Pay it Forward Project

Project Overview  The Foreign language High School and the Regional Public Library in Pazardjik, Bulgaria had extremely limited resources to offer to students and people from the community. Realizing the importance of computer literacy and knowledge of foreign languages, Angel Kelchev, member of San Francisco Rotary, initiated this project to provide both institutions with up-to-date computer and media equipment. He partnered with a number of Rotary and Rotaract clubs as well as with other service organizations, making it possible to raise $25,000 for the project  The funds were used for the purchase of computer and media equipment worth $25,000 to be installed at the Foreign Language High School and at the Regional Public Library in Pazardjik: –36 customized PC’s with flat screens and 1 laptop –3 projectors –3 projector screens –4 printers –4 scanners –Network supplies  1,000 High School students and more than 10,000 registered readers directly benefited from the donation  The project was officially unveiled on September 3 rd, 2007 in Pazardjik where many Rotarians, public servants, local business people and students attended. The United States Ambassador to Bulgaria John Beyrle sent a representative of his to attend the opening ceremony and committed to attending the opening ceremony the following year for the planned renovation of the Children’s Library in Pazardjik Pay it Forward Project 2

Foreign Language High School, Pazardjik, Bulgaria BeforeAfter Pay it Forward Project Components and Amount Fundraised  20 customized PC’s with flat screens  2 projectors  2 projector screens  2 printers  2 scanners  Network supplies $15,000 3

Opening Ceremony Commentary  Up: Rotary members, public servants, business people and students gathered at the Foreign Language High School for the opening ceremony of the “Pay it Forward” project  Right: Based on an ancient tradition a priest said a prayer and blessed the benefactors, the school and its students. Everyone got a piece of bread with salt or honey Pay it Forward Project 4

Opening Ceremony Cont’d Commentary  Diagonal: Angel Kelchev and Ivan Popov, president of Pazardjik Rotary Club, officially unveiled the two new computer labs at the Foreign Language High School  Up & Left: Based on an ancient tradition everyone got a piece of bread with salt or honey, thus blessing the donation and honoring the benefactors Pay it Forward Project 5

Opening Ceremony Cont’d Commentary  Diagonal: Angel Kelchev and Ivan Popov, president of Pazardjik Rotary, in one of the two newly opened computer labs  Up: Angel Kelchev and Peter Hristov, past president of Pazardjik Rotary  Left: Group picture of the key Rotarians involved in the project Pay it Forward Project 6

Regional Public Library, Pazardjik, Bulgaria BeforeAfter Components and Amount Fundraised  16 customized PC’s with flat screens  1 laptop  1 projector  1 projector screen  2 printers  2 scanners $10,000 Pay it Forward Project 7

The Library prior to the Project Commentary  Diagonal: A librarian receiving a little girl lacks any equipment to speed up her work or organize readers’ records  Left & Up: Library staff was employed in manual processes because of lack of functioning computer equipment Pay it Forward Project 8

The Library prior to the Project Cont’d Commentary  All: The library had to offer inadequate resources, dated computer equipment, manual processes and slow service to readers Pay it Forward Project 9

Opening Ceremony Cont’d Commentary  Diagonal: Ivan Popov, president of Pazardjik Rotary and Angel Kelchev unveiled the donation at the Regional Public Library in Pazardjik  Left: Ivan Evstatiev, Mayor of Pazardjik, cut the ribbon at the library and invited the quests to tour the facilities  Up: Peter Hristov, past president of Pazardjik Rotary, congratulated Angel Kelchev on successfully leading the project Pay it Forward Project 10

Opening Ceremony Cont’d Commentary  Diagonal & Up: Local folklore dancers greeted the Mayor and Angel Kelchev with traditional bread and salt and invited them for a tour  Left: One of the regular readers at the library thanked the Mayor and Angel Kelchev for this major gift Pay it Forward Project 11

Opening Ceremony Cont’d Commentary  All: Some of the computer new clusters built at the Regional Public Library allowing the staff to be more effective and the readers to get access to modern technology and information from Internet Pay it Forward Project 12

Opening Ceremony Cont’d Commentary  Diagonal: Local ensemble of folklore artists entertained the guests  Up: Many guests came to honor the opening of this project including a representative of the US Ambassador to Bulgaria John Beyrle. He was unable to attend but committed to be present at the opening of next year’s planned project in the Children’s library in Pazardjik  Up: Group picture of Pazardjik Rotarians, local business people and public servants Pay it Forward Project 13

