:: Campaigns :: Home away from home

Our office is now full of children from Ukraine studying and playing and this makes us feel at least by a smidgeon more meaningful. Olya* knows they can't go home because there are bad people in Ukraine now. And every morning when she wakes up she asks "have the bad people left yet, are we going home?" Half the world asks the same question every morning and they haven't left for a second month now. The little princesses in our office have Elsa's everything (even hairpins and slippers!) and are only briefly in the Frozen kingdom, and we're only briefly thawing it out for them and us. It's so nice when they laugh and sing.As we wait for the spring in Arendelle, the current situation, where many more people are expected to seek refuge in Bulgaria, has forced us to reconsider our priorities.The ELA Association for Shared Learning is building a green educational centre, restoring the old school in the village Sturgel for several years. We had planned to have the first floor, the courtyard and the workshop completed by the end of 2022, where we would hold therapeutic and educational activities with children and young people. Now we have decided to concentrate on equipping the bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen so that gradually 60 mothers with children can find shelter.We are grateful to the mayor and the people of the village Sturgel who warmly welcomed the idea and are willing to share their school and village with those in need of peace and support. We are also grateful to the administration of Gorna Malina municipality who can provide food, transport and places in kindergartens and schools in the municipality with renovated facilities and quality education for the children.