Sir 
RECENTLY, we had eight children come down with hepatitis A in a village in which we work in our region.  As part of the programme there, we help provide medical care, clothing, education, school materials and food for the poor in this region.

At this specific village, when the first child became ill, HEI (the health inspectorate) sent out someone to examine the child.  We were informed that they would return and give medical exams to the rest of the children there.

The sick kids were referred to the local hospital and my colleague drove the infected child to the hospital.

Shortly after this, the hepatitis infection spread to seven other children.  Each of them was diagnosed with hepatitis A and all were temporarily hospitalised.  We paid for the special diet as well as the medicine needed. HEI did not return.

Finally, over a month later, a doctor in Sofia got wind of the situation.  They were upset at the lack of medical care and concern by HEI's inaction and complained.  The next day, the mayor of the village, along with the police, informed the parents of the sick children that they had seven days to abandon the building they were living in.  No medical exams were given to anyone and HEI did not inoculate anyone against hepatitis A.

After the families and children were kicked out of the building they were in, some very generous Americans bought a house in the village to house these families.

Within a few days of moving in, the local police came by and began to harass these Roma families.  "Who said you could move in here?  Who paid for all of this?  Why are you living in this luxury now?"  The poor Roma families were upset and scared.

Next, the mayor complained to my Roma colleague and accused him of calling HEI in Sofia to complain. He had absolutely nothing to do with this at all.

This scenario could have happened in any of hundreds of Bulgarian villages.  Many of the mayors and police there rule these villages like petty medieval tyrants.  Their very word is law.  They abuse the rights of the people and run their villages like some two-bit king from the 1100s. People fear and hate them, but there is little that they can do.

Bulgarian politicians must learn that actions speak better than empty words.  Go look in your own back yard at how democracy doesn't work in your average Bulgarian village.  Diplomats would do well to get out of Sofia and other large cities and see what happens in the real world of Bulgarian life.  That is without the phoney government dog and pony show that they usually see.

The sad fact is that many foreigners care much more for poor Bulgarians and Roma than many Bulgarian politician or government official does.  It is a shameful situation.
Hopefully, some time in the future Bulgaria will learn not to bite the hands of foreigners that feed and care for her.
 
Cordially,
Keith W. Brown