Charity Association “Margarity” wasfounded in 2018 with headquarters in Bulgaria, but actually its team consists of six people in total, Muslims from Bulgaria, who live in three different countries in Europe.

Who are in fact the people with the “golden hearts”, who are behind “Margarity”, what is their motivation in the charity work which they develop on several continents, how do they success and how far do their dreams reach…you will see in the interview which we took with them and which we present below to your attention:

We held the following interview with two representatives of the former management of the Charity Association “Margarity” – Varti Spepanyan and Yuliya-Amira Rizova (who just a few days ago officially announced that she leaves the organization).

1.    Would you please tell us how the idea of founding Charity Association “Margarity” was born two years ago?

Varti Stepanyan: We have been helping needy people even before the association was established, by sharing with our closest people our dream to reach a helping hand to the brothers and sisters who are in difficult situation and initially we were raising funds from friends and acquaintances. The interest, the attention and the support of the people around us moved the calm waters of our daily life and in a short time they have grown as a rising tide of hope, faith and optimism. The huge wave of generosity strengthened us and carried us towards the direction which we have chosen for our aim. In this way the desire for a larger-scale activity and spreading the idea of supporting poor, sick and suffering people, turned into the official registration of Charity Association “Margarity”.

2.    It is interesting how the team of “Margarity” was formed – it is a fact that it unites six people living in several different places in the world? Did you know each other before or the cause of the charity work connected you?

The six representatives of the current management of Charity Association “Margarity” (left) and Yuliya-Amira Rizova, who officially withdrew from the organization few days ago (right)

Varti Stepanyan: We boarded six people on the ship of the association with the intention to row together to the covenant shores of a better world. With Margarita Antova – the corps and the foundation, we know each other from 15 year ago, when life met us on Tenerife Island, and thanks to her I learned about and embraced Islam. Then the constant thirst to communicate with Muslims met us with Ranya Dauteva, from many years in London, who, as a porthole, helped us to see clearly and unambiguously what was happening around us. After we made a group in Facebook we also got in contact with Yuliya-Amira Rizova, who no longer a member of the association, but was a loyal captain and left a deep imprint in our short history with efficiency, creativity and performance; Krasimira Lilova from London, whose irreplaceable help, advices and wisdom protected us as like the sails of the ship protect it from the strong wind in the stormy sea of conjecture, uncertainty and tension; Mustafa Nalbantov from Pamplona (Spain) – the weight of the anchor that keeps us stable and protects us from the underwater currents, provided first aid as he stepped on the deck of the charity work, and Fatima Ismail-Kauash, who joined last but with the importance and invaluable protection of a lifebuoy with new power, energy and ideas.

3.    You are helping for different causes, literally in Bulgaria and all over the world. Would you tell us how you select and prioritize your various actions and initiatives and what is your working principle in such far places, like Africa for example?

Varti Stepanyan: The general idea around which we decided to unite and direct our efforts, was to help orphaned children in Bulgaria. Taking into consideration the difficult living conditions in our country, the disadvantaged children became our priority number one. It turns out that the causes themselves find and guide us, like lighthouses in the sea, thanks to people with whom we had the good fortune to meet and who help us. In this way the trust is complete, there is transparency, certainty and clarity. For example, we began helping in the refugee camps in Adana, because the responsible person there, Tamer, who had lived in Bulgaria, is a friend of Fatima Ismail-Kauash and explained us the situation of hundreds of families, who fell in extreme poverty and deprivation. We got in contact with the orphanage in Uganda thanks to Daniel Delibashev – the founder of “Smile for Africa” Foundation, whom we know from Facebook, we began to exchange experience, initiatives and intentions. Other activities of the association are driven by a certain need and situation for which we receive signals from people who know about our work – construction of a mosque, helping a family with burned-out house, surgery of sick people, families in need, etc. In this cases we publish separate posts with the appeal for help and the received funds we indicate in the comments, so that everyone can know what is raised and sent. In this way we unite different small islands into one archipelago under the general title “Charity”.

After successfully implemented initiative of Charity Association “Margarity” in Africa

4.    What is the greatest challenge which an NGO like Charity Association “Margarity” faces in its work?

Varti Stepanyan: Inevitably in the organization and the activities of the association appear also land mines in the form of challenges, difficulties and stressful situations. But the biggest one maybe is the fact that we are six people in three countries, which is a kind of a plus and an advantage but at the same time it makes difficulties to us in terms of the executive part, given that we have only one person in Bulgaria, responsible for almost everything. Another natural part of the essence of the association is the balance and the distinction between the personal and the professional life, the time dedicated to charity, affecting and experiencing the pain of the other, as well as the just assessment of the causes that we choose. We prefer to turn the challenges into ideas that motivate us and new horizons that we can manage to conquer with joint efforts.

5.    What gives you strength to continue to fight in the most difficult moments?

Varti Stepanyan: The engine with the inexhaustible fuel which not only gives us strength but also makes us feel calm, happy and satisfied with what we are doing, and also pulls us ahead, has always been and will be faith. The awareness of the real value of the work; the achieved results as the children’s smiles and the tears in the eyes of the adults; spreading the activities and the feeling of belonging to the big family of the believers… Everything this unites us, multiplies our charge, enthusiasm and strength. We cannot see from the surface of the water what the depths of the sea hide, but we trust the Almighty and progress bravely knowing also that beside us is the loyal team of all helpers and donors.

6.    In January 2020 you received the “Golden Heart’19” Award in category “NGO in action: “Supporting poor, sick and disadvantaged in Bulgaria, Africa and other countries”. Congratulations on that! How did it come to this nomination?

