Source:
The Bulgarian Abandoned Children's Trust via the Wayback Machine, webcapture dated 21 November, 2007
The statement:
During the filming of Bulgaria's Abandoned Children — there were times when I sat inside Mogilino - with Sean (the cameraman) and I would look around the room at the children and think “How am I going to make a film about the lives of these children? They don't do anything. They don't go anywhere. They don't speak. They don't smile. They don't play. Nothing changes. Nothing happens. They are warehoused human beings. Rocking. Rocking. Rocking. Self harming. Sitting. Sitting. Sitting. Why would people watch this film?”
The viewers have answered that question for me. The response to the film has been overwhelming. It feels as if everyone who watched Bulgaria's Abandoned Children felt a driving need to get in touch and HELP in absolutely any way they can.
The overwhelming response and offers of help has lead to the formation of a small team based in England and the Irish Republic working away behind the scenes - creating The Campaign for Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children. We have joined forces with a registered charity – The Bulgaria Project who have over 10 years experience of helping orphanages and institutions in Bulgaria – and our shared objective is to help children in institutes across Bulgaria. We are aiming to take in as many donations as is humanly possible – to build a substantial sum to support specific projects directly related to the disabled and abandoned children's lives - starting with Mogilino and then branching out to other institutes.
We are running two databases – one with viewers wanting to raise money and donate – and the other with those volunteering their skills and time to actually go over to Bulgaria to physically bring about a better life for the children. Amongst those offering their skills are builders who would like to improve the environment that the children live in with playgrounds, heating and windows without bars. Other volunteers are speech therapists, nurses, doctors, specialist teachers of autistic children or severely disabled children.
This 'gathering of people and money' process has been and remains very important because the actual process of change in Bulgaria needs to go through stages of putting the right people into the right places to help – BEFORE the help we send in can be used effectively and with the approval of those working in the system. This may sound complicated, and indeed it is – but it is critical.
Right now some great things have started to develop in Bulgaria. Cutting a long story short – since ‘Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children’ was aired - a team of Non Government Organisations (NGO’s) have united to form The NGO Alliance who are working with the government to bring about critical changes to the lives of the abandoned, disabled children growing up in the state institutes in Bulgaria for years, specifically trying to improve the lives of the children. The good news is that the film has created the attention and the noise needed for the government to listen – and allow those with experience and knowledge – to actively start making the much needed changes. This is such big news!
Work has begun in Mogilino. The children have been assessed in the last ten days, by a medical team and individual plans are being written for each child to begin the process of rehabilitation. Specialists, like speech therapists and physiotherapists are being assigned to Mogilino to work with the children.
This is such a relief. Such great progress. I cannot tell you how I feel about this. Though I am sure anyone reading this will have exactly the same reaction.
There are long term plans too because obviously there are children in other institutes who need the very same help. The NGO Alliance will be moving out beyond Mogilino to those other institutes and will hopefully follow the same pattern of assessments and rehabilitation for all the other children like Vasky, Stoyan, Didi, Milen and Todor.
In the long term the plan is to either build purpose built small group care homes for the children - or to relocate them to better environments with Day Care Centres and potential schooling. The latter option is more of a worry in my view because I feel it would be very easy to slide the children sideways into equally dismal environments and lose them in the system once the lights are off Mogilino! This is why our continued help is important.
We must continue to write to our MP’s and MEP’s and so keep the pressure on Ministers in Bulgaria - so that they carry out the plans that are being put into place right now. The pressure is what works. I feel we must keep writing those letters and keep demanding replies to make sure the long term plans to de institutionalise Bulgaria happens!
So please help me and the team - Siobhain, Hugh, Anna, Rosa, Brendan, Sophie and Sharon – to help the children in the institutes in Bulgaria. Trust us to use your money and/or skills properly and at the right time.
When we use the money you raise and donate to The Campaign for Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children - we will make sure it goes to helping the children in a way that we feel you would feel comfortable with...... we will monitor progress independently from the NGO Alliance and from the government to carry out that promise.
We need to raise £250,000 to put all our plans into action by the New Year.
Thank you for watching Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children and thank you for visiting our website to read this.
Our website has a lot of information about the film, the impact, the help, the government and the plans – and we will be updating it regularly with the latest developments in our campaign to help the children.
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