bulgaria abandoned children

~Chameleon~

Hi, there's another thread also running over on the Discussions forum which has some useful links for ways in which we can help, whether it be to sign a petition or write a letter of complaint to the Bulgarian Embassy and also details of a UK based charity that appears to be doing some stirling work already to help improve the orphanages in Bulgaria.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=551741

MABLE

I watched part of the programme but found it very, very difficult to keep watching. I find it so hard to think that children are suffering like the ones featured in the documentary.

TAG

I watched this last night. I don't think I have ever seen such a hard hitting programme. Yes it did make me cry.

The last shot of the programme where the reporter took the childs hands, the child stood up expecting to be moved somewhere and then you saw the change in him just because the reporter gave an affectionate stroke of the childs hand. Which lead to a much longed for and needed cuddle.

My heart goes out to all of them. I shall be checking out the thread as well.

Valky9

That was the most upsetting thing for me, that bit at the end which just showed that the thing they really wanted most was just a cuddle, to feel loved. Which they had probably never felt in their life.

They needed so so much more; real food, vitamins, exercise, healthcare, education, to go outside and see the world and the things that all children deserve ; toys, games, books, and most of all, love and companionship.

I think of them every night before I sleep.

We need to make sure something changes now!
Please inform all you know about this and ask them to sign the petition. This needs to be changed ASAP.
Heres ths link again incase you missed it above
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Children-Dying/

~Chameleon~

Things are being done, albeit slowly, but we do need to keep up the pressure and write to MP's, MEP's and raise a petition with the European Parliament etc. (all relevant links to these are in the other thread) I've had very positive responses from most of the MEP's I've contacted thus far and one in particular is making it his business to raise these issues at every opportunity.

Anyhow, I received this email from the supporting charity of this programme (see my sig) so thought I would share it with you all.

Many, many thanks to all of you who have registered as supporters of our campaign. We have had a fantastic response and it has taken us some time to respond to the huge number of emails we have received. Please find below a summary of the latest news:

Following the controversy that ‘Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children' has stirred in the UK and Bulgaria, direct action has been taken to improve the immediate care of the children at Mogilino to ensure that they receive improved standards of nutrition, exercise and therapy.

An alliance of key organisations has been formed to put in place the immediate recovery plan whilst long-term care options are resolved for the children. Unicef is leading this alliance and we are supporting their efforts.

The first stages of the plan have been undertaken. Each child at Mogilino has been assessed so that individual rehabilitation programmes can be put into place to ensure they have the suitable levels of therapy and care that they need. These programmes are starting to be implemented and speech therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists are starting to work with the children. More therapists will be needed in future months.

The children’s diet, which was an area of great concern to so many of us, is now being greatly improved. A paediatrician assessed the children in early November and judged one third of them to be malnourished and dehydrated and as a result some of the children were hospitalised. Nutritional supplements continue to be given to the children and the new local major is providing an additional 4,000 lev to the food budget. Some local companies have also made food donations. Menu plans have been developed and it is now felt the children are receiving enough food including fresh fruit and their general diet has improved.

The kitchen and hygiene standards at the Institute were considered unsatisfactory and local health services have been called in to improve this.

The Director of the Institute resigned in mid November.

The management of the specialist care work at the institute is being handled by two Unicef representatives.

The care staff are still in place and are receiving supervision.

The new Mayor has arranged for a house in the village to be available for the Unicef team to live in whilst they carry out their work at Mogilino.

Some specific information about the children

Didi is still at Mogilino and is not showing any signs of improvement yet. However a team of Bulgarian lawyers have taken on her case to argue that Didi has been arbitrarily detained. This is critical to any long term plans for her.

Stoyan was hospitalised and has had an operation to help him to digest and absorb his food.

Vasky was also hospitalised. She has now been discharged and is back at Mogilino. Her rehabilitation programme has begun.

Milen is at the Protected Home he was sent to after the abuse he suffered at Mogilino and is doing really, really well.

We will continue to monitor the situation at Mogilino and report to all our supporters on a regular basis.

We continue to campaign for political pressure and can announce today there will be a meeting at the European Parliament in Brussels in the New Year.

A number of MEPs have been firing in Parliamentary Questions about the subject since the documentary was first aired on the BBC and many constituent letters have been generated by the film.

In the light of that Kate Blewett has been invited to show the film in the European Parliament, before which there will be a hearing on the whole area of the state of care in the Bulgarian mental health sector. This meeting will be taking place on the afternoon of the 4th March 2008.

Kind regards and thank you again for your support


The campaign team for
Bulgaria's Abandoned Children

Valky9

Thank you so much for posting that information Chameleon.

I am so happy to hear what has been done. I am really quite shocked exactly how much help they really needed especially Stoyan needing an operation to digest food. There would have been absolutely no chance of them finding that problem if nothing had been done to improve the place and I dread to think about the consequences.

