Sofia, 1 September, 2010. Today bTV and UNICEF announced that the new mission of the charity show will be to raise funds for closing down the care facility for infants aged 0-3 in the city of Shumen. In pursuit of this goal, UNICEF intends to set up a network of services and measures in support of families and parents of infants, which will evolve into a model for closing down infant care facilities and abandonment prevention. The slogan of the programme is: 'A family for every child!'
'The greatest success of The Magnificent Six in the first season was that it effectively supported the creation of a state-funded model for closing down all care establishments for disabled children. The long-term goal of the second edition will be to launch a closure model for infant care facilities. It is our joint mission with UNICEF to enable all Bulgarian children to grow up in a family', Apostol Penchev, director of the Television Programmes Dept. of bTV Media Group commented.
Diana Vakarelska from UNICEF emphasised on the negative effect of facility placement on babies. It triggers irreversible consequences on the child's development and deprives him/her of any chances to enjoy a normal life. Most children end up in care facilities because their parents are poor and cannot manage their residential, financial or health problems. 'Our work in Mogilino showed us that we have to focus our efforts on the youngest ones', Ms. Vakarelska added.
Valentina Simeonova, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy pointed out that the government's policy took on from the first edition of The Magnificent Six and added sustainability and continuation to the project for closing down the care establishment in Mogilino. The closure of infant care homes was yet another governmental priority laid down in the Vision of Deinstitutionalisation.
Ani Salich, UNICEF's Goodwill Ambassador, will host this season of The Magnificent Six, too. Global Films will be the executive producers and Magardi Halvadzhiyan will be directing. The Magnificent Six features a series of concerts of 6 famous Bulgarian singers in duets with 6 other publicly known figures. Theatre, sports and media celebrities will be invited. The stars' participation in the bTV show will be entirely gratuitous. The programme will be positive, with no scandal and plotting between the participants, so as to be wholeheartedly enjoyed by an audience in all age ranges and generate support for its noble mission.
Similarly to the first season of The Magnificent Six, the three mobile operators М-Tel, Globul and Vivacom, as well as the Interactive Media Services Ltd. (in charge of tracking the SMS telephony) will work free of charge and 1 lev of the value of each donated SMS (BGN 1.20, VAT inclusive) will be contributed to the mission. bTV and UNICEF will ensure the full transparency in the expensing of all donations. Every step will be followed on bTV and PRO.BG news broadcasts, and paralleled by the official website of the show on the bTV page and the UNICEF website. Thus, donors will be updated on the progress of the project, the budget and all activities and costs in the closure of the care home in Shumen and the setting-up of social services to aid in the process. The spectators who donate an SMS during the show will receive regular information on the expensing of the funds, whereas mobile operators will deliver this reporting service for free.
About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
For more information, please contact: Tzvetelina Bonova, Communications Officer, UNICEF Bulgaria; tbonova@unicef.org, +359-2-96-96-207.
