaria, which helps children in Bulgaria to gain access to quality education through encouraging and preparing capable and ambitious young people to become inspiring teachers and leaders in our educational system and society.
In Bulgaria on average between 100 and 150 children are diagnosed with cancer every year. IWC Sofia believes that every child deserves to receive medical and psychological support in a timely manner. This is the reason for IWC’s continuous support of the Association of Children with Onco-haematological Diseases.
The IWC Charity Foundation also supports a music and art projects. Music and art have a great impact on children’s early development, and children from smaller, remote towns or from social institutions are given the opportunity to develop their talents and to become more confident.
Amongst some of the newest projects supported by IWC-Sofia is Kofoeds School. This is an independent, non-profit humanitarian organisation that works for the social integration of the mentally challenged through teaching and promoting their self-reliance and independence.
The full list of all projects supported by the IWC-Sofia is available on this page in the Charity Projects section.
The new Donor Reward Scheme has also been announced. Any help on your behalf will be greatly appreciated! For more information, please, go to the Charity Bazaar 2016 section.

Thursday 16th June 2016
The ladies of IWC had the honor to be invited to the opening of the F1 2016 season at the Azerbaijan Embassy, by H.E. Dr. Nargiz Gurbanova, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The 2016 season sees Azerbaijan become the latest addition to Formula One, with capital city Baku playing host to the fastest street circuit of the season. F1 track architect Hermann Tilke claims to have created a challenging street circuit, in terms of engineering and design, and one that thrives on Baku’s very attractive urban atmosphere and its great combination of history and 21st century style. The historic city centre, the beautiful seaside promenade and the impressive government house all combine to provide the perfect backdrop for a spectacular new track.
Baku City Circuit loops around the central and the most picturesque streets of Baku. When it came to selecting the perfect route for the race, the organizers decided to emphasize the panoramic view of the city. Another interesting fact is that the cars will race in an anti-clockwise direction. Overall 30,000 spectators are expected to watch the race live from grandstands located at different parts of the circuit.  The length of the widest part of the track is 13m, and the narrowest width is 7.6m between the 7th and 8th turns, which are situated along Icheri Sheher (Inner City). The circuit length is more than 6 km, the longest of all. Following the 19th and 20th turns, driver speeds are expected to reach up to 340 km/h as they race along the 1500 meter long straight.
The track is be surrounded by UNESCO-protected Old City – Icheri Sheher, passing its gates on the left side, and the cities residential buildings on the right. A special, temporary asphalt layer has been laid over the cobbled streets of his old section of the city to ensure the drivers can race here.
For those who saw the F1 race, it was indeed an exciting weekend in Baku. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg led from start to finish and won Sunday’s European Grand Prix on the Baku street circuit, extending his lead in the Formula One championship from nine points to 24.

The Annual General Meeting of the International Women’s Club took place on Tuesday, 12^th April with more than 70 women attending and casting their vote for the newly nominated board candidates.

We congratulate and welcome the new Executive Board for 2016-2017: President Angela Bird, Vice-president Nadya Wuisan-Bratanova, Charity Chairperson Nara Vasconcelos-Barreto, Treasurer Kelsa Smith-Mouskourova and Bazaar Coordinator Toi Castello i Rene. We wish them a very successful and eventful year and a record braking Charity Bazaar in December 2016!

We are looking forward to seeing you for our next regular monthly coffee morning on the 10th May. If you have questions, please write to: [email protected].

Seven Bulgarian cities will host an International Culinary Festival, which will not only showcase traditional Bulgarian recipes, but will represent the flavors of the world. The initiative “Bulgaria welcomes the tastes of the world” will aim at representing cultural diversity through different culinary traditions.

