The seeds of the Curative Education and Social Therapy Initiative were planted with the start of a three-year training in anthroposophical curative education in 2006. More than 40 interested people participated. For this the association Opora was founded, which was necessary for the cohesion. It is still active today with a publishing house for anthroposophical books, especially translations from the Karl König Archive.
In recent years, other new initiatives have emerged that have their roots in the field of social therapy and practical anthroposophy. These include our art therapy group, a eurythmy group and a singing group.
We from Sofera convened a round table in February 2020 and presented our young initiative. Here, interest in cooperation between all parties involved became clear.
- Sofera is a social farming project with an inclusive farm, which operates a CSA with the community. Likewise, therapeutic-pedagogical meetings for families with children and adolescents with assistance needs take place here. Behind this is the desire that they consciously choose a common way of living and working together in an inclusive community.
- Sofera also serves as an internship site for school groups from alternative schools, especially from the Waldorf School in Sofia, who are interested in action pedagogy and biodynamic agriculture.
- Sofera is also a workshop experiment where students meet and combine spiritual and communal impulses with gardening and art.
- Sofera is the place for the regular meetings for the production of the biodynamic preparations with the working group ‘Biodynamics’ in Bulgaria.
Our headquarters is located in a beautiful special region of southern Bulgaria: in the valley of the Struma River at the foot of the Pirin Mountains with its almost 3000m high peaks, where hot mineral water springs and mountain rivers characterize the landscape. Nearby is a marble quarry. Since the 90’s the village has become a center with various artists and sculptors with whom we have a creative cooperation.
What we have accomplished in the past four years:
- 35 families participated in our therapeutic-educational meetings.
- We assisted students with various agricultural and social projects over several weeks.
- We received five groups of volunteers.
- We have planted 25 hectares with fruit trees.
- We have 20 families involved in Solidarity Farming.
- We keep different small animals as therapeutic helpers.
- We hosted a four-day eurythmy seminar in our newly opened hall this year.
- We have managed to do all this without any government funding, thus preserving our independence.
At the upcoming fall meeting 2022 in Dornach we will offer a working group. Here we will discover and practice our therapeutic attitude in a poetic and sensory way through the observation of plants: Healing Gardens to Support People with Assistance Needs.
By Irina Paparo, June 2022
Contact: info@sofera.org
Council contact: Sonja Zausch (s.zausch@inclusivesocial.org)