Most importantly the useless, heartless director has resigned and Unicef are managing the place so we can be confident it won't fall back into its terrible ways.

Again, thank you so much for posting that. I feel like I can relax again knowing that these children can live better lives now. What a shame they had to live through so many years as they did and terribly, it was all some of the children ever knew.

I hope that once they are healthy again they will be able to go out and see the world that they never knew of.

I hope that maybe the BBC will run another program showing all the wonderfull work they and other organisations have done.

Sadly I am sure there are probably other places that are not run as they should be and I only hope that the BBC will do as good a job in highlighting any they come across as they have done with this one so that we can work together to change as much as we can. No children should suffer like that.

vikki_louise

you can make a donation via justgiving, the details are on their website

http://www.tbact.org/root.aspx?pointerid=3773acbb514248069099b93f4140d1d1

http://www.justgiving.com/bulgariasabandonedchildren/donate

I saw it was so so moved too

~Chameleon~

Dear Supporter

We are aware that its been some time since we provided an update on the situation at Mogilino Social Care Home. There has been a great deal of political interference in recent months particularly since Mrs Maslarova declared the home would be closed. It is clear the government want the home closed as quickly as possible in order to close the book on the scandal which Kate Blewett's film exposed. As a result information on the closure and particularly the children's future has been confusing at times.

UNICEF, For Our Children (FOC) and the other specialists and staff have made great strides to rehabilitate the children medically and we can confirm that all the children who were malnourished have now gained at least 4 kgs. The children's physical and psychological rehabilitation will of course take much longer but progress is being made. This week we are organising for orthopaedic products, such as spinal jackets, and neck collars to be sent to the home for some for the bedridden children to help their mobility. It is through the continued generosity of our donors that we have been able to fund the work UNICEF and FOC are carrying out at the home.

The government has set a deadline for Mogilino to be closed by the end of April and a number of children have left already but in reality there will still be children at the home after this date.

Preparing the children to leave Mogilino is a delicate task. For some of the children it is the only place they have ever known and the prospect of new surroundings and people will be frightening. UNICEF and FOC have undertaken assessments on every child at Mogilino and have researched and recommended the best possible situation for the children. As part of this process the children's parents were contacted and asked if they wished to re-establish or grow the relationship with their child. Three children have gone to care homes nearer their families as part of the plan to reintegrate them into their families. Local social workers will work with these families to assist the process.


Through UNICEF, every possible care option has been considered for the children on an individual basis. For some of the more disabled children a new small group home is being proposed in Rouse, which is the nearest main town, and this is an initiative that TBACT are looking to help fund. Other children have or will go to new homes that are suitable for their abilities. There are also plans for more protected homes to be built for older children who can enjoy a level of independence. Fostering and adoption families are also being considered for some of the younger children.

As some children have left and more are due to leave shortly, we have appointed a Bulgarian supporter with the task of following up on all the children to ensure they are doing well in their new placements and to offer assistance if necessary. This will be an ongoing commitment to the children.


We are also looking to implement a Baba Scheme for all the children in their new placements. A Baba (Granny in Bulgarian) is a sort of visiting friend for the children, talking, playing and generally taking a personal interest in them and their well being. The Baba scheme has been incredibly successful and beneficial to many children in social care and we would like to see it expanded across Bulgaria. Three of the children from Mogilino have been moved to a new home in Rousse where they have Baba and are making real strides in progress. A member of the TBACT team recently saw the Baba scheme in action at a social care home in Plevin and commented:


'We were received by the director and after a 10 minute round of introductions were taken to the playroom where we saw about 25-30 under 3s and about 12 Babas. The children were lively and making use of the toys and playhouse. I spoke to several of the Babas and engaged with the children who were certainly small for their ages but animated and curious. The Baba’s all explained how they had been recruited and their reasons for wanting to join the scheme. It gives them a sense of continuing life purpose and enables them to use their considerable experience in raising and being engaged with their own families. They explained that they were supported by the resident psychologist who supervised them and helped them in their work. Each Baba is allocated two children. Strollers have been provided and they are able to take the children into the town, out for walks and even to their own homes. The benefits to the children are that they form an attachment to an important adult in their lives.......... This is an important part of a child’s development and enables them to more easily achieve important developmental milestones. Typically, children who do not walk and who are non-verbal and dis-engaged begin to become mobile, make sounds, form words, develop communication and so on. There was clearly a level of intimacy between the Babas and their charges. The director spoke in very positive terms about the contribution the scheme has made to the children’s wellbeing.'



In terms of specific information on the children we are unable to disclose too much personal detail but we can tell you:

Bojidar is one of three children who have moved to other care homes to be nearer their family. He lives in the care home during the week and returns to his family every week end. This is the start of a process of reintegration into his family and social services will work with his family to ensure they can cope.