The traveling Culinary Festival will be supported by the International Women’s Club, and will visit Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Burgas, Varna, Ruse, Veliko Tarnovo, Blagoevgrad and Sofia during the period May 12 to 28. The campaign is organized by the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism, HRC Culinary Academy, GTC Bulgaria, and 17 foreign embassies in the country.

http://www.iknowbulgaria.bg/en

Seeking Volunteers to Serve on the Board of the IWC 2016/2017

Has the IWC helped you feel settled in Sofia? Would you like to be able to give something back to the IWC? Do you believe in and support the objectives of the IWC and have a few hours per week to spare?

If you have been a member of the club for at least a year, why not volunteer for one of the five positions on the board (listed & described below). We guarantee you a great experience working together with women from around the world, learning about their cultural backgrounds, sharing skills and knowledge whilst helping to welcome newcomers to Sofia and supporting the local community through charity projects. Make the most of your time in Sofia by serving on the board of the IWC.

If you are interested, please send an application letter with a short biography to [email protected] with a cc to [email protected], no later than 20th March 2016. In your application, briefly introduce yourself and state the specific office of candidacy you are interested in running for.

For any questions please feel free to contact any member of the nominating committee for a chat, they are:

Chairperson, Franziska Bieri: [email protected]; 0878-705-164

Liliana Padilla: [email protected]; 0889-100-696

Becky Faber: [email protected]; 0899-881-710

Rositsa Ivanova: [email protected]; 0889-229-666

Teddy Houry: [email protected]; 0888-443-000

Please find below the constitutional duties of each board member:

1. The President shall preside at all meetings and set the agenda of all Board Meetings. She may appoint Special Committees with the Executive Board’s approval. She is the official representative and ex officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. She shall be appointed as President of the Charity Foundation of the International Women’s Club, Sofia.

1. The Vice President shall assist the President in her duties by accepting specific tasks delegated to her by the President. She shall in particular assist the President in representational duties. She shall perform the duties of the President in the latter’s absence and shall be responsible for and participate actively in monthly activities and events, including the monthly meetings, and will maintain communication with activity leaders.

1. The Treasurer shall keep the financial records and accounts, pay approved accounts of expenditure, and reimburse members for approved expenses incurred on behalf of IWC. In addition to the duties in Article 10, the Treasurer shall inform the Membership Coordinator of membership renewal, and the Treasurer shall be responsible for transferring a) all charitable donations and b) any excess funds beyond operating costs to the Charity Foundation of the International Women’s Club, Sofia. The Treasurer will also be responsible for presenting biannual financial reports (one at mid- term following the bazaar and one at the end of the IWC’s fiscal year) to the members by email and newsletter, with both reports including details on where funds came from and where they were disbursed.

1. d. The Charity Chairperson shall preside over the Charity Committee, together they shall identify charity projects. The Charity Chairperson shall ensure that for each charity project there is one project head responsible for the smooth running of that project and who shall report back to the Charity Committee. She shall participate in the charity visits and their organisation. The Charity Chairperson shall be appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Charity Foundation of the International Women’s Club, Sofia. On behalf of said Charity Foundation she shall distribute donations and maintain the funds. The Charity Chairperson is required to present an annual report that details what charities are receiving funding and how much funding they receive on an annual basis. This report will be presented to the members in a general assembly meeting, as well as in the newsletter and by email. She is accountable to the Executive Board of the IWC.

1. The Bazaar Coordinator coordinates the planning, setting up and running of Charity Bazaar. She takes active part together with the other Board Members in setting up the Bazaar Team and liaises with President, First Vice President and Charity Chairperson for all matters concerning the Bazaar. She presides at Bazaar Board meetings and gives regular updates about the Bazaar to the IWC Board and IWC Members. She keeps the Board Members informed through the year about ongoing activities concerning the Bazaar.

 

With totaling more than 320 000 BGN and more than 9000 visitors and participants in the 21^st Charity Bazaar, the international community and the International Women’s Club-Sofia are about to celebrate another consecutive success in raising funds for charitable causes in Bulgaria. 70 stalls joined efforts this year and repeated the tremendous success of a historic initiative which has a tradition going back more than two decades. The funds will be allocated to successful applicants during January and February 2016.

