Ivan Krastev Ivanov

Ivan Krastev Ivanov

Bulgaria

My name is Ivan Ivanov and I am 24 years old young and a social entrepreneur. I have 3 higher degrees to the very moment. 2 bachelor’s degrees (one in physical education and one in sports management) and a master’s degree in “Youth Activities and Sports”. In 2019 I was nominated for a student of the year for the whole of Bulgaria due to the excellent marks of my higher degrees and my social involvement. Since 2016 I was volunteer in different organisations supporting the local, regional and national communities and especially those with fewer opportunities and supporting the inclusion of socially excluded target groups, women and disadvantaged backgrounds and providing them opportunities for inclusion, increasing their soft skills, competencies and involving them in the decision-making process of local stakeholders.

Since my years as a volunteer in different organisations as a social worker, volunteer, traineeship and solitary active young person, I have gathered a strong background, and vast experience in social work and social entrepreneurship and I’ve established an organisation in the “poorest region in the European Union” – Montana, Bulgaria where actually is my hometown. The organisation is my personal initiative to support the region and to provide opportunities and equal opportunities for those with fewer opportunities to have a better life, a higher chance of inclusion and receive the most needed skills and competencies to be competitive in the labour market. Now our organisation starting from scratch is the biggest newcomer in Bulgaria and one of the top 3 social and sports organisations in Bulgaria. All of our projects are related to socially important topics such as inclusion, diversity, equal opportunities, climate change and inclusion through sports activities and supporting people with disabilities. With 3 brashness on a national level in Bulgaria and 1 in Sweden, we started to get bigger and stronger due to our experts and our strategy for supporting those with need, the GPS Dubai 2023 will be a unique opportunity to meet new people with similar point of view and goals, to expand my network in the field of social work and to exchange ideas which will lead to a higher expertise of me and delivering better outputs regarding the society.

The socially oriented organisation which I established is called “SPORTSROOM” with the main purpose to use the sports and non-formal educational methods as a tool for inclusion and for developing key skills and competencies in the youth and those with fewer opportunities. Now, almost 2 years (year and 11 months) we have already 35+ socially oriented projects on a topics such as: inclusion, gender equality, non-discrimination inside and outside the sports, involving the young people in the decision-making process and policy makers, the environmental and climate change issues and supporting the young people in need.

The initiative is highly important and with increased added value to the region due to the need of contributing and supporting the youth there. The socially excluded women and the people with fewer opportunities.