Ivanka Shalapatova
Director
i.shalapatova@detebg.org
My professional experience in the last 13 years is in the field of NGO management and development. In 1997 I began working for a British charity organization “European Children’s Trust” as Administrative Assistant. A year later I became Project Coordinator and I started to manage two teams. Following a selection procedure in 2000, I was appointed a Director of the British organization.
I initiated significant changes in the organization and I have always succeeded in leading the team through these challenges without losing our work focus – children’s rights.
We successfully completed the merger of two British organizations. As time passed the British organization suspended its activity in Bulgaria and an independent local NGO was established inheriting all resources from its British founders.
While keeping track on our main professional cause - sustainable and responsible development of “For Our Children” Foundation, I developed competencies and professional experience in international networking.
I participated in the management of three networks – one in Southeastern Europe /SEECRAN/, an international organization specialized in foster care work /IFCO/, and the last network unites organizations from all over the world that work on applying UN Convention on the Rights of the Child /NGO Group for the CRC/. The work in these networks developed my understanding of managing difficult process related to advocacy and lobbying for children’s rights in international and multi-cultural context, as well as for providing publicity and qualitative financial management and sustainability.
In addition, I was invited as an honor speaker or participant in significant foreign summits, which gives me strength to continue my battles in Bulgaria.
As a personality I am a very straightforward person, remaining loyal to my principles and opinions. I believe in the beauty of life. I believe that “the glass is half full”. My permanent optimism is the root of my achievements in life. I am a person who stands her ground. I like harmony and music! I am also a mother of one child, the greatest in the world. I have been married for five years.
My personal slogan is: „If there is a will, there is a way.” The thing nobody knows about me is: There are few things that are not known about me, especially by my relatives. However there are deep layers of the soul that always will remain my private realm. I work in “For Our Children” Foundation because I cannot let children live alone, I cannot let us adults ignore the emptiness in children’s eyes…for such are the eyes and the world of abandoned children. Thanks to the team I work with, we saved a lot of children from this terrible loneliness and I don’t want to stop doing that. I am really motivated by the Board of “For Our Children” Foundation – Zlatka Mihova, Maxim Behar, and Plamen Dimitrov. Without the support of my family, society, business and media I can’t imagine my work possible. To manаge an organization for human rights sustaining its own activity in our society, is often a very lonely and complicated endeavor. For that reason I highly appreciate everyone’s support.
And the most powerful reason to work here is the happiness I see on the children’s faces, when they feel loved, when their eyes sparkle and their faces shine with joy. That will always motivate me for our cause.
