A social initiative empowering women in Bulgarian villages partnered with a leading IT company to support rural revitalization.

Baba Residence

Baba Residence (Baba in Bulgarian means “grandma”) is the initiative of Ideas Factory - a platform that unites active people in the country and abroad, who create threads of connection at places where they are scarce. Baba Residence connects urban youth with elderly from diverse Bulgarian villages. Participants, or residents, live in village elderly households for 1 month. As a result of the interaction between them, specific products, services and initiatives based on local knowledge and which answer to specific needs of villagers come out.

The enterprise empowers women from 11 villages by providing financial support for their households and emotional and psychological well-being through preservation of traditional crafts.

The model of Baba Residence emphasises the revitalization of rural Bulgaria through community-driven initiatives. Hence, bring together urban and rural communities, creating intergenerational connections that help to preserve Bulgarian heritage while providing economic opportunities to sustain local traditions.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is a leading information technology company, providing solutions such as servers, cloud services, storage devices, networking products, and more. With a global presence, HPE partners with social enterprises as part of its sustainability and social impact initiatives.The Sofia site in Bulgaria is now the second largest HPE hub worldwide with over 1600 talented, diverse, and motivated team members.

Partnership

Since 2018, Ideas Factory has partnered with HPE, supplying the company with handmade products and providing its employees with team-building experiences that vary from agricultural activities, embroidery and knitting, making bread and renovation of old furniture to lessons on traditional dance and music. The collaboration has resulted in two successful team-building events and the purchase of over 500 pairs of handmade socks and 2000 souvenirs. This partnership creates a unique bridge between the rural and urban worlds, building meaningful cross-sector relationships while promoting the cultural heritage of Bulgaria’s rural communities.

HPE's involvement extends beyond purchasing products; their team-building sessions and annual bazaars create deeper understanding and connections between their employees and the rural women they support. These activities help to sustain local traditions, strengthen community bonds, and promote Bulgaria's unique cultural heritage

"Our collaboration with Ideas Factory includes annual bazaar events, awareness sessions, and meaningful team-building experiences in rural villages. Through this partnership, we’ve learned the value of perseverance and the deep impact of community-driven efforts."

- Boyan Zahariev, Account Support Manager, HPE

Since the partnership’s inception, both parties have gained invaluable insights into the power of social responsibility. The long-term collaboration continues to evolve, focusing on expanding the reach of Baba Residence to more villages and increasing the positive social impact.

"Our social enterprise makes an invisible connection between the city and the village, making people more visible! Every little support and opportunity for intergenerational meetings leaves a lasting mark on people's hearts."

- Militsa Dzhandzhova, Manager, Baba Residence (Ideas Factory NGO)

Impact and Social Value

The partnership between Baba Residence and HPE has generated substantial social and environmental impact. Employees of HPE have developed a greater understanding and empathy toward the elderly population in rural Bulgarian villages. Many have become more conscious of their own elderly relatives and have shown increased interest in supporting rural communities, with some even considering relocating to or purchasing homes in these villages. By engaging rural women in economic activities such as craft production, it ensures that these villages continue to thrive. The program enables rural women to continue producing high-quality handmade products while passing on their knowledge of traditional crafts to younger generations.

Key metrics of impact:

Over 60 women from various villages are employed through the social enterprise.
50% of the women have reported improved mental health and well-being.
Increased awareness and interest in rural revitalization among HPE employees.