The National Society Capacity Exchange and Enhancement Platform (NSCEP) project, a collaborative effort between the Turkish Red Crescent, Bulgarian Red Crescent, Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and British Red Cross, successfully held a skill-sharing meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria. The meeting, which took place from September 18 to September 20, aimed to enhance capacity and exchange knowledge among the participating organizations.

Hosted by the Bulgarian Red Cross at the Marinela Hotel, the skill-sharing meeting brought together representatives from each participating organization. The agenda included a wide range of topics related to protection, cash grant programs, health responses, conditional cash transfers for education, and emergency social safety nets.

The meeting commenced on September 18 with a warm welcome and introductions. The Bulgarian Red Cross led the discussions on topics such as RFL (Restoring Family Links) in Protection, cash grant programs, and cash for health within the Ukraine Response Appeal. The participants had the opportunity to engage in detailed conversations and share their expertise on cash for protection targeted at vulnerable refugees on the territory of Bulgaria.

On September 18, the Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina hosted a productive discussion, showcasing best practices and case studies related to Cash and Voucher assistance, Restoring Family Links, and Protection against Trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants displayed significant interest in obtaining comprehensive information about Restoring Family Links, particularly concerning its role in addressing challenges during the migrant crisis and times of conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On September 19, the focus shifted to the Turkish Red Crescent, where the participants delved into child protection and the cash components of the CCTE (Conditional Cash Transfer for Education) and ESSN (Emergency Social Safety Net) projects. The agenda also included a detailed explanation of the referral mechanism and specialized contents of the cash program, including data protection.

The skill-sharing meeting continued on September 20 at the British Red Cross. The participants explored various topics, including cash voucher assistance, hardship project overviews, cash case studies from Ukraine and Sudan, and protection against trafficking. Interactive sessions and discussions based on prior observations were conducted to benefit future project toolkits and methodologies.

The successful skill-sharing meeting in Sofia marked a significant step forward in the NSCEP project's progress. The exchange of knowledge and experiences among the participating organizations is expected to contribute to more robust and sustainable solutions in the areas of cash assistance, protection, and emergency response.