Dear friends –
For the first time in history, an LGBTI organisation here in Bulgaria has a chance to win THE CHANGE – a competition for social entrepreneurs hosted by a major TV channel – and receive €15,000.
My name is Ivan and I'm the founder of Single Step, a foundation that provides life-saving support to young LGBTI Bulgarians. Out of more than 200 organisations, we've been selected as one of the five finalists.
The thing is: an international online vote will decide who makes it to the top 3. The winner will then be selected by a jury.
In a country where hatred and abuse against LGBTI people is still the norm, we just can't rely only on votes coming from Bulgaria. We need tens of thousands of people from around the world, just like you, to come together and cast a vote.
I decided to start Single Step after I met Andrei*.
He came out to his mother when he was 17. She forced him to see a psychiatrist, who tried to "cure" him of being gay. When we met, Andrei was still recovering after trying to take his own life.
Winning this competition would allow us to help more young people like Andrei. This prize would enable us to expand our online support and finally launch a helpline and community centre.
The impact of winning this would be tremendous not only for our organisation but for the thousands of LGBTI kids who will be watching the competition on national television – and who might otherwise not see any other positive Bulgarian LGBTI role models.
Thanks for going All Out,
Ivan Dimov
Founder & Chairman
Single Step Foundation
P.S. If you're not on Facebook, you can forward this email to your friends to ask them to vote.
*Name changed for safety of the individual
