Against the backdrop of the increasing cases of early marriages among minors in our country, the International Youth Center in Burgas is holding a four-day training dedicated to prevention, health and first aid. Young people between 12 and 18 years old are participating in the initiative, and the program includes educational modules, practical workshops, sports activities and meetings with experts to support their personal development and informed choices, reports BNT.
Anelia Asenova, youth worker and educational mediator: “The first thing they tell us is that everything is decided in the family. If the family decides to get married at 12-13 years old, nothing can be done.”
Georgi Atanasov, educational mediator: “I observe that there are indeed quite common cases. But there are also many good examples. The parents of those who had no education or a minimalist education have begun to bet on their children and encourage and motivate them to continue, so that they do not have the same fate as their parents.”
Psychologists warn that early marriages hide a number of risks.
Rositsa Dimova, psychologist: “The disadvantages are that first they are immature. They remain illiterate. In the case of boys, they must also bear responsibility. In addition to becoming parents earlier, they must also be responsible for the upbringing of this young generation that they are creating.”
Traditional attitudes are proving to be an obstacle to their future realization.
Rositsa Dimova, psychologist: “This is a cultural tradition that is embedded in them. Many of them do not have a completed education, which accordingly does not give them the option to work well in the labor market.”
Maria Salabasheva, manager of the International Youth Center-Burgas: “If you do not interrupt your education to create a family at an age when you yourself are a child, then the world looks completely different. This is also our main approach.“
The initiative continues until September 11, with a focus on solutions that can change the future of young people.