Panagyurishte was a last minute addition to our trip due to a
scheduling change and it turned out to be a most exciting
visit.
Hosted by Bertina Williams, the local Peace Corps Volunteer,
we were enthralled by the active craft and art program that
has been in operation at this home for several years.
Conditions in this home are crowded but much better than many
of the homes that we have visited. This bedroom,
although it's heated by coal stoves, was reasonably clean and
the beds were not in bad shape. The floors are covered
with a vinyl covereing so are cleaner than we find in homes
with wood flooring.
While there wasn't much in the way of
personal belongings (which is typical), there was a sense of
some personal space in some of the rooms as evidenced by this
picture.
The classrooms were stark but clean. The maps that you
see on the wall are quite outdated and the tiny blackboard has
seen lots of years of use.
The most amazing part of this visit was finding the art/crafts
program that this teacher has established at this home. (click here for examples).
Her star pupil posed for us at the local cultural center where
both floors were utilized for a display of well over 100
(perhaps 200) paintings.
We've had some of them framed and
are now exploring how best to market these items to provide
income for these kids now and in the future.
Our local guide (Tanya) is a graduate of this
orphanage and her art was also on display at this exhibition.
Despite the beauty of the artwork, the home has its problems.
This shower/toilet combination is fairly typical. One
can see that it's very crowded and some parts are broken and
unusable.
There are good sinks but many of the toilets need work and
absolutely everything needs paint. The coal heat makes
everything "sooty" very quickly.
I fell in love with these kids in the short
visit that we had with them. They epitomize the
gregarious spirit of young children and their energy is
quickly contagious.
The Director of this home was very helpful and spent a
considerable amount of time with us. Their needs are
typical of many of these homes but I felt that they were folks
that we could work with easily.
As we discussed their needs they prioritized
them as follows:
Needs
Clothing and shoes
Medicines (which we promised to supply this
fall)
School Supplies (which we also promised to
supply)
Heating (could be central heat but there is
a problem with the flooring.
