Just a short drive from Bulgaria’s Balkan Mountains you will find the village of Tulovo, situated on a main road between two larger cities. Made up of about 1,300 people, the population is evenly split between ethnic Bulgarians and Roma peoples. The cultural divide is obvious and compelling. On the far side of the village, in the Roma quarter, is a small, humble building which is home to the evangelical church, predominantly attended by Roma. They gather for loud, joyful celebratory services twice weekly - God moves deeply in this place!
Bulgarians are people of faith, with about 85% of the population claiming Eastern Orthodoxy as their faith. A large majority of these are nominal adherents, rarely stepping inside the church. Protestants, on the other hand, make up just over one percent of the population.
Together with local believers, we are working to reach the most vulnerable through living and sharing practical faith. We seek to raise up mature Christ-followers, both Roma and ethnic Bulgarian, who recognize and step into their God-given calling to influence and transform Tulovo. Our greatest dream is to see growing understanding, and ultimately reconciliation, between the estranged Roma and ethnic Bulgarian population.
We seek a compassionate and bold individual to serve as Health Advocate in Tulovo. We are working to expand outreach through community health education. As this is a new focus for us, there will be lots of groundwork including listening to concerns of the community, connecting with and gaining the trust of the local medical workers, and completing a health needs assessment. Our hope is to help the community and individuals to see their health priorities realized.
In this role you will be a voice for the Tulovo community, with a focus on the often-neglected piece of prevention, especially coordinating discussions on various health education topics. If you are passionate about community health, a self-starter, and want to serve a vulnerable population with gaps in preventative healthcare, this is the opportunity for you.
The Goer will be expected to learn the Bulgarian language to a basic conversational level once on the field
A commitment to Christ and passion to share the ways of Jesus with others
A college minor or major in public health or similar would be helpful
A passion for teaching faith-based community health holistically
Skill and ability to create practical lessons and implement them around community health topics relevant to the local population
Healthcare Mentor to Youth
Workshop Facilitator
