Bulgaria

In the July of 2006 a team of nine travelled to Bulgaria to aid the destitute children of its Romany gypsy population. The project was ten days in length and involved the renovation and maintenance of the live-in school in which a mere handful of the countries most deprived children are lucky enough to live during the academic months.

The school is a happy escape from the tough lives these kids lead in the gypsy camp – located on the outskirts of Kyustendil, a three hour journey from Bulgarias capital Sofia – they suffer from extreme poverty and its implications. Living conditions in the camp are poor, with no proper sanitation and cramped living areas, child mortality is high. The Roma are discriminated by the native Bulgarians making their getting employment almost impossible. Their lack of income makes it all too easy for them to get into debt, leaving them at the mercy of unsympathetic money lenders.

However there is hope, the education this school provides will give these children the skills to carry them through life and hopefully afford them a better quality of life than they have at present. It is said that if a Roma child is to do well, he or she must work three times as hard as a Bulgarian child. Therefore, while it is difficult for the Roma to get jobs, its not impossible.

The second element of Dares work involves breaking down the barriers of ignorance and discrimination between the Roma and the local people. Our presence at the orphanage and camp certainly creates an interest among the locals. We hope that by talking to the local children – who by the way have very impressive English – we can stop these prejudices continuing from the influence of the older generations.

Several years ago Jack and Elsabe, a South African couple came across these children and made it their mission to help them. One of the worst cases they discovered, little Lora, in a tiny remote orphanage in the mountains was literally starving to death. Thanks to these kind and compassionate people she is now a happy fifteen year old, and their adoptive daughter.

The work Jack and Elsabe do is truly amazing, and they are aided only by voluntary international organisations – which is where DARE comes in!