The Heart of the Other Bulgaria - a documentary about a small agency with a big mission

We work with more than 1000 Bulgarian organisations abroad, but in Bulgaria many people don't know we exist - says Rayna Mandjoukova, CEO of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad

published on 9/12/24 8:35 AM

Author: Elena Karkalanova

Rayna Mandjoukova

Photo: EABA

In the autumn of 1992, a decree of the Council of Ministers in Bulgaria established the Agency for Bulgarians Abroad to coordinate state policy towards Bulgarians living around the world. Its first president, Georgi Danailov, put together a team and the new organisation started functioning in the summer of 1993. Now officially known as the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad (EABA), it operates under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A documentary film, "The Heart of the Other Bulgaria", which will have its official premiere at the Central Military Club in Sofia on September 12, was made to mark the 30th anniversary.

"We made this film to show the people of Bulgaria that we exist," says Rayna Mandjoukova, the agency's current CEO. She adds, "But very often people and some institutions in Bulgaria still ask, 'What does this agency do?

To fill the knowledge gap, journalist Milena Milotinova has created a documentary that is both informative and moving. "Those who know the agency will not be surprised by unknown facts, but they will hear the appreciation of the people we work for. Those who do not know us will be very impressed by what we do," says Mandjoukova, briefly describing the content of the documentary.

Rayna Mandjoukova's career with the Agency for Bulgarians Abroad dates back to its very establishment. She was part of the first team formed over three decades ago and has since headed the agency twice. Reflecting on the early days, she recalls starting with just a sheet of typewritten addresses for eight Bulgarian organisations in Ukraine.

"Some colleagues who were responsible for other countries didn't have that many either. We collected these contacts bit by bit, and over time we not only expanded our network, but also gained credibility. We gave hope and confidence to Bulgarians abroad that a state institution had been created to look after them. Once the focus of our activities shifted, many of our compatriots simply stopped contacting the agency.

Ten years ago, suspicions of corruption in the issuing of certificates of Bulgarian origin seriously damaged the reputation of the state structure. People in Western Europe and America, who were in no way affected by the certificates of Bulgarian origin, had apparently decided that that was all this agency was for and that there was no reason to bother with it.

And so, in 2022, when I became executive director of what is now the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, I met people who didn't know it existed. They were active young people, leaders of associations of Bulgarians abroad, who were in contact with ministries and other institutions in Bulgaria to solve their problems, but they did not know that the agency existed".

Therefore, the challenge for Ms Mandjoukova and the current EABA team is to re-engage Bulgarians abroad with the agency. "I want us to restore the awareness and understanding that we are the channel through which our compatriots can address their problems with the state. Conversely, we also serve as a conduit through which Bulgaria can address some of its foreign policy concerns abroad," Raina Manjukova said in an interview with Radio Bulgaria.

Photos: EABA

Translated and posted by Elizabeth Radkova

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