At the “Golden Heart’19” Awarding Ceremony

Yuliya-Amira Rizova: Thank you! The nomination came after my invitation in Business Lady Club in December. There I had the opportunity to present the organisation and its activities, after which we were invited at the awarding and we received the award along with several other organisations and companies. We dedicated the acknowledgement to the donors without whom the causes of any organisation would not be possible.

7.    Is “Golden Heart’19” the first such official recognition of your activity and what does it mean to you?

Varti Stepanyan: The award that we received from “Golden Heart” is indeed the first official recognition that came to us surprisingly and unexpectedly. The event showed us that our activities have not gone unnoticed, we had the opportunity to present the causes for which we are working, and to reach to a wider circle of people. But our aim and what gives us warmth and makes us feel good about ourselves is not one certificate, recognition or award. The only award for us remains the relief and the happiness in the eyes of the needy and their dua (supplication). To know that we have been useful for someone is an incomparable feeling, as vast as the sea, which words cannot express and which a piece of paper cannot gather.

8.    It is a fact that many of your activitiesand projects are similar to the social activities developed by the Muslim Denomination in Bulgaria. Are you open to joint projects and cooperation with the religious institution of the Muslims in our country?

 From the implementation of the “Da’wah” project of “Margarity” Association in the summer of 2019

Varti Stepanyan: It would be a pleasure to us to cooperate and work together with the Muslim Denomination in Bulgaria with which we share common interests and goals. In the summer of 2019 we already asked the Muslim Denomination for cooperation and we received translated editions of the Holy Qur’an in Bulgarian language for our “Da’wah” project which we implemented during the fairs in several villages. Another joint activity was also raising funds for the pilgrimage of Hajj of grandfather Yusein from the village of Chepintsi. We believe that the union of the Muslims under the general umbrella of charity can only contribute to better and more successful results and prosperity, to strengthen the activities and the initiative of the believers. To unite efforts and energy like the good swimmers and to help the people who cannot cope with the whirlpools of life, to get unharmed to the safe shore of serenity. Because is there a stronger connection than faith, more powerful strength than unity and greater satisfaction for the soul than righteous deeds?

9.    What are the ongoing projects that you implement at the moment and how people can join them?

Varti Stepanyan: Our present projects are four, with a particular focus on supporting orphaned children in Bulgaria with monthly aid. We have 21 children so far, some of whom with permanent sponsors, but we pray that after the dark night of such sad trial the sun of hope to illuminate more children. Another cause is the help for the Syrian camps in Adana with food packages, clothes, shoes and wood material for heating during the winter. Only 60 BGN are enough to dispel the thick clouds of the shortages of one family for a month and to flicker the stars for these miserable people as well. The construction of drinking water wells in three countries in Africa is another project of ours. The lack of this basic human need kills thousands of people a year and we pray to bring this good closer to the thirsty lips of more people, who have already reached the bottom of misery. Our last cause is also in Africa and is related to monthly aid for basic foodstuffs for nearly 50 children who stay in an orphanage in Uganda, where the food per a child costs 2 BGN a day and the happiness of their shining faces is unmeasurable. Anyone who wants can leave their share and contribute stone by stone to build together a dam which will stop the destructive wave of poverty.

For sending funds from abroad it is necessary to provide the following data to your bank:

Address: Central Cooperative Bank PLC, Bulgaria;

SWIFT CODE: CECBBGSF

IBAN : BG57CECB979010H8103700

Beneficiary name: Благотворително сдружение „Маргарити“/ Charity Association “Margarity”

In “reason” should be written the relevant cause for which the donation is made.

For donations from Bulgaria only IBAN and the name of the association is required.

Donations can be also done through PayPal to: IMCharity.net@yahoo.com 

One of the built wells in Africa in the framework of the “Jannah” project

10.  How do you imagine the development of the activities of Charity Association “Margarity” in the future or in other words – how far do your dreams go?

Varti Stepanyan: We have already opened the map of the charity and we have the necessary willingness, zeal and fervor to give a helping hand to more and more needy people in Bulgaria and abroad, to reach not only to every place in need, but to the special place in the heart, awakening the feelings of brotherhood and mutual help. Our desire and eagerness to provide help have no boundaries, but we only need volunteers on the board of charity and the fair wind of the donors. We do believe and pray to succeed in making the situation of the people in distress easier with the help of our wholehearted like-minded people and with the will of the Almighty – the most accurate and unmistakable compass and a guiding light.

11.  My last question is specially to Yuliya-Amira Rizova… Few days ago  you officially announced your withdraw from the association, which was quite unexpected turn. Would you share why after all the successes that the organization achieved you decided to leave “Margarity”?

Yuliya-Amira Rizova: Since the foundation and the registration of the association I have given a lot of myself and my time and I am not indifferent to what was achieved and done. But like many things start and end so does my path here. I leave it to the others to continue with the development of the organization and I wish them even greater successes. I am planning to direct my efforts in another direction, and charity will always be part of my life and activity, but it may no longer be so obvious to people. The personal circumstances do not allow me to work 100 % for the organization, and in this case this would not be me.

I am grateful to every donor for the supplications that they made for all of us and I hope that though I will not be part of the association, they would not forget me in their prayers. I wish success and ease from Allah to every person and organization that are dealing with charity in His Name.

Thank you for your time and for this interview. We heartily wish you to continue to be so sincere and successful in what you do! Keep the “gold” in your hearts and forward it to more and more people around you!

Interviewer: L. Chausheva

Photos: Archive of Charity Association “Margarity”