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“Philanthropy Through the Lens” and the Partnership with Sopharma

Philanthropy Through the Lens is an initiative of BCause Foundation and Bulgarian Donor’s Forum that includes a photo competition and a grant program for photographers. It attracts attention to charity as a part of life but seen through the lenses.

The photography competition has been held since 2012 and the Grant ProgramPhilanthropy Through the Lens” has started in 2015. This is the only program in Bulgaria that finances projects in the sphere of social photography.

The purpose of the initiative is to tell with the tools of photo-journalism about initiatives and services that improve the quality of life, so that the goals of civil organisations and volunteers and the work they do can be seen by more people.

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“The Joy of Winning” by Nikola Kolev

In 2013, Sopharma AD supported “Philanthropy Through the Lens” with the topic aimed at philanthropy, and more than 300 individual photographs were received for the competition. In 2014, photographs associated with the charity work of Sopharma AD were included in the competition. 

Благотворителността през обектива

This year, Sopharma AD opened its doors for the travelling exhibition of “Philanthropy Through the Lens” 2016. It presents the projects of Miroslava Mircheva, Denis Buchel and Denislav Stoichev who have won the grant program.

The winning projects are related to various public establishments – a dog shelter, a commune for treatment of drug addicts and the Church not as an institution but as a community that helps.

The photos could be seen at site A, 16, Iliensko Shosse Str.

The photos of the winners in this edition can be seen as well. In 2016 the jury awarded the photographs of five authors: “A Story about the Good” – Svetlana Bonin, “Give Life to Your Prom Dress” – Rumyana Naicheva, “Support for a Roma Family in Need” – Anita Todorova, “Making a Dream Come True” – Mariela Ruseva. The Grand Prize was awarded to the photograph “A Story about the Good” – a story of two young boys who clean the beach together with their parents.

Earlier in September 2016, the audience chose by online voting “The Smile” by Vilislava Nikolaeva for their favourite.

One of the winning photographs, “The Joy of Winning” by Nikola Kolev, turned out related to Sopharma AD in an amazing way. He shows the joy of experience of “One Different Day” – a fishing competition for disadvantaged children, held in Pazardzhik, which Sopharma has supported for years. To see the development of a project you have supported from the very beginning through the assessment of others and the real joy it gives to the participants - this is particularly gratifying.

Philanthropy Through the Lens” 2016 draws attention to places where the state is missing. According to the organizers, that is precisely why donors and volunteers are there, those who believe that the world is driven by Good, that only compassion is not enough, that change depends on our actions and that we are what we give to others.