Pay it Forward Project

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Pay it Forward Project
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Project Overview
Pay it Forward Project

• The Foreign language High School and the Regional
  Public Library in Pazardjik, Bulgaria had
  extremely limited resources to offer to students
  and people from the community. Realizing the
  importance of computer literacy and knowledge of
  foreign languages, Angel Kelchev, member of San
  Francisco Rotary, initiated this project to
  provide both institutions with up-to-date
  computer and media equipment. He partnered with a
  number of Rotary and Rotaract clubs as well as
  with other service organizations, making it
  possible to raise 25,000 for the project
• The funds were used for the purchase of computer
  and media equipment worth 25,000 to be installed
  at the Foreign Language High School and at the
  Regional Public Library in Pazardjik
• 36 customized PCs with flat screens and 1
  laptop
  
• 3 projectors
• 3 projector screens
• 4 printers
• 4 scanners
• Network supplies
• 1,000 High School students and more than 10,000
  registered readers directly benefited from the
  donation
  
• The project was officially unveiled on September
  3rd, 2007 in Pazardjik where many Rotarians,
  public servants, local business people and
  students attended. The United States Ambassador
  to Bulgaria John Beyrle sent a representative of
  his to attend the opening ceremony and committed
  to attending the opening ceremony the following
  year for the planned renovation of the Childrens
  Library in Pazardjik

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Foreign Language High School, Pazardjik, Bulgaria
Pay it Forward Project
Before
After
Components and Amount Fundraised
20 customized PCs with flat screens
2 projectors 2 projector screens 2 printers 2
scanners
Network supplies
15,000
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Opening Ceremony
Pay it Forward Project
Commentary
Up Rotary members, public servants, business
people and students gathered at the Foreign
Language High School for the opening ceremony of
the Pay it Forward project Right Based on an a
ncient tradition a priest said a prayer and
blessed the benefactors, the school and its
students. Everyone got a piece of bread with salt
or honey
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Opening Ceremony Contd
Pay it Forward Project
Commentary
Diagonal Angel Kelchev and Ivan Popov, president
of Pazardjik Rotary Club, officially unveiled the
two new computer labs at the Foreign Language
High School Up Left Based on an ancient tradit
ion everyone got a piece of bread with salt or
honey, thus blessing the donation and honoring
the benefactors
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Opening Ceremony Contd
Pay it Forward Project
Commentary
Diagonal Angel Kelchev and Ivan Popov, president
of Pazardjik Rotary, in one of the two newly
opened computer labs Up Angel Kelchev and Peter
Hristov, past president of Pazardjik Rotary
Left Group picture of the key Rotarians involved
in the project
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Regional Public Library, Pazardjik, Bulgaria
Pay it Forward Project
Before
After
Components and Amount Fundraised
16 customized PCs with flat screens
1 laptop 1 projector 1 projector screen 2 prin
ters
2 scanners
10,000
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The Library prior to the Project
Pay it Forward Project
Commentary
Diagonal A librarian receiving a little girl
lacks any equipment to speed up her work or
organize readers records Left Up Library staf
f was employed in manual processes because of
lack of functioning computer equipment
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The Library prior to the Project Contd
Pay it Forward Project
Commentary
All The library had to offer inadequate
resources, dated computer equipment, manual
processes and slow service to readers
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Opening Ceremony Contd
Pay it Forward Project
Commentary
Diagonal Ivan Popov, president of Pazardjik
Rotary and Angel Kelchev unveiled the donation at
the Regional Public Library in Pazardjik
Left Ivan Evstatiev, Mayor of Pazardjik, cut the
ribbon at the library and invited the quests to
tour the facilities Up Peter Hristov, past presi
dent of Pazardjik Rotary, congratulated Angel
Kelchev on successfully leading the project
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Opening Ceremony Contd
Pay it Forward Project
Commentary
Diagonal Up Local folklore dancers greeted the
Mayor and Angel Kelchev with traditional bread
and salt and invited them for a tour
Left One of the regular readers at the library
thanked the Mayor and Angel Kelchev for this
major gift
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Opening Ceremony Contd
Pay it Forward Project
Commentary
All Some of the computer new clusters built at
the Regional Public Library allowing the staff to
be more effective and the readers to get access
to modern technology and information from Internet
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Opening Ceremony Contd
Pay it Forward Project
Commentary
Diagonal Local ensemble of folklore artists
entertained the guests Up Many guests came to h
onor the opening of this project including a
representative of the US Ambassador to Bulgaria
John Beyrle. He was unable to attend but
committed to be present at the opening of next
years planned project in the Childrens library
in Pazardjik Up Group picture of Pazardjik Rotar
ians, local business people and public servants
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Conclusion
Pay it Forward Project
Foreign Language High School
Regional Public Library

