Child sponsorship letter update from Dren and Trjavna
14/12/2007
Village Progress Report on:
SOS-Detsko Selishte Dren and Trjavna
With deep gratitude to your long term valuable support, which makes the great difference in the life of the children from SOS Children’s Village Dren and Trjavna, this time we would like to represent to your attention an interview with an SOS mother. It was given in July this year for one of the largest women magazines in Bulgaria. The interview is a different perspective from what we have represented to you from our activities until now. It is just another way to have a view over our work - through the eyes of an SOS mother.
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Dear Madame, please let me ask you for an interview for the e-magazine www.Az-Jenata.com (I, The Woman). In the column She, the Star, our aim is to interview important for our society women from the Bulgarian political, cultural, economical, sports, business and journalist elite and present their outstanding work to our 40 000 readers.
We believe that it will be of great interest to our web visitors to acquaint them with you as a woman.
Here are our questions to you:
1. When you were a child what was your dream profession?
My earliest memories are related to children. My dream was to become a teacher.
I always played the role of the teacher in our children’s games. As a student I motivated myself to study better my lessons, so that I could act better in front of my imaginary students whom I “taught” lifted up on my bed, which was my imaginary teacher’s desk. I also imagined that I am a TV speaker and read the news.
Another dream I had influenced by Jules Verne was to become a captain of a big ship and travel across the seas.
My mother’s dream for me, however, was to become a midwife just like my sister. But I could never stand the smell of hospital.
2. Basically, is it a sacrifice to be a mother?
Motherhood is love. Motherhood is smiles and tears. Motherhood is the life itself. But also it is a conscious choice. Therefore to me motherhood can never be sacrifice.
3. Which is your greatest motive to become an SOS mother?
To be an SOS mother is one of the ways to give meaning to life. My strong will to care after abandoned children was my greatest motive to work for SOS Childtren’s Villages Bulgaria. Gradually as time went by my work became my way of life and turned into dedication. I remember when I was a teacher I often dreamed to “find” abandoned children, to take them home and raise them as my own.
4. How do you manage with your daily routine and what gives you strength?
Basically my daily life does not differ much from the one of all mothers in Bulgaria. When the children in one family are many, often the older ones help not only to the younger ones, but also to me in the household. The difficulties are related to the fact that every child requires personal attention. The good thing is that when we get angry it passes away quickly, so that we forget fast. The smiling children’s eyes or a sudden funny answer quickly bring back my good mood. I begin each new day with the idea to be a little bit better and to get less angry. The children are full of surprises. And I enjoy surprises. For the passed 13 years I have raised children who are already adults and have a successful life on their own. This motivates me greatly and gives me strength and strong belief that the younger ones would one day also find their right place in life. The children are the regulator of my potentiality.
5. Please tell us about you warmest and most memorable scene from your life as an SOS mother.
It is a quite difficult task, because they are so many. Perhaps my strongest emotional experience was when I welcomed the youngest girl, who was so tiny at that time. Marty was only 9 days old and I was trembling of fear and excitement when I took her in my arms. I couldn’t believe that small sleeping baby will become a grown up human one day. However now - just look at her! She is happy to receive all the love of her older brothers and sisters, who, just like me, four years ago, were looking at her with eyes wide open when she entered our life with her baby dippers.
Children's Dreams
6. What would you like your children to learn from you?
The children have to follow their dreams. I stimulate them to have aims and wishes. I want them to be happy. I teach them to be ambitious, but also - patient; to like and to love themselves, to help each other and to respect each other. I don’t want these words to sound as cliché to them from books and movies, but to realize their true deep meaning. I felt very happy when I heard that two of my grown up children call each other “my sister” and support each other. I am so glad when my five grown up children call us to see how we are doing, how are the little ones in the family doing. I am glad that I am part of their life and they share with me their successes and misfortunes when they come back at holidays. It feels so pleasant when I am ill and they call me every day to see if I am getting better. My aim is to teach them qualities which bring joy to them and to the people around them - simple but important things, which are difficult to be developed into children, who were abandoned by their parents and have lost the trust.
7. What message would you forward to the Bulgarian women?
To stand strong for themselves and to be responsible towards their children, to treat them with respect in spite of the choice they have made regarding motherhood.
8. Favourite colour? Song? Taste? Place?
Favourite colour - white, red and black.
Song - almost all songs of Lilly Ivanova (the most famous singer in Bulgaria). I have favourite songs of different styles.
Taste - to try new things
Place - the Rodppi (one of the Bulgarian oldest sacred mountains, very beautiful)
9. Favorite recipe? Something you prepare for your family and friends with pleasure?
I enjoy cooking and to surprise myself and my friends. Everybody loves my pancakes.
Dear reader, here we represent to your attention a brief presentation of the SOS mother:
Mrs. S. Atanassova is an SOS mother with 5 grown up children; another 7 presently live with her. Her profession is a teacher. Two years ago she completed master degree in speech therapy. She regularly attends meetings and conferences of the speech therapists in Bulgaria, which helps her in her work as an SOS mother. She is interested also in psychology, history and philosophy.
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Dear Friends of SOS Children’s Village Dren, thank you very much for your support!
Yours sincerely,
Marian Djankov
Village Director
Relevant Countries: Bulgaria.