Photos: Katarzhyna Lason

Her Majesty Queen Margarita of Bulgaria was guest of honour at an international meeting, which took place at Vrana Palace near Sofia.

The event was organised by the Society of BusinessWomen (SBW) and the International Women’s Club – Sofia (IWC – Sofia). The two entities have agreed upon a future mutual cooperation. The occasion gathered together women from within the diplomatic community as well as from different business areas and many walks of life in Bulgaria. Those who were present expressed their excitement to be personally acquainted with the Queen and to be able to share with her their ideas and projects.

The President of the International Women’s Club – Sofia Angela Bird said that the 21st yearly Charity Bazaar of the IWC will take place on December 6th in Sofia. Guest of honour this year will be Her Majesty, who will also inaugurate the event. 49 countries will be represented with traditional souvenirs, their national cuisine, folklore, etc. All funds collected from the bazaar will be used for the charitable causes of the club. The IWC – Sofia was founded in 1989 and has united foreigners living in Bulgaria mostly from the diplomatic and business community. Only during 2014 the organisation has raised more than 320,000 Leva.

The President of the Society of Business Women Tsvetelina Uzunova announced the major projects of the association for 2016. The most important project will be the organising of the first meeting of Balkan business women in Sofia. SBW is already in contact with similar organisations in Macedonia, Serbia, Greece, Romania and Turkey. Priority will also be given to the campaign Mother on time, supported by Hope hospital, the largest hospital in the country for women’s reproductive health. For this initiative SBW will work in partnership with the Family Policy Institute, led by former Minister of social welfare Hristina Hristova, who was among the guests. Last but not least there will be campaigns dedicated to the prevention of violence against women. Ms Uzunova pointed out that amongst those present were the authors of the Law on protection from domestic violence – Prof. Aneliya Mingova and Marina Dikova. A commitment to the activities of both organisations expressed the popular TV anchor of BNT Mira Dobreva.

During the eventful evening Talisman jewellery boutique showed a lovely selection from their current autumn range whilst Queen Margarita was presented with a small gift – a bracelet in smoky quartz – the stone of harmony.

Photos: Paraskeva Georgieva

The second meeting of IWC Charity Bazaar 2015 stallholders took place at the Embassy of the United States of America on 20^th October. Over 70 attendants made their way through the gates for a very warm welcome by host Mazie Hollenbaugh, the embassy’s CLO, who met the Bazaar team’s high expectations, providing a high-tech room which enabled the screening of the charity work presentation prepared by Charity Chairperson Maria Ilieva. During the presentation Maria emphasized on the increased number of projects and the improved process for allocating the funds. She also stressed that the IWC has built a strong reputation as a trusted partner among donors and recipients alike and pointed out the ongoing monitoring of progress on each project through regular visits and reporting. A very detailed account on charity work achievements was provided by Zoe Holliday of the Refugee Project. We were all excited to learn about the difference made in the lives of the boys and girls living at the camp.

Bazaar Coordinator Toi Castello gave a brief overview of requirements for registration and the upcoming deadlines, while Eli Petrusheva updated everyone on media and PR activities. With 30 stalls already registered, things are starting to gain momentum and discussions of floor planning have already begun. Elitsa Lingorski gave an account of the Cookbook project, explaining the extent and the limitations of the editorial planning of the book. Due to budget restrictions the IWC Cookbook will be a limited edition of only 600 copies to be sold exclusively at the this year’s bazaar. Entries from 26 different nationalities participating with a stall have been received. Should you decide to purchase the book you would have the great opportunity to recreate some of the tasty international specialties in your own kitchen. So hurry, reserve your copy while it’s hot off the press! Cover price is 10 Leva for the 80pp full colour book. All proceeds will go towards the IWC Charity fund.

Dear IWC friends,

The International Women’s club of Sofia (IWC) is pleased to inform you that preparations are underway for its 21st Annual Charity Bazaar, scheduled to take place from 10:30 until 17:00 on Sunday, 6th December 2015 at the Inter Expo Center (IEC) – Sofia.