Conclusion  The major donation given to the Foreign Language High School directly impacted approximately 1,000 students and drastically improved their academic experience. Furthermore, this equipment was made available to people from the outside community by having qualified instructors give classes in computer literacy and foreign languages. These revenue generating initiative was designed by the project leader Angel Kelchev and the High School principal in order to make the project self-sustainable. The fees generated through these classes are used for equipment maintenance and for the general needs of the school  Students from the Foreign Language High School and members of the outside community now have access to up-to-date technology. Computer skills are an inseparable part of most jobs nowadays and this project has had a major impact on the community and its access to modern education Service Above All  The major donation given to the Regional Public Library directly impacted more than 10,000 registered readers. The computer and media equipment donated streamlined the working processes in the library, allowed for digitization of readers’ records, book and newspaper catalogs, Internet access for readers and much more. This gift drastically improved the experience of the readers who are now able to obtain information on a global level through Internet. Furthermore, the Library Director and the project leader Angel Kelchev designed computer literacy and foreign language classes for people with limited resources from the outside community  Readers at the Regional Public Library and members of the outside community now have access to up-to-date technology and are able to advance their computer and foreign language skills. They are all aware of the importance of such knowledge nowadays and this project has brought them closer to their professional and academic goals Foreign Language High SchoolRegional Public Library This project is a result of the collaboration and joint efforts of multiple Rotary and Rotaract clubs as well as other service organizations. It comes as a follow up to the “Computers for Bulgaria” project from 2006 when $25,000 worth of computer equipment was donated to the Mathematical High School of Pazardjik, Bulgaria. Such initiatives bring closer Rotarians and other actively engaged individuals from all over the world and promote cultural understanding and tolerance Pay it Forward Project 14

Appendix

Computers for Bulgaria Project Participation Clubs and Organizations Mr. Angel Kelchev Rotaract District 5170 Governor Key Participants  Palo Alto Rotary Club, CA  Bellevue Rotary Club, WA  Sunnyvale Sunrise Rotary, CA  Pazardjik Rotary Club, Bulgaria  Stanford Rotaract Club, CA  BCC Rotaract, WA  Interact District 5170  BCC Phi Theta Kappa, WA  Rotary International Foundation Rotaract Clubs Other Rotary Clubs Project Leader Key Participants  Mr. Walter Hays, Past President of Palo Alto Rotary, CA  Mr. Robert Rose, WSC Chair at Bellevue Rotary, WA  Mr. Donn Wadley, Rotaract District 5170 Chair, CA  Mr. Petar Hristov, Pazardjik Rotary President, Bulgaria  Ms. Maria Lazarova, Stanford Rotaract member 16

Give Sight Project Participation Clubs and Organizations Mr. Pradeep Rajendran Stanford Rotaract President Key Participants  Bellevue Rotary Club, WA  Palo Alto Rotary Club, CA  Palo Alto University Rotary, CA  Sunnyvale Sunrise Rotary, CA  Coimbatore Rotary Club, India  Pazardjik Rotary Club, Bulgaria  Stanford Rotaract Club, CA  Silicon Valley Rotaract, CA  Lehman Brothers, Inc.  Rotary International Foundation Rotaract Clubs Other Rotary Clubs Project Leaders Key Participants  Mr. Walter Hays, Past President of Palo Alto Rotary, CA  Mr. Robert Rose, WSC Chair at Bellevue Rotary, WA  Mr. Donn Wadley, Rotaract District 5170 Chair, CA  Mr. Petar Hristov, Pazardjik Rotary President, Bulgaria  Mr. Don MacKenzie, Palo Alto University Rotary President, CA  Dr. R.V. Ramani, Coimbatore Rotary Past President, India  Dr. S.V. Kandasamy, Coimbatore Rotary Past President, India  Mr. J. Ravi, Coimbatore Rotary President, India Mr. Angel Kelchev Rotaract District 5170 Governor ’06-’

Pay it Forward Project Participation Clubs and Organizations Mr. Angel Kelchev San Francisco Rotary Member Past Rotaract District 5170 Governor ‘06-’07 Key Participants  Bellevue Rotary Club, WA  Palo Alto Rotary Club, CA  Sunnyvale Sunrise Rotary, CA  Palo Alto University Rotary, CA  Pazardjik Rotary Club, Bulgaria  Velingrad Rotary, Bulgaria  Panagiurishte Rotary, Bulgaria  Stanford Rotaract Club, CA  Silicon Valley Rotaract  Interact District 5170  BCC Phi Theta Kappa, WA  Rotary International Foundation Rotaract Clubs Other Rotary Clubs Project Leader Key Participants  Mr. Robert Rose, WSC Chair at Bellevue Rotary, WA  Mr. Walter Hays, Past President of Palo Alto Rotary, CA  Mr. Donn Wadley, Rotaract District 5170 Chair, CA  Mr. Ivan Popov, Pazardjik Rotary President, Bulgaria  Mr. Peter Hristov, Past Pazardjik Rotary President, Bulgaria  Mr. Rosen Antov, Past Pazardjik Rotary President, Bulgaria  Ms. Maria Lazarova, Stanford Rotaract member 18