The HALO Foundation has presented the awards in the first "Faces of Haskovo" contest, the organisers said. The ceremony took place at the Regional History Museum in Haskovo, where an exhibition of all the contest photos opened in the foyer.

The exhibition marks National Revival Figures' Day. It shows photos and stories of local people and stays open for one week.

Twelve people took part, each sending photos and a personal story about someone in the municipality who had changed the lives of others. Every author received a certificate, and there were prizes for the top three places.

Bozhana Ilieva took first place with her story "When the Heart Chooses a Home". It is about Iliya Iliev from Haskovo, who works tirelessly and selflessly to improve the village of Mandra. "In a world where we often wait for someone else to take the first step, Iliya reminds us how much change one person can make," the winner said.

Maria Somleva, a photographer and volunteer at the foundation, came up with the idea for the contest and sat on the five-member jury. The other four members are Tsonka Pavlova, an expert in marketing, advertising and storytelling. Krasimira Slavova, a journalist at BTA. Veselina Uzunova, the museum's director. And the artist Antonia Kostova.

The contest is a new project in the foundation's culture work, its manager Kristina Yordanova said. She said the aim is to tell the stories of people who matter to someone: "They don't have to be public figures, they can be heroes to someone."

The stories are varied and cover people from different walks of life, Yordanova added. The foundation wants to draw attention to good examples in the community, encourage more stories about people who do good, and bring those stories to a wider audience.

Yordanova would like to see the contest run again next year.