Every year the Annual Charity Bazaar provides an opportunity for countries to proudly showcase their handmade crafts, music, souvenirs, folklore, national cuisine, clothing, literature, culture and tradition. At last year’s bazaar there were 66 stalls, 44 of which were representing 49 countries, 11 charities and 18 IWC Stalls. 1,500 volunteers worked to make this happen and more than 7,000 people visited the bazaar. The IWC is extremely proud that now in its 21st year, the annual charity bazaar is a long standing favourite with the people of Sofia.

Thanks to the funds collected during the 20th Annual Bazaar, the Charity Foundation of IWC-Sofia was able to fund 23 projects; four new and eighteen ongoing projects. The total amount of financial support was approximately BGN 320,000 and it will affect the lives of over 2,500 people in Bulgaria.

A few examples provide a glimpse of this: the IWC Charity foundation is one of the biggest donors to the Soup Kitchen of Sofia, where from December to the end of March more than 1,700 of the poorest people, including those with disabilities, are given food each day. Another financed project of the IWC Charity foundation is the Breast Cancer Campaign, helping women of remote regions receive free breast screening and health advice. The IWC enlarged the project this year with additional funding to include Thyroid and Prostate examinations. Our goal is that more people achieve early intervention.

For the second consecutive year the IWC-Sofia is helping refugees. Two new projects were financed recently: The Refugee Project, a joint initiative between CVS Bulgaria and Caritas Sofia and the project of The council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria.  Free medical examinations help refugee children who lack a clear status.

The IWC Charity Foundation also supports a music project. Music has a great impact on children’s development, but children from small, remote towns are often denied access to musical instruments. They lack access to a worldwide musical heritage and development of their talent.  Our music project opens the door not only to their musical skills but also to their confidence.

The full list of all projects supported by the IWC-Sofia is available on this website in the Charity Projects section.

Following is the 2015 Donor Reward Scheme. Any help on your behalf will be greatly appreciated!

IWC Charity Bazaar 2015 DONOR REWARD PROGRAMME

All donors irrespective of the size of donation will be recognised by having their name and/or logo on the TV screens in both halls on the day of the bazaar; will appear in the IWC website charity donor pages and in the 2015 Charity Bazaar ‘Thank You’ brochure, as well as on their chosen country stall, where available.

All donors will receive complimentary entrance tickets for the bazaar. All donors will be invited to our Thank You cocktail reception.

White      1,000+

Companies or individuals who donate 1,000 BGN or more (in cash, goods or services) will have their logo and/or name appear on the large banner in the foyer of the IEC on the day of the bazaar.

Blue        5,000+

Companies or individuals who donate 5,000 BGN or more (in cash, goods or services) will also be able to have individual banners in both halls.

Silver      10,000+

Companies or individuals who donate 10,000 BGN or more (in cash, goods or services) will also  have an individual banner in the foyer and increased logo size on the main banner and in the Thank You Brochure.

Gold        20,000+

Companies or individuals who donate 20,000 BGN or more (in cash, goods or services) will  have a further increase in the size of the logo for the banner and the Thank You Brochure. The logo will also appear in the IWC newsletter.

Diamond    30,000+

Companies or individuals who donate 30,000 BGN or more as a cash donation will afford the donor all of the above and will also include:

Their logo and/or name will be the largest and most prominent to appear on the banner and in the Thank You Brochure. Their logo and/or name will also have a prominent position in the IWC newsletter, on the IWC website and with a link to their own website. Their logo and/or name will appear on all promotional material to include tickets, posters, flyers, and the entertainment programme on the day. Their logo and/or name will appear in all media promotions including, video clips in the metro stations, all press releases, radio and tv interviews.

With all Bazaar donors a donation contract will be signed which could be used for tax reduction purposes in compliance with Bulgarian Corporate Income Tax Act.