Stoyan has been placed on the adoption register and it is hoped a family will be found for him soon. He did not have an operation to restore his sight as it was decided this was not in his best interests.

Didi has been moved to a protected home in Rousse where it is hoped she will learn independent living skills and have use of the facilities a large town can offer. She understands that her mother will not return to collect her. Two other girls have gone to this home also.

Milan and Misho continue to do well at their protected home in the south of the country.

Vasky is progressing well but her rehabilitation is expected to be slow. The years of neglect have taken their toll on her and she now has been diagnosed with osteoporosis.

We remain committed to the children of Mogilino, to safeguard their best interests and help with their recovery and social inclusion in any way we can. Over the next few weeks, our specific projects, the financial targets and the volunteers we will need to achieve them will be finalised and as a valued supporter we will of course be letting you know.

Thank you for your continued support.

The TBACT Team

~Chameleon~

Latest update from TBACT - for more info about this charity please see my sig :A


Dear Supporter

The last few months have been very frustrating and the persistent government interference has made an already difficult situation much harder at Mogilino. However, UNICEF continue to manage the rehabilitation project there and some very encouraging results are starting to be seen. We have some specific information on how the children are recovering and what steps are being taken for their futures as well as the latest news from our charity.

In May we appointed a Bulgarian representative, Maria Sharkova, who will be responsible for tracking all the children as they leave Mogilino for new homes. She will visit the children, assess their situation, make recommendations to TBACT about any future support we can give as well as alert us to any problems. In the case of the children who are being re-integrated with their families, we want to see that their local social services are supporting the transition and again we will help where we can.

Maria has already visited Milen and Misho in their new protected home in the south of the country and a news update of this visit and how the two boys are doing will be posted on the website shortly.

Maria is also tasked with setting up a Baba Scheme for some of the children. She is already starting this process, with help from UNICEF and the recruitment of suitable Baba's is now underway.

Despite the government's announcement that Mogilino would close at the end of April, UNICEF and other agencies have agreed that the home will need to stay open until March 2009 in order to rehabilitate and prepare the children and young people for leaving. In the case of the over 18's, who number 32 in total, the lack of suitable new homes for them has been an ongoing worry – everyone involved is determined that they should not enter the dreaded adult institutions.

For this reasons we have proposed that our charity funds a small group home for some of the young people to be built in the nearby city of Rousse where they will have access to day centres and local amenities. We are working with a number of experts to develop the plan for this home so that it is ideally suited to the needs of the individual young people who will live there. UNICEF have agreed to this plan and we are now looking for a suitable building to renovate or a plot of land to build on. We will have much more news on this over the next few weeks and months and will of course share our progress with you.

As you know we are committed to ending the system of institutionalising children, effectively warehousing them, in Bulgaria. There are many ways in which this goal can be achieved – small group homes and community schemes is of course one way to get the children out that are already in the system but another way is to stop the supply of children to these places. Institutions exist because people abandon their children into the system, in some cases they are actively encouraged to do so. Intervening early is key to stopping the supply. There are now a few Early Intervention Schemes running in Bulgaria and we are keen to support this work – mindful that it must have evidence of its efficacy – and we are in discussions now about a possible roll out project.

We have been criticised recently for imparting too much personal information about the children and whilst we feel it is necessary for our supporters to know that their concern and their generosity is being effective in changing the children lives, we also must work with some of the other agencies involved at Mogilino co-operatively. For this reason we can only discuss the basic facts.

Vasky has continued to gain weight and is now having physiotherapy, including weight bearing exercises to get her standing and it is hoped she will become more mobile in the future.

Stoyan has been placed on the international adoption register and his adoption is going through now. This is a highly confidential process and we are not party to any more information than this.

Didi was taken to a new protected home in Rousse but this was a temporary move and we were very alarmed to hear that she was then sent back to Mogilino. She has now been placed in a home for young disabled people who can learn a trade in Sofia. Maria will be visiting her very soon and reviewing her situation.

Desislava is being assessed by an eye specialist to see if there is any possibility to improve her sight but an operation cannot go ahead until her mother is found to give permission as she has not given up her parental rights to her daughter.

In total 10 children have been moved into new accommodation in nearby Rousse. Maria will be going to seeing them soon.

In addition to our continued support to the Mogilino children we are also looking to help close another institution which is nearer to Sofia. Two members of our team have just returned from visiting the home and meeting the various organisations involved in this project. We will be posting news on the website about this project and a volunteer programme that we are aiming to set up first soon. We will also be emailing everyone who have expressed an interest in volunteering.

After some frustrating weeks we are now starting to see real progress both at Mogilino and in other areas of Bulgaria.

Thank you for your continued support.

Kate and the team