Emil Lichev and Peter Bodurov are two young, active and ambitious people. There are many things that bind them together, but the most important is their optimism and belief that change starts from the person himself or herself. Realizing the power and beauty of this change, these young people from the city of Shumen in North-eastern Bulgaria are starting to act in order to see a positive change take place in the own environment.

Some of the ideas they worked on together are Youth Sphere, Youth Street Art Festival “Shumen i buden” (Loud and Awake), Recycle Art. All projects aimed at improving the urban environment and promoting an active citizenship of youngsters.

The reason for contacting them was their latest accomplishment - the Library in the Tree project, in one of the city's central parks, which opened on December 8.

"We want to live in a more beautiful city with more interesting sights, so we decided to turn this tree into something useful for people," Emil Lichev says.

The young people spotted an old tree and found out that the Municipality was planning to cut it down. Immediately their inspiration came - to turn it into a library. They saw it as yet another way to apply their knowledge, skills and resources to the benefit of their city and their fellow citizens. They contacted the Municipal Youth Council, made a visualization of their idea and presented it to the council chairman Petar Bodurov. So, step by step, they went all the way from their idea to transforming the old tree into a small eco-library.

Emil Lichev is an interior designer, and Peter Bodurov is an economist and financier by profession, also the chairman of the Shumen Municipal Youth Council and the Improve Foundation:

“It's a young organization. Our goal is to work in several directions. Involvement in the urban environment and civic engagement, i.e. to work with volunteers, to promote volunteering as a goal so that more young people can spend their time meaningfully helping and transforming the community around them,” explains Peter Bodurov.

But while Emil, Peter and the volunteers are trying to improve the environment they live in, there are other people who think differently. For example, the vandals who have repeatedly destroyed part of the Youth Sphere - a space for artistic performances in one of the city's parks. There are pessimists, as well - like the taxi driver we talked to about The Library in the Tree – people who support the youngsters but are sad to see how beautiful things get destroyed sometimes, intentionally.

"Which is better? To have something or to have nothing? Our philosophy is to do something, to make it look as good as possible, and to think of how to protect it in the first place,” says Peter Bodurov. "Our expectations are based on the goals and projects we have set for 2020. My philosophy is that what happens with my life and to some extent with society depends on me. If I am active, if I propose and implement any ideas that can be embraced by other people, then in some humble way I can influence the environment I live in."

The anthem of the city of Shumen goes like this “This is where Bulgaria starts…” However, in our Bulgaria at the moment it is often said that young people are leaving it. "What I see from my acquaintances and friends is that many young people are beginning to return to Bulgaria. This trend, in which the young people at all costs were seeking to go abroad, to escape from Bulgaria, is already diminishing," Petar believes.

As for Shumen, he is optimistic in his forecasts. He says there is a movement of young people leaving school and going to study in other cities or countries. But when the time comes to start their own families, whether because of their loved ones or because of the cleaner air, they tend to return to their hometown. And this has a favourable effect on the economy of the entire region.

Photos: private library