“Zachatie” Association“Zachatie” Association is the first Bulgarian non-government organization, uniting people with reproductive problems. This is an independent, entirely volunteer structure. The idea of „Zachatie” Association was born at time when the issue of infertility diagnostics and treatment was barely known to average Bulgarian. The Association was found on March 6th, 2004 in Sofia by group of Bulgarian women, united by the idea of increasing the public awareness and understanding of infertility problems in Bulgaria.

Our main awareness projects1. Bulgarian infertility portal www.zachatie.orgSeveral months before the official registration of “Zachatie” Association, we launched our web site www.zachatie.org – the first and the largest information portal for infertility and reproductive health in Bulgarian language. Currently, our web site with discussion forums and chat community has over 21 000 registered users. The site has 14 000 unique visitors per day. Our free online tool “Ovulation Calendar” is used by over 60 000 users from Bulgaria and abroad in six languages. Our web site www.zachatie.org has won 6 reputable annual awards in the category for health and parental web sites in Bulgarian.

2. Protest Action “JAR”At the end of 2006, we organized a peaceful civil protest, called “Action Jar” against the decision of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to cease the program for partial reimbursement of the IVF treatment. We decorated the steps of the NHIF’s main entrance with glass jars filled with flowers as a symbol of the new life concepted in-vitro. As a result of this protest, the program was resumed.

3. The March of the Empty Baby Strollers At the end of 2008, “Zachatie” Association together with “Iskam bebe” Foundation initiated and lobbied for a draft bill for a new government Fund for Assisted Reproduction, providing up to 3 reimbursed IVF procedures for infertile couples in Bulgaria. We participated in a workgroup for creating the draft bill for the new government Fund for Assisted Reproduction. We organized a silent civil protest, called “The March of the Empty Baby Strollers” on the occasion of Parliament’s rejection of the draft bill for the Fund for Assisted Reproduction. The protest was held simultaneously in the two major cities – Sofia and Varna.

As a result of the media campaign and the strong public pressure, organized by “Zachatie” Association and “Iskam bebe” Foundation, the Parliament finally passed the bill for the National Fund for Assisted Reproduction, providing 3 reimbursed IVF procedures per couple.

4. The Reproductive Health DayIn 2006, we organized the first national infertility awareness event, called “The Reproductive Health Day”. This event later became the traditional big annual event of “Zachatie” Association, organized in different Bulgarian cities. It’s a unique meeting of patients and leading infertility experts. Each year we select a different main topic for discussion and media coverage. During the open sessions, leading medical professionals present the latest news in the reproductive medicine, assisted reproduction and fertility evaluation and treatment. An important part of this event are the free consultations with the leading reproductive health professionals for hundreds of infertile patients.

2006 - “First Reproductive Health day” 2007 - “Infertility and Demographic Collapse” 2008 - “A Heart under My Heart” 2009 - “A Sea of Children Smiles”

2010 - “A Look into Male Infertility” 2011 – “ First Steps: Diagnostics & Prophylaxis2012 – “Give a Hand: Society and Infertility”2013 – “To Donate Life”2014 – “10 Years Zachatie Association”2015 – “The Long Way: Unexplained Infertility”

We organized 4 parallel peaceful civil marches with balloons in the 4 largest Bulgarian cities during the our second event in the capital Sofia . The aim was to attract the attention of responsible government institutions to the problems of infertility in the country.

5. The Awareness Campaign for TeenagersIn 2011, we launched our ongoing awareness campaign, aimed at the young people between 13 and 19 years of age. It is called “Stay In the Loop: Your Reproductive Health” and the goal is to inform the teenagers about the basics of human reproduction and the risks for their reproductive health.

Main activities: Distribution of specially designed and developed colour booklets for him

and for her among the teenagers in 9th-10th high school grade Special classes on reproductive health in the high schools, particularly in

the countryside – held by trained Zachatie volunteers and medical specialists

Development and maintenance of a dedicated web site with discussion forums and a Facebook page for interaction with the target audience and better reach

Start date: June 2011, with a big concert in Varna, Bulgaria

Achieved so far:

1. Design and development of the 2 brochures – for him and for her2. Found sponsor for printing of 5000 copies of the brochures3. 30 schools in 17 different cities visited, 30 Lectures taught, 5000

brochures distributed4. Created Facebook page for the campaign5. Launched web site of the campaign6. Participation with information stand in the Annual High Schools Fair in

Sofia, 2012

Funding: We managed to find only one sponsor so far who paid for the first 5000 copies of the brochures. All the rest is a volunteer work.

Links:

1. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stayinIntheloop2. Web site: http://www.stayintheloop.zachatie.org/3. Brochure for him: http://issuu.com/zachatie/docs/boys_a6_5000?

mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=CCCCCC&showFlipBtn=true

4. Brochure for her: http://issuu.com/zachatie/docs/girls_a6_5000?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=CCCCCC&showFlipBtn=true

Funding “Zachatie” Association is funded entirely and solely by donations, membership fees and infertility-related advertisement on our web site.

Contacts:www.zachatie.orge-mail: zachatie@gmail.com