A Japanese volunteer with the children
at the orphanage in the village of Gutzal.
FOR the past two weeks, a team of international volunteers have opened their hearts to shine a light into the lives of 55 orphans in a small village outside Sofia.
Fourteen volunteers from France, the Netherlands, Japan, the UK and Italy today depart the orphanage, in the village of Gutzal near Kostenets, leaving happy memories among the children.
The international programme for the orphans was organised in cooperation with the French Foundation Du Coeur a l’Ouvrage (DCAO), named for an expression meaning to put your heart in whatever you are doing, and volunteers provided by the international Youth Alliance for Development, MAR.
The director of the orphanage, Margarita Pandova, said that the volunteers tried to develop the children’s relationship skills and to help with building maintenance during their stay.
What was more important for the orphans was the communication that they managed to establish with the foreigners.
“This was a number one priority for the volunteers to achieve, and for us to assist with,” said Nathalie Tolchard, a French citizen living in Bulgaria, a former teacher, and an associate of the DCAO.
Although intercultural social contact has already been made through the foundation organising activities in the orphanage twice a month, the children had also a great need for socialising.
“What we would like to focus on is the psychological support for the children and on socialisation, aiming especially at helping the young adults to manage their first steps out of Gutzal,” Tolchard said.
She said this process involved professionals in various fields, such as psychologists, pedagogues, specialists in sexual education, family planning and toxicology experts. She said the project needed to be expanded to be fully successful.
The two-week work camp also involved learning practical living skills and habits like bodily hygiene and social rules, Tolchard said.
The volunteers were all skilled and full of ideas each in his or her field.
“Their skills created an incentive to those children willing to draw, paint, sew, knit, speak languages, mime, dance or sing and do sports,” said Galina Merdjanova, a Bulgarian and camp leader at Gutzal.
“We are just volunteers and what we need are people coming, with everyone teaching a different skill,” Tolchard said.
She explained that all of the people involved with the project know what is useful for the children there and what they like doing.
“That is why we organise painting, cooking and arts and crafts activities,” Tolchard said. “First they all thought that putting your feet behind your back is stupid but later on they were all motivated to do the yoga exercise,” she said.
Though the hardest things to teach the children are social rules and hygiene she expressed hope for a successful result of the work camp.
“These are completely new things to them,” Tolchard said.
Said 11-year-old Karamfil: “I love taking a shower now after we cleaned the new bathrooms and have brand new ones”.
Both Tolchard and Cecile Renou, whose mother was the founder of the foundation in 2001 in France, live in Bulgaria and help Gutzal orphanage as much as they can, focusing on nutritional needs, health, hygiene, psychological and material support.
“Children here are looking for attention, care and love. They are constantly with us and are very much open-minded,” said Merdjanova. “The body language we use and how perceptive the children are shows how much we have accomplished here,” said Dorrie Arts from Holland.
Tolchard explained that being there and spending some time with the orphans is much more precious than picking up the receiver or ordering a bank transfer with some money for any institution.
“The kids are ready to learn but they are not used to someone caring for them,” Tolchard said.
The whole project started like a small sort of family business. After arrival in Sofia in May two years ago Renou shared with her retired mother in the town of Cognac how interested she was in the humanitarian field. With her little team, each one with his own talent (wood works, embroideries or frames), they made some products, and sold them to other friends, for the benefit of the foundation. Later on things improved and now they organise special events, with charity diners or workshops to allow people to learn handicrafts or cooking. That is how they collect money, clothes, shoes or bed sheets that are sent by truck to Sofia. There have already been two shipments from France, and more than 15 institutions have been beneficiaries of these donations.
Since October 2001, the main project of the foundation has been to improve quality of life and future prospects for the kids of Gutzal orphanage. DCAO provides the orphanage with medicine, food and first necessity staff and has been funding the installation of a new heating system, toilets and showers.
