I’ve been putting off writing this post for a while now because I’m not sure how to put into words what it’s like working here. If you don’t know by now, I have been assigned to the local orphanage in town, which also serves as the orphanage for the entire Shumen region as well as for the Targovishte region. However, I feel that you all deserve to know how life is here for children without parents.
I have been tasked with the responsibility of coordinating activities for the kids to do after school. I also help with homework and tutor. Right now I lead an English class for the older kids and also for the staff. When my Bulgarian gets better I'm going to be doing a life skills class as well. I do a fair amount of just hanging out and talking with the kids as well.
I work in an old Soviet era blok building (like so many other places here). The children come from families that either do not want them or do not have the money to support them. Others have been legally removed from abusive or neglecting homes. This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. About half of the kids here are considered minorities in Bulgaria. The minorities include Roma (“gypsy”) and Turkish children. The rest are ethnic Bulgarian. There is some racial tension between the ethnic Bulgarians and the Roma children.
All in all I have a lot of hope to make a difference here. I want to role model effective discipline strategies, implement some regular activities for the children here, and make some kind of daily schedule for the children here. All in all, my plans aren't very specific right now, but I feel that some sort of structure will greatly benefit the kids here, at least in the short term.
I'll be sure to keep you in the loop about what is going on here at the orphanage in Preslav... I know that this post has been pretty vague, but I can't really express my experience here into words right now. Just wanted to let you know that, yes, I am doing something here...
Until next time...
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