NGO Bio-B-Eko was created on

Bio-B-Eko’s goals are:

1. Assisting on problems of environmental pollution in Borino and the surrounding region and raising environmental awareness
2. Improving the social and economic conditions in the community
3. Developing rural and ecotourism in the area
4. Fighting against corruption on both the local and regional levels

During the first 3 years, like many organizations in Bulgaria, we encountered many difficulties in finding ways to carrying out our ideas for the improvement of our municipality and our region. In 2003 a volunteer from Peace Corps, Aaron Wills, joined Bio-B-Eko. For Bio-B-Eko he has been an important factor, because with his help we have begun to classify problems and our priorities by importance, find ways to realize our ideas, and attain significant successes.

Bio-B-Eko has or is currently implementing the following grants/projects:

1)  Project “InfoCenter-Borino” financed by USAID for the creation of a tourist and community information center to serve the community and tourists visiting the region as well as creating an exhibit of local way of life and crafts. The project was implemented April – June 2004 with a budget of $5,500.

This project was quite bold and risky for Bio-B-Eko as an organization, because it was the first larger project proposal we had worked on. However, thanks to good project planning and the invaluable work of Aaron Wills in preparing and presenting the project it was approved for financing by USAID. The actual implementation of the project, the creation of the InfoCenter-Borino, was a great challenge for us as an organization because we are made up entirely of volunteers. We had no experience managing such an ambitious project. By the end of the project, 200 hundred hours volunteer labor came from members of Bio-B-Eko and other community members for the remodeling work alone, the first time in Borino volunteering was organized on such a scale. Aaron Wills participated in all phases of the project – with a hammer and on the computer, with his hands and with his intellect.

InfoCenter-Borino currently offers computer services, access to information on the internet and other sources, information on tourist attractions, hotels, guesthouses, and trekking trails in the region to tourists visiting the region. The center also contains an ethnographic exhibition which presents the colors, cultures, and traditions of the three ethnic groups of the region. Local handmade crafts are also offered for purchase to visitors. InfoCenter-Borino is currently self-supporting and continues to develop and expand its activities under the management of Bio-B-Eko. We feel it is a great example of a small grant creating a sustainable institution that serves the community and visitors to the region.

2)  Project “For a more active eco-community in Borino” financed by Foundation EcoCommunity for the cleaning of the Borino River, popularizing the natural attraction Devil’s Bridge, and raising the environmental awareness of the local community. The project was implemented June – October 2004 with a budget of $2,600.

3)  Project “Capacity Development of Bio-B-Eko” financed by USAID for the creation of a tourism themed website for the Borino Municipality and the study of the possibilities for the building of an attractive, one-of-a-kind trekking trail “Devil’s Trail” (Borino-Devil’s Bridge-Yagodina Cave). The project was implemented (December 2004 – August 2005) with a budget of $4,520.67.

The website you are currently visiting was created as part of this project and is currently maintained and updated locally at InfoCenter-Borino. Members of Bio-B-Eko were trained in web design and use of this website’s administrative system as part of the project to guarantee the updating and upkeep of the website and therefore its relevance for interested tourists. The study of the possibility the trekking trail “Devil’s Trail” was completed in August 2005. We are now working on creating a grant proposal for the trail and researching possible sources of funding. The creation of “Devil’s Trail” is part of Bio-B-Eko’s strategy for creating new and unique tourist attractions in the Borino region.

4)  Project “Borino Center for Community Education” financed by a donation from Mr. Sol Polansky (former ambassador of the U.S. in Bulgaria 1987-1990). The goals of the project are to address the lack of educational opportunities and community space accessible to all regardless of ethnicity, political allegiance, or age in the community of Borino. The center, when completed, will host community education classes, mostly in the computer technology field, as well language classes and be open for use by the school for the showing of educational programming. This center will be an expansion to the current activities of InfoCenter-Borino. The project is currently being implemented (June-October 2005) with a budget of $12,203.48.

Please contact us if you would like more information about our organization or our current activities at bio_b_eko@borino.org or ++359 3042 2787. Information on our most recent activities can be found in the news section of this website.

Gallery - NGO Bio-B-Eko