Team
Violeta Kyoseva
Violeta Kyoseva is the founder of the FAR association for democratic education, Burgas.
Violeta found her way into non-formal education indirectly.
Her connection with Germany and fascination with the German language has influenced her development greatly.
After graduating in tourism, where she already deepened her German skills, she studied German philology, history and philosophy. Afterwards she became a German teacher in the German secondary school in Burgas, where she taught for 24 years. Both in tourism and as a padagogue, people and the relation between Germany and Bulgaria have always been essential in her life. Through applied geography, school exchange programs and various offers of adult education, Violeta got the chance to get to know Germany intimately.
Violeta is part of a generation, which experienced the fall of the Iron curtain both in Bulgaria and in Germany very consciously. The pursuit of the German language, culture and lifestyle gave her courage and optimism for the positive and progressive development of Bulgaria.
Because of her work, first in addition to her teaching and then full-time since 1995 as the chair-woman of the FAR Asccociation, Violeta always tried to achieve a democratic rethinking in Bulgarian society; both with pedagogic and human means, always innovative and adapting to the needs of people. In her long-lasting cooperation with western partners she has always been critical towards “pre-assembled” mindsets and models.
In her free time she likes hiking, reading, and German literature of course. Furthermore she is very good with her hands and knits and crochets a lot. She is the mother of two grown children who have each blessed her with a grandson.
Elka Dolapchieva
Elka Dolapchieva began working voluntarily with FAR Association for democratic education in 2001 and has been employeed full time as the Project Assistant since 2008. In her work at FAR she deals with both administrative and content matters and reports during seminars, especially on those for youth.
After studying economics at the University of Veliko Tarnovo she worked in tourism, but always with the emphasis on working children and youngsters. Besides this work she has been active for the FAR association in her free time and has attended various trainings in the field of political education.
Elka likes working for the organisation because the FAR office is a meeting point for many active, young and adult, citizens. So she is a popular contact person for many youngsters, from topics like future plans and choosing a profession to the daily worries of a teenager, such as heartsickness.
Having this contact encouraged her to start a second masters in psychology in 2007, which she will finish in 2010.
In her leisure time, she likes to travel, to do handicrafts, to go for walks or to enjoy her beautiful house and garden in Kableshokovo, a small town nearby Burgas.
Vesela Valkova Christova
Vesela Hristova gratuated from the German high school in Burgas, afterwhich she studied history and philosophy in Sofia.
Since 1994 she has thought history at the German high school where she previously studied. Additionally she offers after class activities and seminars for her pupils about different socio-political topics, like democracy and human rights.
As well as teaching, since 2000 Vesela works as a ‘speaker’ for the association, both at regional and at international seminars and meetings.
In 2001 she took part in the course “Teaching politics in south-eastern Europe” in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In her free time, she is interested in political science, floriculture and literature.
Ivaylo Ivanov
Ivaylo Ivanov has been employeed with Far since December 2009. His work is related to the administrative work of the association.
He has known of the association and its activities and been an active member since 2007.
Originally he comes from Sliven, a small town in the east of Bulgaria, 100 km away from Burgas. There he studied at the high school of economics. After his graduation he worked several years in tourism at the biggest summer resort in Bulgaria, Sunny Beach.
Since 2005 Ivaylo lives in Burgas. He finished his higher education in the Burgas Free University in “Public administration”.
He is interested in laws and regulations, especially youth related policies, as well as non-formal education.
Rusin Borislavov
Rusin Borislavov studied at the German language school in Burgas. After that he graduated in German and Bulgarian language and literature studies at the university in Plovdiv.
Since 1998 he has worked as a German teacher in the “Ivan Vazov” school in Burgas and since 2000 he has been a youth trainer and member of the board of the FAR in Burgas.
He loves working with young people. He is interested in politics and even partook in a course on “Teaching politics in south-eastern Europe” in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
He plays soccer every Saturday with his friends from the football club “Ostrietata”.
His hobbies are cine films, books and the etymology of words.
Rebekka Hölzle
Rebeka Hölzle from Karlsruhe, Germany is doing her European Volunteer Service at FAR from september 2009 until august 2010.