This is an interview of uspelite.bg with Deyan Yankov. He shares insights of the “Trotoara” foundation new project – T.R.A.P. – and tells us more about the major role young people have in the society, about the inspiration and the great feeling you get from doing things for other people, about a dream that is on its way to become a reality.
Deyan Yankov is the founder of “Trotoara” Foundation – a project dedicated to the young people in Bulgaria. He has engaged with the not so easy task to create a place where youngsters could do what they love, to communicate and change the world together. We had a chat with him so he could share more about the idea and the vision of the place for inspiration and art – T.R.A.P.
Why “Trotoara” (The curb)
“Trotoara” is the meeting point. The place where all of us started from, we’ve met and we’ve separated. The motion, the chaos and the order at the same time. I love sitting on the curb and feeling the world that surrounds me.
Tell us more about T.R.A.P.
T.R.A.P. has been my dream for more than 10 years. A place where young people will feel like home, they will be able to express themselves and to communicate with other youngsters. To share their skills and knowledge, to grow and to explore the world. To receive guidance by teachers and mentors, to discover themselves and the things that inspire them. A place created in consistency with their needs, desires and interests.
Inspiration for new skills and knowledge for young people, very different from the things taught in school – they give you some useful knowledge but doesn’t tell you how to cope with life and how to communicate. The family is also important but young people need to believe in themselves, to develop their personalities and self-confidence. They need to create their own values and to communicate with people like them.
The unique personalities are born in the process of art, when you overcome obstacles and problems, when you set goals and you work to achieve them. In the process of dreaming, inspiring yourself, discovering and exploring the universe and the people.
What are the activities that will take place in T.R.A.P.? Who will help with them?
The activities we have chosen are mainly in four fields:
Art – music, dancing, drawing, acting
Workshops and crafting – creation of works with one’s own skills , bicycle repairing
Ecology, caring for nature – environmentally friendly lifestyle, outside activities, cleaning in the city and in the nature, awareness campaigns, cycling encouraging
Meetings and communication – presentations, trainings, seminars, screenings, events organization, concerts, exhibitions, performances and other activities, in which young people will actively participate
All of this will be free for young people
At the moment we have collected a little more than 7500$ from donations via Globalgiving (for any future donations please use the Generosity platform). We need 4 times this amount so we can finish the repairment of the place we have found. At the beginning we want T.R.A.P. to be funded by society – the people and the business. Their support will give us the confidence that we are on the right path. Society and your target audience should support what you are doing, they should like it and should trust you. Because money is only one of the factors that make a project successful. And never the base.
Where does the inspiration for this idea come from?
From the music, from playing the guitar, from the Swedish affiliate of Save the children and their project in Dupnitza – Rock Academy. From the 16 years old metal fans and artists, from the Irish dancing and the theatre, from the bicycle evolution, from the light in the eyes of the people standing on the curb, from their limitless energy. From the books, the dreams, the music, the dancing, the nature, the sea, from Beatles and Beethoven.
From our broken society. It may sound strange, but nothing inspires me more than problems and obstacles. There is no happiness bigger than this to come across a new obstacle that seems impossible to overcome.
What is the thing that will help you attract young people to music, dancing and theatre?
Actually, we don’t want to attract youngsters to music, dancing, theatre and the other things we are doing. We want to use these things as tools for turning on and off, if I may say so. To make them communicate, find their own values, to be happy with what they do no matter what it is.
What are your goals for next year?
We want to officially open T.R.A.P. in the beginning of Spring. To complete the repairment, to fill the place with young people who will be able to work together at the beginning of Summer.
What you will not stop at in order to see your idea become a reality?
The right question is what we will stop at. We will stop at nothing. Actually, it’s the easiest when you have a goal. After this, the only thing you have to do is to find the way to achieve it. Simple and easy, nothing more.
If you have to convince one young person to stay in Bulgaria, how will you do this?
I would never do such a thing. You have to travel, to discover the world, to find yourself, to find your inspiration, your place under the Sun.
I have worked abroad, I have travelled a lot, I have no worries working and living anywhere in the world. I have chosen to stay here because there are things to fight with, because here it is hard, because here the challenge is real.
Because here I breathe my own air, because I love this land, the history, the people, the sea, the mountains, the curbs.
What is more, Bulgarians abroad support our initiative a lot.
Tell us something so we can leave the end open
It is important to know that doing good, charity and society support are:
1. Mandatory for these who want to live in a better society
2. A never ending process. The society doesn’t stop existing after a single donation or one voluntary initiative. If we want to constantly live well, there must be consistency in our actions as well.
The investment in young people is the most long-term investment with the highest return on investment in the world.
If you like the project, make a donation, share it on your wall, help us share it with your colleagues, make contact between us and your managers, so they can become our sponsors. Contact us – we will give you all the information and materials needed.
If you also believe that the future depends on young Bulgarians and you want to help turning T.R.A.P. into reality, you can do it in the Global Giving website. You can follow the progress of the project on the “Trotoara”Foundation facebook page.
This post is also available in: Bulgarian
