Volunteer testimonial: Dobriyana Dimitrova
- January 13, 2025
Dobriyana Dimitrova has been working for HP for almost 14 years now and her career path is in the field of training and development. Her current position is leading the data and digital trainings for one of the biggest businesses of HP called Workforce Solutions. Her activities include managing the training of over 9,000 people annually in the field of digital skills covering topics such as AI, Programming with Python, Big Data, and other current topics in the field of digital work.
In the past five years, Dobriyana has led the volunteering team at HP Bulgaria, called Women’s Business Resource Group. This year she stepped down from the position so that she can focus on the expansion of the causes HP is helping with and is now enjoying the hands-on activities as a member. The volunteering team aims to support women in business, by providing them with advice, encouragement, and mentorship in order for them to secure a suitable job position and develop their careers.
“I am an active volunteer and it has always been important for me to give back to the community both on the local and the global level”
Additionally, HP conducts a global volunteering program called 40 Days of Doing Good, in which Dobriyana participates annually. This and similar HP campaigns encourage HP employees to get involved in meaningful causes by offering their time and expertise to those in need. The 40 Days of Doing Good campaign is a more focused initiative, bringing together organizations and partners like Humans in the Loop to collaborate with a group of volunteers on a project that benefits both parties.
In 2023, Dobriyana found out about Humans in the Loop through Time Heroes – a volunteering platform and network in Bulgaria. She was searching for opportunities to improve digital equity and was recommended to get in contact with us. Two years later we successfully finalized our second mentoring program together, which matched 15 HP volunteers with 15 people displaced by conflict from regions such as Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and Lebanon, equipping them with the necessary skills to succeed in the digital sphere.
Apart from organizing this program, Dobriyana has also been one of the dedicated volunteers in the first edition. She met four times with her mentee during the program, supporting him with building his LinkedIn profile and discussing his career development goals and she still keeps contact with him.
“I started this volunteer journey to give support and make a difference, but in the end, it feels like I was the one who gained the most from the experience”
For her, working with HITL has been easy and smooth, as proved by the funding our shared program has won in the past two consecutive years.