Benefit & Joy Back in Bulgaria Part II

Primary school “Sv. Kiril i Metodi” in the village of Malko Gradishte is the last existing school in the rural area of Ljubimec, region Haskovo. At the moment about 100 children are visiting this school.

As we promised during our first visit in 2011, now we donated urgently needed school supply, which we bought in the district town Haskovo together with principal Tanja Toscheva, including world maps for the class rooms, paper, office and stationery goods, etc.

We also brought some hardware for the teachers, like printer and laptop.

In addition we gave some coloured ballons, balls and sweets to the children, which they really liked!

The school ground inspection showed unbelievable deficiencies. There are almost no possibilities for the children to play or to do sports. The former swimming pool is broken. The former sports hall is in a ruinious state and cannot be renovated. It causes a serious danger for the kids, because it can collaps any minute. There is a second building in an also horrible condition, but because of its solid construction it may be saved. It used to be a canteen and also it could be used for additional classrooms.

We also saw some positive things, like the renovated roof and windows of the main building and a newly built toilet house for both teachers and children.

We revealed the following plan together with principal Tanja Toscheva: Benefit & Joy is ready to continue the partnership and to help as much as we can, but of course we cannot cover all the costs. Though we have the chance to arrange a triple financing, containing funds of the local authority, the European Union (especially because of the fact that the EU has recently opened some funds for Roma people in Eastern Europe, and this school actually teaches a lot of Roma children) and last but least donations from Benefit & Joy. As soon as Mrs. Toscheva reveals concrete plans together with the administration, Benefit & Joy will join in and also do volunteer work on the spot.

We also promised to provide the school with more hardware next year and to install a computer room for the kids.