Three Bulgarian women filled with renaissance fervor have been teaching for months sick children accommodated at the Plovdiv Clinic of Pediatrics and Genetic Diseases free of charge. In the beginning of 2017 the state authorities closed the school with that hospital and made the teachers redundant. However, they decided to stay and continue to work there for free.

Zlatina Staykova, Radoslava Stancheva and Yordana Vakrilova continued to work at the hospital, because they know from their long teaching experience that education is not the only thing the sick children are missing at that hospital. Zlatina, Radoslava and Yordana teach Bulgarian and history and come up with various entertaining activities such as reading, real flower crafts, making bracelets, crowns and masks, in order to distract the young patients from their disease. The management of the hospital received with enthusiasm their sacrifice and provided a classroom free of charge where teachers can communicate with children.

“Our purpose is to make these children feel a little better at the hospital. The kids accommodated at the hospital feel isolated, stressed and depressed and fall behind in their studies. That is why we want to support them and to help them catch up with the lessons. We play together and do different things, so they do not think about their illness only. We decided to open a small library not only for these children, but also for their parents, because sometimes adults also want to read books and escape from the hospital atmosphere for a while. ”

Publisher Manol Peykov was the first one who gave a helping hand to that project. "He donated 77 children’s books and his appeal in the social networks triggered huge support and many people contacted us to donate books and provide other type of assistance as well. We appreciate not only the material and financial help, but also the emotional support and are grateful to all gave a helping hand and continue to offer their assistance", Zlatina Staykova went on to say.

The state authorities closed four hospital schools in Sofia, Plovdiv, Pleven and Momin Prohod which used to help young patients suffering from cancer, mental and chronic diseases, as well as those suffering from cerebral paralysis and affected by severe burns to catch up with their lessons during their long stay at the hospitals. Thus, hundreds of Bulgarian children were deprived of daily educational support. Currently, these children have limited access to education and many of them resorted to individual education. As a result, some of them failed to complete the school year. That is why the people who felt sympathy for these children founded the Education and Health Association, so that the young patients can study, read and create in an environment similar to the real school environment.

“Our team consists of five teachers, a doctor, an IT expert and a manager. We try to make sure the pedagogues at the hospital are regarded as part of the healing process. Creating the library is also among our priorities, because we believe that books educate children. We launched an internet site recently where everyone can learn about our daily activities with these children, our priorities and purposes and how to help these children. We have been doing everything for free until now, but we need money to buy equipment and pay the people who take care of the children on a daily basis”, Zlatina Stoykova added.

Zlatina Staykova, Radoslava Stancheva and Yordana Vakrilova continue working with these children and relying on the help of relatives and friends. The three Bulgarian teachers are confident that they would not allow the sick children to become victims of yet another callous and inhumane treatment of vulnerable people. ”

English version: Kostadin Atanasov