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Summer Camp for Roma Girls “Good Woman”
How to be a good wife, mother and a woman in the society – this was the topic of our camp for Roma girls from 4-th to 8-th of August near mount “Buzludzha”, central Bulgaria. The 10 Roma girls are among the coming to our study-room and workshops in the Roma quarter of the city. Through the Biblical story in the Book of Ruth, the girls were taught many values that are important for women.
Just like our previous camps, there was a step game throughout the camp. The girls were separated to three teams. In the story of Ruth, there is a moment when Ruth is forced to gather ears of corn after the harvesters. Therefore, all of the girls had go earn grains from the games, which they sold. With the earned money, they could buy different things. For example – breads for making jewelries – bracelets, necklaces and earrings. During other day, they had to find a job, going to interviews for positions of waitress, secretary and nurse. For every of the positions, they had to show different kind of skills and received different salaries. With the earned money, the teams could buy products, needed for making bread, fruit salad, tea and other things that they had to make by their own hands. These were in fact gifts for Boaz – the Ruth’s beloved, who gave them a map with treasury at the last day.
Every of the teams had duties every day in things like serving, cleaning the dining hall, washing the dishes, helping in cooking etc. No girl could do something other before finishing her duty.
There were also topics for discussion, connected with the story of Ruth – fidelity, profession and calling, marriage and relationships between boys and girls. We also taught them how to deal with their budget and how to work in a team.
Teaching Mature Roma People to Read
Bulgarian ABC book
Several unlettered women from the Roma quarter of Stara Zagora expressd their wish we to teach them to read and write. They are mothers and grandmothers of some children from our study room. Since the school year has ended, we began regular education with one of the women. We are expecting the others also to come soon.
Study Room During the Summer
Even during the summer we will continue the study-room in the Roma quarter of the city. They will be only at the morning. The afternoons will be for tematic games. Our aim is the holiday not to erase our achievments during the year.
Shopping by Points
During the holiday, some of the most active students will be able to buy many interesting things for them by points that they gather from our study-room and workshops. Points are also taken for bad behavor. The value is: 6 points = 2 leva (1 euro). Those 6 points could be gathered for a day, but the condition is the participants in the shoping to have at least 300 points, that are required for covering 2/3 of the prise of the Summers camp. Therefore, only the most active could benefit. Form about 50 kids that come to our study roоm and workshops, only 13 has gathered enough poits for shopping. We see clearly that this is a good motivation for the others. Because the study room and some of the workshop are also in the Summer, the number of the participants in the shopping could increase.
Musical Weekend
Our youths from the Roma quarter of Stara Zagora, together with other youths from Bulgaria, gathered for a Musical Weekend. It was in Kazanlak, the Salezian youth center “Oasis” at 25-27 June. Some of the participants were very musical persons, but this was not a condition for the meeting. The others had enough patience, tenacity and desire to learn playing some musical instrument.
We began the meeting with acquaintance. After that everyone had to determine his or her musical level. A lot of interesting musical games followed, which filled our souls with music.
During the next day, strong patience was needed, especially for those who were teaching us to play some musical instruments. For many hours we had guitar lessons, separated to groups according to our music level. Some of us improved our musical skills, others learned new chords. It could not become more musical – from every corner there was a music.
For a little variety, the volunteer Lukas has shown us that we could not only play musical instruments, but also to draw them with parts of our body. It was an interesting game. We had to draw our most favorite instrument. Some tried to draw guitar by nose, others – bagpipe with elbow.
During the Saturday, we had to prepare songs and dances for the evening show. Again we were separated to groups. In the evening was the main event of the musical weekend – Kazanovision 2010.
After the artistic dances, the beautiful songs and the talented participants, the most talented team was announced – the guests from Yambol.
For the youths from our center in Stara Zagora it was unforgettable and deserved experience. Together Bulgarians and Roma, we had and excellent entertainment and spoil.