• The major donation given to the Foreign Language
  High School directly impacted approximately 1,000
  students and drastically improved their academic
  experience. Furthermore, this equipment was made
  available to people from the outside community by
  having qualified instructors give classes in
  computer literacy and foreign languages. These
  revenue generating initiative was designed by the
  project leader Angel Kelchev and the High School
  principal in order to make the project
  self-sustainable. The fees generated through
  these classes are used for equipment maintenance
  and for the general needs of the school
• Students from the Foreign Language High School
  and members of the outside community now have
  access to up-to-date technology. Computer skills
  are an inseparable part of most jobs nowadays and
  this project has had a major impact on the
  community and its access to modern education

The major donation given to the Regional Public
Library directly impacted more than 10,000
registered readers. The computer and media
equipment donated streamlined the working
processes in the library, allowed for
digitization of readers records, book and
newspaper catalogs, Internet access for readers
and much more. This gift drastically improved the
experience of the readers who are now able to
obtain information on a global level through
Internet. Furthermore, the Library Director and
the project leader Angel Kelchev designed
computer literacy and foreign language classes
for people with limited resources from the
outside community Readers at the Regional Public
Library and members of the outside community now
have access to up-to-date technology and are able
to advance their computer and foreign language
skills. They are all aware of the importance of
such knowledge nowadays and this project has
brought them closer to their professional and
academic goals
This project is a result of the collaboration and
joint efforts of multiple Rotary and Rotaract
clubs as well as other service organizations. It
comes as a follow up to the Computers for
Bulgaria project from 2006 when 25,000 worth of
computer equipment was donated to the
Mathematical High School of Pazardjik, Bulgaria.
Such initiatives bring closer Rotarians and other
actively engaged individuals from all over the
world and promote cultural understanding and
tolerance
Service Above All
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Appendix
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Computers for Bulgaria Project Participation
Clubs and Organizations
Key Participants
Project Leader

• Mr. Angel Kelchev
• Rotaract District 5170 Governor 2006-2008
• www.kelchev.com
• kelchev_at_gmail.com

Rotary Clubs
Rotaract Clubs
Key Participants
Mr. Walter Hays, Past President of Palo Alto
Rotary, CA Mr. Robert Rose, WSC Chair at Bellevue
Rotary, WA Mr. Donn Wadley, Rotaract District 51
70 Chair, CA Mr. Petar Hristov, Pazardjik Rotary
President, Bulgaria Ms. Maria Lazarova, Stanford
Rotaract member
Other
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Give Sight Project Participation
Clubs and Organizations
Key Participants
Project Leaders
Rotary Clubs

• Mr. Pradeep Rajendran
• Stanford Rotaract President
• psrajend_at_stanford.edu

Mr. Angel Kelchev Rotaract District 5170 Governor
06-08
www.kelchev.com kelchev_at_gmail.com
Rotaract Clubs
Key Participants
Mr. Walter Hays, Past President of Palo Alto
Rotary, CA Mr. Robert Rose, WSC Chair at Bellevue
Rotary, WA Mr. Donn Wadley, Rotaract District 51
70 Chair, CA Mr. Petar Hristov, Pazardjik Rotary
President, Bulgaria Mr. Don MacKenzie, Palo Alto
University Rotary President, CA
Dr. R.V. Ramani, Coimbatore Rotary Past
President, India Dr. S.V. Kandasamy, Coimbatore R
otary Past President, India Mr. J. Ravi, Coimbato
re Rotary President, India
Other
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Pay it Forward Project Participation
Clubs and Organizations
Key Participants
Project Leader

• Mr. Angel Kelchev
• San Francisco Rotary Member
• Past Rotaract District 5170 Governor 06-07
• www.kelchev.com
• kelchev_at_gmail.com

Rotary Clubs
Key Participants
Rotaract Clubs
Mr. Robert Rose, WSC Chair at Bellevue Rotary,
WA Mr. Walter Hays, Past President of Palo Alto R
otary, CA Mr. Donn Wadley, Rotaract District 5170
Chair, CA Mr. Ivan Popov, Pazardjik Rotary Presi
dent, Bulgaria Mr. Peter Hristov, Past Pazardjik
Rotary President, Bulgaria Mr. Rosen Antov, Past
Pazardjik Rotary President, Bulgaria
Ms. Maria Lazarova, Stanford Rotaract member
Other
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