Fun in the sun
Trip Start
Aug 15, 2011
1
4
14
Trip End
Aug 31, 2011
Where I stayed
House of Joshua
Botevgrad, Sofia Region, Bulgaria
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Around 10% of the population of Bulgaria live in conditions like the ones you see in the pictures. There really are no easy solutions to the problems, predjudices and tensions that exist between Roma people and the self referring "white" Bulgarians. Decades of segredation and degredation have taken thier toll: there now exists a huge gap in the living standards and expectations between the two groups and for all the programmes and cash aimed at integration this seems unlikely to shrink any time soon.
The Trussell Trust takes an interest in individuals- the House of Opportunity Programme helps many young people abandoned by their Roma families and we seek to give them positive choices and so hopefully their kids will never have to live in places like these pictured here or face the trauma of being left in a state run institution. Many of the children on the Summer Camp are Roma too so we have a chance to help these kids at an earlier stage. The fact that they go to Lipnitsa School gives them a better start than most Roma kids as the school's director, Mr Petkov, has long advocated education as the best way to help these children have a chance at a better future.
This evening we had a party for Niki, one of our newest HoJ residents. Niki has had such a torrid time in state institutions that he cannot read or write. In addition to having some good food we gave him a childrens Bible to help him learn to read. Veneta, HoJ's house-parent, is also a primary school teacher and she has set a goal for Niki to be reading fluently this time next year.
Tomorrow the team has to get on the coach with the Lipnitsa kids and make tracks for Kranevo, on the Black Sea coast. An 03.30 start and then a seven hour bus ride with a group of children who are more prone than most to extended bouts of travel sickness. Rather us than you?
Comments
Looking forward to seeing all you guys on sunday!!! Keep up the good work and may God bless you all in so many ways :)
Love, shaun!x