Upcoming: Award Ceremony for the Winners of the Student Competition “Marriage Can Wait, Education Can’t” – May 13, Sofia (Updated)

On May 13, 2026, at 4:30 p.m., the solemn award ceremony for the winners of the student competition “Marriage Can Wait, Education Can’t” will be held at the Park Hotel “Moscow” in Sofia, in which over 240 students of different ages, ethnicities and settlements from all over the country took part. The materials received – essays, videos and graphic images – were highly impactful and showed that the talent and commitment of young people know no geographical and social boundaries. The topic of early marriages continues to be sensitive and relevant, as it often leads to interruption of education and limitation of opportunities for young people. That is why the voice of students on this issue is particularly valuable – it shows awareness, position and aspiration for change. By participating in the competition, students not only demonstrate creative skills, but also declare their right to choose – the right to learn, develop and determine their own future.

The ceremony will be held within the framework of the National Meeting of Student Ombudsmen organized by the Amalipe Center, an event under the patronage of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, Ms. Velislava Delcheva. Student ombudsmen from all over the country, as well as representatives of national institutions, diplomatic missions and organizations working in the field of equality and civic participation will present and discuss good practices from the activities of student ombudsmen, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing student participation.

The highlight of the event is the award ceremony for the students who were awarded in the competition “Marriage Can Wait, Education Can’t”. During the ceremony, the ranked students will find out where their works have been awarded – a moment filled with excitement, anticipation and well-deserved recognition. This moment is significant not only for the authors themselves, but also for everyone who stands behind them – teachers, educational mediators, classmates and principals who have supported, encouraged and inspired them along the way.

Part of this excitement will also be shared by the official guests of the event: H.E. Mr. Paul Lambert – Ambassador of the Embassy of Belgium in Bulgaria, Céline Branqui – Attaché for Institutional Cooperation at the Embassy of France in Bulgaria, Laura Offen from the Embassy of Germany in Bulgaria, Miguel Alonso – Deputy Head of the Embassy of Spain in Bulgaria, Ms. Maria Zlatareva, Acting Deputy Representative and Ms. Elena Zlatanova, Head of the Youth Program – representatives of UNICEF Bulgaria, Ms. Anna Janyszewska-Fronczek from the Embassy of Poland in Bulgaria, Dr. Nadya Taneva, State Expert, “Inclusive Education” (Ministry of Education and Science), Dr. Teodora Ivanova – Chairperson of the State Agency for Child Protection, as well as Ms. Kamelia Nikolova, Secretary General of the State Agency for Child Protection, Dr. Eva Zhecheva – Director of the Directorate “Children’s Rights” at the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, etc. Their presence will provide an opportunity not only to get acquainted with the authors of the awarded works, who fought among dozens of participants from all over the country, but also to hear first-hand the point of view of young people on the topic of early marriage – a topic on which the students themselves clearly state their position and commitment to change.

The initiative shows that when young people are given the opportunity to be heard, they don’t just participate – they form attitudes, change perspectives and become active drivers of change.

The contest is being implemented with the support of the project “Marriage can wait, education cannot”, which is implemented within the framework of the INSPIRE initiative: Improving national support for prevention, intervention, and response to violence against children, and empowering victims” and is co-financed by the European Union and the Foundation “Workshop for Civic Initiatives” (WFCI).