Tanya Hristova is among the five finalists for the prestigious Young European of the Year award! She is the only Roma activist among the five finalists

If someone asks me about an inspiring person I have met in the last year, my answer will be very simple. I won’t think much about it. Tanya Hristova impressed me very much and not only me. She is like a solar energy battery that has gathered a huge heart in a fragile and tender body. And an energy that never seems to end. It was not only us and institutions at the national level that evaluated it. She is one of the five finalists in the Young European of the Year competition, organized by the Schwarzkopf Young Europe Foundation, in which the Amalipe Center nominated her. But let me tell you more about her and you will find out for yourself why she is among the nominees in the competition and why she is our winner.

Tanya is 24 years old, she was born in the town of Kotel, where she completed her secondary education as a flag bearer and an excellent student in 2015 in her high school “Georgi St. Rakovski ”, with a profile“ Natural and Mathematical Sciences ”. In 2019 he successfully graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Social Management at the Technical University – Varna. She is currently continuing her education at the Master’s Degree in Forensics.

Tanya has been actively involved in volunteering for 14 years. Active since childhood in a number of non-governmental organizations and even now continues to combine volunteering, work and organizing donation initiatives. In recent years she has been working as a school psychologist and at the same time carrying out various social projects. She is currently an educational expert at the Amalipe Center.

In April 2020, she created and implemented the initiative “Together we will cope with the care of the little ones”, managing to support 239 families

from 7 settlements and 3 social services, thanks to donations from several large companies. Companies that she finds and persuades to get involved. Then she organizes and distributes the donations herself.

She also focuses her efforts on working with girls from minority communities and aims to create bridges between generations and communities. Tanya’s goal is to ignite the spark and create a community of motivated young people who have potential and are willing to work hard to develop it. “I grew up in a multicultural environment. It plays a significant role in my self-awareness, but I have never denied or concealed my ethnicity. ”- she shared. “I have never considered my origin to be a disadvantage and with each passing day I am convinced of the advantages! The main problem I faced was the refusal of the people around me to accept me as a Roma woman. I don’t flaunt it, but I don’t hide it. Sometimes I point it out to let people know that I am no exception. Life seems complicated, but in fact it requires us to learn to live it properly! My secret is faith, wisdom, trust, humility and personal sacrifice! ”

Tanya boldly embarks on any challenge and spares no effort if she knows that she will be useful to someone – confused young people, insecure mothers, disadvantaged people. We are proud that Tanya is part of our team and we wish her success in the competition “Young European of the Year”.

Every year, the Schwarzkopf Young Europe Foundation looks for young, dedicated people who, through personal commitment, make Europe a better place. They are fighting for a pluralistic, open and solidary European society. They fight discrimination and inspire other young people through their commitment.

The winner’s prize can be used for an internship in a European or international organization or to fund a project that promotes European solidarity and integration. The nominee must be between 18 and 26 years old and active in at least one of the member states of the Council of Europe.

Among all the nominees this year, the jury selected five finalists, one of whom (and the only one from Bulgaria) is Tanya Hristova.

Who will be the winner will become clear on Friday – March 19, 2021. Let’s squeeze our girl’s thumbs!