News update
21/01/2008
A great deal has been going on behind the scenes at Bulgaria's Abandoned Trust and we want to share all our news with you.
We must say firstly, thank you all so very much for your donations, your support and your commitment to the children in Mogilino. We continue to be encouraged and moved by the kindness and generosity of our supporters. The letters that you have written to MP's and MEP's are really creating a noise and add to the pressure for change within the unacceptable system in Bulgaria. We have received many emails from politicians expressing a desire to help – this is a direct result of your letters.
Many thousands of pounds has been donated by individuals after viewing the film and so far we have raised a fund of over £120,000.
The year ended on a really high note with our small charity winning £10,000 in the Daily Mail ''Best Charities'' competition. Thank you to all of you who took the time to vote.
Another significant addition to our fund came from Grazia magazine and their readers. Grazia magazine ran a six page feature abut Mogilino, raising awareness and over £15,000. Grazia has since done a follow up piece on the latest developments at the home as well as thanking its viewers for their donations.
In early December we were able to purchase a mini bus for Mogilino - to take the children out and about - to hospitals, to specialists and to other destinations and to bring the specialist staff in to work with the
children at the institute.
We used this opportunity to drop off Christmas presents for the children too - Didi was particularly thrilled to have new things to do whilst some of the others ate their activities! The presents remain at the institute for the children to play with and enjoy each day.
Our plans this year are to spend the money we have received directly on helping the children - in a number of different ways:
At present UNICEF and the NGO Alliance are assessing every child at Mogilino and are due to have those assessments completed by June this year. In the meantime specialists are working with the children to help rehabilitate them while their long term care is being considered.
We support the work UNICEF and the other members of the NGO Alliance are undertaking and we will commit some of our funds to support this work where appropriate. For example we have agreed to pay for some of the specialist care team working at Mogilino including a full time doctor, a nurse, a special needs teacher and an art therapist as well as a speech therapist, psychologist, occupational therapist and social worker on a part time basis.
When we are asked to financially support their work we will only do so once we have evaluated all the details of the proposed funding. We will receive feedback from UNICEF and the NGO Alliance - which we will put up on the website so that our donors can see where their money is going.
In addition to the work already being done at Mogilino we have involved a wonderful organisation called Frontline and their work will begin there this week. Frontline provide occupational therapy and training for children and staff alike and they have many years experience of working in Bulgaria. They will be looking at the individual assessments of the children and ensuring they get what they need. For more information on Frontline and what they do please see their website: www.frontlinepartnership.org
We are also developing a relationship with the new Mayor in the surrounding area and the new Director at Mogilino in order to know exactly how the children are on a day to day basis. We want to help them in their responsibility for the children and we are organising some training for the new director to help her run the institute in the best interests of the children and to learn how best to care for them on a daily basis. Even though Mogilino has been cited for closure we believe it is important to train the carers to look after the children better –however short term their time at the home may be.
Whilst the NGO Alliance is working at Mogilino too, we feel it is important to come at it from all angles!
We are talking to others to put a plan of action together using some of the viewers who have volunteered their skills and time - to go over to Mogilino. This is a little complicated due to the number of people going in and out of Mogilino at the moment and due to the time it is taking to do the individual assessments. We feel that skills sharing is a huge help to those without any training working with disabled children. So our plan is to try and achieve this too!
There are 3 social workers, 2 kinesitherapists, 1 physiotherapist, 2 supervisors and 1 child development specialist working in Mogilino permanently.
A paediatrician goes there every month to monitor the diet and nutrition and even the children in the most severe condition have gained 3 to 5 kilograms. They are fed 5 times a day and receive
additional vitamins and special milk.
Two of the kinesitherapists work 1 day per week and 2 work 3 days per week. The children go outside the building every day with social workers.
Thirteen of the staff members have left the home and three new people have been appointed since then.
The rehabilitation room is used now and the hygiene levels are maintained properly now.
All the children are taken care of by staff of the same sex. There are no more shower duties with staff of the opposite sex.
Six members of the original staff are being trained to become foster parents - so they will at some point take on the responsibility of taking a child home to care for him or her.
Stoyan was hospitalised in Pleven for an operation and recovered from it, but then he became most unwell with pneumonia. He has now recovered from this - but he will go back to hospital again soon for
an eye operation, because there is evidence that his sight can be recovered.
Vaska was hospitalised in Ruse because she has osteoporosis of her legs. She takes medication now to help her and regularly visits the doctors in Ruse. She takes special milks for her bones. She has gained some weight.
Didi remains the same.
Todor was sent for an examination to check his hearing in Sofia. We will find out what the results are and if there is a plan regarding a hearing aid.
Monika, a bedridden very malnourished girl was hospitalised in Pleven.
Seven of the children fed only from bottles before have now gained 5 kilo's each. Their weight is regularly registered on special cards.
The capable young boys and girls eat with knives and forks and now eat off porcelain plates rather than tin bowls. They also use napkins.
Twenty one children and youngsters are being assessed by a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a speech therapist. All the children will then have been individually assessed and then reports for all of
them will be finished by mid February.
By the end of January individual plans detailing the care needed for each child will be in full swing.
Whilst it may seem that this is all taking a long time - it is none the less great and critical progress. Now we expect things to move more quickly because the assessments will form the basis of what happens to the children on a daily basis from here on. Hopefully in the coming months we will physically see the changes in the children as they receive a good diet and proper care to begin the recovery process from a life of neglect.
We are going to spend the money we have received in these coming weeks to accelerate progress and to support the work of the NGO Alliance and others who will be at Mogilino.
We are preparing to present the film 'Bulgaria's Abandoned Children' to the European Parliament on March 4th. We want to make sure that the politicians apply pressure on the Bulgarian government and then work alongside them to bring about the necessary de-institutionalisation across the country.
At the moment the film is being distributed to different countries - so we are hoping that this continued exposure of the lives of the children in institutes in Bulgaria - will lead to support from many countries.
This must surely then bring about our greatest aim - to have all of the mentally and physically disabled children who are presently warehoused in large institutes to move into group care homes or micro homes (specifically built or renovated) for small numbers of children/teenagers living together with specialist staff and trained carers. Then the children can lead happier and more fulfilling lives.
Please continue to support us to achieve this
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Every child received a small gift individually chosen for them
We purchased a number of communal toys for the older children, including some craft activities, which proved a great success with some of the children.