Lab4e had its second day when it gathered in one place social entrepreneurs, people with experience, ideas and willingness not only to talk about the possible change for the better, but to create it with their deeds. On January 19 we had not one, not two, but three meetings. Because both under the sun as well as in Lab4e there is room for all of us.
 

In both meetings before noon, the topics concerned the socio-economic inclusion of people with disabilities and of refugees and migrants. The group of civil organizations working with or for people with disabilities met with Freddie Wools, a representative of De Passerel Foundation, The Netherlands (one of our partners on the project). The focus of the discussion in this group was to find the appropriate tools for tracking the development of people with disabilities employed in social enterprises in order to provide appropriate support and conditions for their further inclusion in the primary labor market. Freddie, together with the participants, made a parallel between the employment situation of people from vulnerable groups in the Netherlands and in our country. And he shared ways to overcome the specific challenges that Bulgarian social entrepreneurs face, thanks to over 30 years of experience that he has in this field. The conclusion was unambiguous: social entrepreneurship is not limited to one social enterprise, it is a way of thinking and a way of acting at every single moment. Because the social entrepreneur creates non-standard solutions to social problems and engages the different parties in the process in order for it to be inclusive, successful and sustainable. And that's how the new ideas are born - by sharing!

Тhe other morning discussion on how to improve the process of socio-economic inclusion of refugees and migrants in Bulgaria was also seriously inspiring. Representatives of civil organizations who have been working for years on the issues in the field, also those who are already engaged in the topic and those who want to contribute through concrete solutions related to employment – they all have gathered together in one place. Thanks to the experience of active advocacy with the responsible institutions, as well as of the work on terrain with the people that life has brought here, we have outlined all the key steps that are necessary to talk about a real understanding and commitment of society in the coexistence of all of us. It has become clear that the lack of adequate information and of timely support is among the serious barriers for connection between the people with or in a procedure for acquiring humanitarian status and the employers who are willing to provide them with employment according to their work qualification and skills. Apart from the problems, the participants also talked about possible solutions and good examples. As an inspiration from the foreign experience, we showed an excerpt from the film "Social entrepreneurship or business with a mission" of the Bulgarian National Television, created within the program "Entrepreneurship for non-profit organizations". The excerpt showed an exemple from Sicily that was eloquent about how working in a social enterprise can be the path to a safe and peaceful life, though far away from home. Because it is no coincidence the saying that "work humanize us", as well as the saying that "there is room for all of us under the sun.". Work is not only a means of subsistence and of satisfying your living needs, but work also gives a sense of meaning, of contribution to the rest of society (a basic necessity for a healthy society), work creates a social environment, friendships, human relationships, without which no one could feel complete anywhere

 And namely, we were talking about working environment relationships in the third afternoon meeting for the day in Lab4e. Slava Krusteva – a specialist in human resources and psychologist, with years of experience in conducting trainings, consultations and optimization of human resources management, including in the non-governmental sector - made us look at ourselves and at our colleagues from aside and think: Are we capable to stand up for our opinion and not impose it on others at the same time?; Do we rather passively agree or are we capable of adequately saying “No” to the next "urgent" task addressed to us?; Can we prioritize our obligations, not forgetting those to ourselves? and so on and so forth. We have also come up with many answers and good examples of how reasonable and balanced conversations within the team, without emotions, can bring the work process to another level - more productive, without unnecessary stress and with better results in the long run. And again, one of the conclusions was that there is a place for everyone - because the struggle for supremacy of any kind never leads to truly good results. The latter are only possible through empathy, understanding and sharing, through openness and constant striving for emotional maturity. And just as we agreed at the first meeting at Lab4e, empathy and exchange of experience, of joint efforts are key to social entrepreneurship - because it is business with a mission. The mission to live, working hard for a better society. For a healthier future Us!

Farewell, social entrepreneurs!
 

If you are of this type of people too, you can like Lab4e on Facebook and follow us so as to be part of the sharing. And here you can see the photo album.

                                             

--------------------------------------------- www.eufunds.bg ----------------------------------------------
The project “Know-How Lab for Social Entrepreneurship” is held under the “Human Resources Development” Operational Programme 2014-2020 through joint financing by the European Social Fund in the European Union.​