*September 27, 2006 Bi-weekly newsletter*

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| **USAID Enhances Avian Influenza | The seminar was organized with    |
| Preparedness**                   | the support of the Ministry of    |
|                                  | Economy and Energy, USAID, and    |
| n September 18, Mission Director | General Electric (GE).  Andon     |
| Michael Fritz opened the first   | Ichev, national advisor for GE in |
| of a series of technical         | Bulgaria, announced a partnership |
| trainings for veterinarians on   | between GE and JA Bulgaria        |
| the detection and management of  | involving business consultants    |
| a possible outbreak of avian     | teaching JA economics classes for |
| influenza. The trainings will    | 9^th^ and 10^th^ graders in       |
| reach 500 Bulgarian public and   | vocational schools.               |
| private veterinary doctors in    |                                   |
| the cities of Vratza, Stara      | **Graduating USAID Community Fund |
| Zagora and Varna. The training   | and Social Enterprise Program     |
| is a result of the joint efforts | Leaves Sustainable Legacies**     |
| of USAID, the Bulgarian          |                                   |
| Veterinary Medical Service and   |                                   |
| the U.S. Department of           |                                   |
| Agriculture.                     | he USAID Community Fund and       |
|                                  | Social Enterprise Program         |
| In addition, specialized         | celebrated its successful         |
| personal protective equipment    | completion on September 20 at the |
| valued at \$50,000 will be       | Radisson Hotel in Sofia. Over the |
| donated by the U. S. Government  | past five years, USAID assistance |
| to the Bulgarian National        | has strengthened sustainable      |
| Veterinary Medical Service and   | community development and         |
| the Bulgarian Ministry of        | established strong partnerships   |
| Health. By the end of October, a | at the local level to promote     |
| new laboratory of the National   | civil society and philanthropic   |
| Veterinary Medical Service will  | practices in Bulgaria. While      |
| open in Varna, which will help   | USAID funding is phasing out,     |
| to detect and lessen the effects | Community Fund and Social         |
| of a possible avian influenza    | Enterprise models have taken      |
| outbreak in the northeastern     | strong root in Bulgarian          |
| part of Bulgaria. The laboratory | communities.  Ten community funds |
| equipment will be provided by    | and 28 social enterprises,        |
| USAID. The total value of avian  | established under the program,    |
| influenza assistance to date by  | already serve as models for local |
| the U.S. Government in Bulgaria  | development not only within       |
| is \$1.05 million                | Bulgaria, but for the broader     |
|                                  | Eastern Europe and Eurasia        |
| **Junior Achievement Bulgaria    | region.                           |
| Trains Teachers on Economics and |                                   |
| Entrepreneurship**               | In five years, the ten community  |
|                                  | funds, which cover 18 percent of  |
|                                  | the country's population, have    |
|                                  | raised more than half a million   |
| arking significant progress in   | U.S. dollars from local sources.  |
| the development of business      | These funds sponsored initiatives |
| education in secondary schools,  | that directly responded to        |
| the largest-ever Junior          | community needs. The program also |
| Achievement Bulgaria (JA         | pioneered the concept of social   |
| Bulgaria) teacher certificate    | enterprises in Bulgaria. Social   |
| training course on economics and | enterprises are a vehicle for     |
| entrepreneurship took place in   | social inclusion of disadvantaged |
| Sofia on 8--10 September. The    | people such as people with        |
| event gathered 120 educators who | disabilities, ethnic minorities,  |
| learned innovative methods for   | and children-at-risk, through     |
| teaching economics and           | access to employment and skills   |
| entrepreneurship in 67           | development.                      |
| vocational and general secondary |                                   |
| schools countrywide.             |                                   |
|                                  |                                   |
| ![](media/image1.png)            | ![](media/image2.png)             |
|                                  |                                   |
| *Photo: Teachers take part in a  | > *Photo: Oleg Stoilov, Deputy    |
| role-play exercise at the Junior | > Chair of the Board of the Stara |
| Achievement Bulgaria teacher     | > Zagora Community Fund at the    |
| training course*                 | > ceremony*                       |
|                                  |                                   |
|                                  | **Continued \> next page**        |
|                                  |                                   |
| **Continued \> top right**       | **Bulgarian American Enterprise   |
|                                  | Fund Takes Stock of Successes**   |
| The new social contracting model |                                   |
| implemented in 13 Bulgarian      |                                   |
| municipalities is another        |                                   |
| noteworthy achievement of the    | n September 20, the semi-annual   |
| program, allowing local          | review of the Bulgarian American  |
| governments to contract out      | Enterprise Fund (BAEF) took place |
| social services to NGOs and      | in Sofia. BAEF has been a pillar  |
| businesses.                      | of the USAID assistance program   |
|                                  | in Bulgaria over the last 15      |
|                                  | years and its achievements will   |
|                                  | serve as one of the strongest     |
| As Bulgaria prepares to enter    | legacies that the Agency will     |
| the European Union, community    | leave behind.                     |
| funds and social enterprises are |                                   |
| sources of local expertise and   |  At a briefing for the BAEF       |
| capacity that will contribute to | Board, Ambassador Beyrle gave a   |
| more accountable and responsive  | thorough overview of the          |
| government, better positioning   | developments in Bulgaria over the |
| Bulgaria to meet EU              | last year, covering topics such   |
| requirements.                    | as: political atmosphere, EU      |
|                                  | accession issues, and major U.S.  |
| **USAID Supports Advocacy        | investments in Bulgaria, as well  |
| Training for Judicial Reform     | as an update on the signing of    |
| NGOs**                           | the Defense Cooperation Agreement |
|                                  | related to the shared military    |
| epresentatives of twelve         | facilities in Bulgaria.           |
| Bulgarian non-governmental       |                                   |
| organizations working under a    |                                   |
| new wave of Rule of Law grants   |                                   |
| completed a USAID-sponsored      | A highlight of BAEF activities    |
| advocacy training from 11-13     | this year was the Initial Public  |
| September in Sofia. Developed by | Offering (IPO) of the             |
| the Judicial Strengthening       | Bulgarian-American Credit Bank    |
| Initiative (JSI), and delivered  | (BACB - BAEF's wholly owned       |
| by advocacy experts from the     | Bulgarian bank). On April 4, BACB |
| Civil Society Development        | held an IPO of 30 percent of its  |
| Foundation (CSDF) in Budapest,   | shares. Gross proceeds of the IPO |
| Hungary, the training was part   | were Euro 55.6 million, making    |
| of a series of workshops         | BACB the third-largest company on |
| supporting the work of JSI       | the Bulgarian Stock Exchange.     |
| grantees. The 2½ day training    | Investors were 85 percent         |
| for NGOs from across Bulgaria    | international investors and 15    |
| covered the theory behind        | percent Bulgarian institutional   |
| advocacy and strategies and      | and retail investors.             |
| tactics of advocacy              |                                   |
| campaigns.The lead trainer,      |                                   |
| Balasz Shator, provided examples |                                   |
| of other rule of law advocacy    | The IPO establishes a promising   |
| campaigns in Hungary.            | basis for the launch of BAEF's    |
|                                  | next phase, tentatively called    |
|                                  | the Bulgarian American Freedom    |
|                                  | Foundation (BAFF). The Foundation |
|                                  | is envisioned to continue         |
|                                  | providing assistance in priority  |
|                                  | areas following the conclusion of |
|                                  | BAEF's successful 15-year         |
|                                  | investment support history,       |
|                                  | helping to further strengthen     |
|                                  | USAID/Bulgaria's overall legacy.  |
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