If you are a skilled volunteer willing to visit the orphanage and spend time with the 55 children you can e-mail Cecile Renou at renou@mail.office1.bg
Fourteen volunteers from France, the Netherlands, Japan, the UK and Italy today depart the orphanage, in the village of Gutzal near Kostenets, leaving happy memories among the children.
The international programme for the orphans was organised in cooperation with the French Foundation Du Coeur a l’Ouvrage (DCAO), named for an expression meaning to put your heart in whatever you are doing, and volunteers provided by the international Youth Alliance for Development, MAR.
The director of the orphanage, Margarita Pandova, said that the volunteers tried to develop the children’s relationship skills and to help with building maintenance during their stay.
What was more important for the orphans was the communication that they managed to establish with the foreigners.
“This was a number one priority for the volunteers to achieve, and for us to assist with,” said Nathalie Tolchard, a French citizen living in Bulgaria, a former teacher, and an associate of the DCAO.
Although intercultural social contact has already been made through the foundation organising activities in the orphanage twice a month, the children had also a great need for socialising.
“What we would like to focus on is the psychological support for the children and on socialisation, aiming especially at helping the young adults to manage their first steps out of Gutzal,” Tolchard said.
She said this process involved professionals in various fields, such as psychologists, pedagogues, specialists in sexual education, family planning and toxicology experts. She said the project needed to be expanded to be fully successful.
The two-week work camp also involved learning practical living skills and habits like bodily hygiene and social rules, Tolchard said.
The volunteers were all skilled and full of ideas each in his or her field.
“Their skills created an incentive to those children willing to draw, paint, sew, knit, speak languages, mime, dance or sing and do sports,” said Galina Merdjanova, a Bulgarian and camp leader at Gutzal.
“We are just volunteers and what we need are people coming, with everyone teaching a different skill,” Tolchard said.
She explained that all of the people involved with the project know what is useful for the children there and what they like doing.
“That is why we organise painting, cooking and arts and crafts activities,” Tolchard said. “First they all thought that putting your feet behind your back is stupid but later on they were all motivated to do the yoga exercise,” she said.
Though the hardest things to teach the children are social rules and hygiene she expressed hope for a successful result of the work camp.
“These are completely new things to them,” Tolchard said.
Said 11-year-old Karamfil: “I love taking a shower now after we cleaned the new bathrooms and have brand new ones”.
Both Tolchard and Cecile Renou, whose mother was the founder of the foundation in 2001 in France, live in Bulgaria and help Gutzal orphanage as much as they can, focusing on nutritional needs, health, hygiene, psychological and material support.
“Children here are looking for attention, care and love. They are constantly with us and are very much open-minded,” said Merdjanova. “The body language we use and how perceptive the children are shows how much we have accomplished here,” said Dorrie Arts from Holland.
Tolchard explained that being there and spending some time with the orphans is much more precious than picking up the receiver or ordering a bank transfer with some money for any institution.
“The kids are ready to learn but they are not used to someone caring for them,” Tolchard said.
The whole project started like a small sort of family business. After arrival in Sofia in May two years ago Renou shared with her retired mother in the town of Cognac how interested she was in the humanitarian field. With her little team, each one with his own talent (wood works, embroideries or frames), they made some products, and sold them to other friends, for the benefit of the foundation. Later on things improved and now they organise special events, with charity diners or workshops to allow people to learn handicrafts or cooking. That is how they collect money, clothes, shoes or bed sheets that are sent by truck to Sofia. There have already been two shipments from France, and more than 15 institutions have been beneficiaries of these donations.
Since October 2001, the main project of the foundation has been to improve quality of life and future prospects for the kids of Gutzal orphanage. DCAO provides the orphanage with medicine, food and first necessity staff and has been funding the installation of a new heating system, toilets and showers.
If you are a skilled volunteer willing to visit the orphanage and spend time with the 55 children you can e-mail Cecile Renou at renou@mail.office1.bg
