News

On 9 and 10 March Center Amalipe with representatives of "America for Bulgaria" Foundation - Gary MacDougal, co-chair of the Foundation and Sarah M. Perrine, Program Director, Social Programs paid a visit to the Regional Inspectorate of Education - Targovishte. Together with our kind hosts in the face of Mrs. Nevyana Zecharieva - Head of RIE and senior experts in Bulgarian Language and Literature - Daniela Stoyanova we visited several schools in the region of Targovishte. They are participants in the project "Prevention of Roma children dropping out of school” which has started in January. The three-year program sets the hard task to resolve problems related to the large number of absences, the low success in school, a relatively small percentage of Roma, continuing their education in secondary schools (high schools), non-participation of Roma parents in school life and school governance structures. We have already selected several mentoring schools with experience and success in efforts to attracting and keeping Roma children in schools; they will help the new / pilot schools / in the development and implementation of school programs to prevent dropping-out.
Once the choice of mentoring schools have been completed, we visited some of them, and several pilot schools to feel the overall atmosphere in schools; in addition,we wanted to hear the views of children about what education is for them. The tour began at the junior high school ‘Acad Daki Yordanov’ - Omurtag chosen as mentoring school with established good practices of keeping children in school. The teachers and the students welcomed us according to the old Bulgarian tradition with pastry, bread and salt and gave us martenitza with geranium. After this we visited the gym where we met with the school football and basketball teams. The visit continued with a visit to a lesson of the "Folklore of the different ethnic groups class and a meeting with the school Parliament. We talked with the students about the objectives of the project and their relationship to the assigned tasks. Mr. G. MacDougal talked with the members of the Student Parliament, he answered all their questions and told them about the benefits of quality education.
After Omurtag we continued to the next school in the village of Ruets - "Hristo Botev" Primary School, which will also function as a base in the area. The meeting was attended by both teachers and parents who proudly watched the dances and various activities of their children. They presented the Roma wedding henna ritual gedzhesi and the Bulgarian St.Lazarus’ Day. After this we met with the principal and the teachers who presented their successes and best practices in retaining children in school and work with parents.
The second day of our tour was assigned to G. Rakovski Primary School of Goliamo Novo and a probable pilot school" Hristo Botev "in the village of Lomtsi. In both schools the children had prepared wonderful performances. Every school was completely different, bringing something new to the picture: a lesson, parts of out-of-school activities, student exhibitions, and so on. We were amazed by the children's boundless imagination, which was easily materialized on canvas, dishes, squash and any other materials. Students from the school in the village of Lomtsi told us about the origin and history. We saw children from three ethnic groups having fun together without prejudices and with open hearts. Students from G.S.Rakovski school of Goliamo Novo honored us with the award "Friend of the school” and naming after us their new interactive room: Amalipe – the Room of friendship.
Although our tour during these two days is over many new visits are coming. We and our donors from America for Bulgaria Foundation will continue to monitor the achievements in all schools participating in the three-year project. The idea which is leading us - children in every school to have such an enthusiasm to feel the school as their own and to keep the love for knowledge. Because of this idea, we will do everything possible to keep the maximum number of Roma children in school. But let's not forget that the objectives we have set may not be feasible unless there is unity between teacher-parent-child relationship, such as between the institutions and organizations. And here is the place to thank the Regional Inspectorate - Targoviste, in the name of its head Nevyana Zacharieva and senior expert Daniela Stoyanova.
 
We want also to thank the dedicated principals and teachers who are able to find the middle between learning and having fun.

The America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF) assists in the development and growth of a vibrant private sector for the benefit of a free and democratic Bulgaria.  Founded in 2008, the ABF is a successor to the Bulgarian American Enterprise Fund, an investment fund created by the U.S. government acting through the U.S. Agency for International Development.  The grants provided by ABF will build on the legacy of goodwill and friendship that exists between the American people and the citizens of Bulgaria.