Liana and Vesselin
Course for Animators B2
From 4-th to 6-th of June, we performed our consecutive meeting for animators – youths, which help us voluntary in leading the children, especially during the summer camps. It was the second group of animators and the second course for them. The place was again the most aromatic one in Bulgaria – the city of roses – Kazanlak. There we met in the center for children and youth “Oasis”.
The main topic of this course was “Human and its spirituality”. We were introduced to the image of Mother Margarita – the first adviser of Don Bosco, to which Preventive System we stick.
The next topic was “Psychological Analysis of Don Bosko”. It was about the young Jovanni Bosco and the significant role of his mother after his father’s death. Also about his student years in the seminary and the parental attitude toward the boys later. All these things have formed his pedagogy.
The next lecture was about children’s psychology and the influence of the environment.
There has never been an animator’s meeting without games. One of the main games was called “Build a doom” and it made us work better in team.
Petya,
Animator
Magic Tricks and Break Dance for Children from Orphans
We performed magic tricks and break for three of the orphans in Stara Zagora on 31 May for the Children’s Day. The Salesian animator from Sofia – Andrey Mihov, who practices juggling, has come to entertain the kids. Our boys from the dancing lessons closed his program with a break dance.
Dances in the Mall
The kids from our dancing lessons in the Romany quarter of Stara Zagora opened a charity tapestry auction in Park-Mall Stara Zagora at 27 May. The boys were showing a brake dance, the girls – modern balley.
Competitions „About the Letters“ in the Romany Quarter of Stara Zagora
- We began with reading „About the Letters“ (9-th century Bulgarian treatise)
- Game „Composing words“
Several competitions named “About the Letters” we performed in the Romany quarter of Stara Zagora at 22 May. At 24 may in Bulgaria is a national feast – Day of the Bulgarian writing and culture, devoted to the great deed of Cyril and Methodius and their disciples.
“About the Letters” is a medieval Bulgarian treatise from 9-th century, defending the right of the Bulgarians to use liturgy in their own language and alphabeth. The alphabet Cyrillic was created in Bulgaria by the disciples of Cyril and Methodius, who were banned from Great Moravia and all of them were accepted by the Bulgarian king Boris (Cyril and Methodius themselves translated the liturgy, but in another alphabet – glagolitsa).
- From here the kids took letter for the words
- Several teams ready for the baton „About the Letters“
Just like those disciples, the founders of our foundation have come from the heir country of Great Moravia – Czech. With the similar mission they work in the Roma quarter of Stara Zagora – to educate the children there.
The competitions were preceded by reading of “Alphabet Prayer” by Konstantin from Preslav (one of the mentioned disciples, again 9-th century) and a fragment of the Bulgarian Movie “Boris I, showing the acceptance of the disciples by the Bulgarian king. After several games, it was time for the main competition – baton “About the letters”. It had been announced as a lap around the quarter with a baton running and reading of consequent fragments of the treatise, but a forecast for a stormy weather made us reform it only in the school playground.
- There were prizes for everyone, but the biggest were for the three winners
- Reading of fragment from „About the Letters“
Divided in 5 teams, the kids were competing in running and reading of the text. Indeed, a sudden heavy rain interrupted the competition, but we already had enough scores from all of the games to have the winners. There were prizes for every kid, but biggest were for the three winners.
- The three winners
Tour to the City of Plovdiv and Carting for the Boys from Our Center in the Romany Quarter of Stara Zagora
The Roman amphitheatre in Plovdiv
Our Boys
- Carting in Plovdiv
At 09 April we made use of one day from the Easter holiday as taking to Plovdiv some of the boys from our center in the Romany quarter. Father Petr Cvrkal was their guide. After a walk around the center of the city, they had the possibility to enjoy the architecture of the old town – Roman, Medieval and from the Bulgarian Rennaicanse (about 200 years ago) The tour fnished with a carting. Most of them have never been to it.
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