Desislava Boshnakova has been the director of the Elena Gruncharova kindergarten in Gorna Oryahovitsa since 2007. She was born in Veliko Tarnovo, but has been living and working in Gorna Oryahovitsa for years, where she began her professional career as a primary and kindergarten teacher. She is herself a mother of three children. She says she always finds time for walks—her way of recharging her batteries for her dynamic everyday life.
As a young teacher, Desislava happened to end up at a school in a small village, where she worked with Roma children for the first time. “At first, it was a shock; the environment was nothing like what I had known during my student years. But gradually I grew so fond of them that even today I am happy when I meet them as adults,” she says. One of her most vivid memories is how, at the end of September, the children would disappear from the classroom to help with the grape harvest. “We would go looking for them in the vineyards and bring them back to school. That’s when I realized that our job was a mission to show the children that there was another world beyond the fields.”
When asked how she builds trust with parents, Desislava emphasizes that trust is a daily task. She manages three completely different kindergartens—one in the city center and two entirely segregated in Roma neighborhoods. She thinks the key to mutual understanding is being real, explaining, “We never make up a fake world. Parents can tell when you’re being honest and respectful.” She believes that everything starts and ends with the family, and the kindergarten’s role is to support them along the way. Parents often share personal problems with her and her team and turn to them for help—from filling out paperwork to health issues. “Moments of mutual trust happen every day. We are the institution they turn to first.”
When asked who or what inspires her in her professional life, Boshnakova replies that it is the love of children that inspires her. “This morning, as I was coming to work, a little girl just ran up to me and said, ‘Headmistress, come and give me a hug!’ You can’t help but be inspired by that. Every day brings little moments—a hug from a child, a smile, a drawing.” She is also encouraged by the successes of her colleagues and the support of her family. But her deepest inspiration comes from her belief that the system can be changed from within. “I get ambitious when I see a child from the community being rejected just because of their background. These moments worry me, but they also give me the strength to work for change.”
When we asked her what helps her keep going during tough times, Desislava Boshnakova shared that in her role as principal, she often feels the pressure, especially at the beginning of the school year. It is well known in the industry that a management position is equivalent to that of a general worker because schools have a lot of administrative staff, computer and other specialists, while the principal is usually alone. “We arrive at 4 a.m. and leave at 8 p.m… And I ask myself: why am I doing this to myself? But then I remember all the moments that made it worthwhile. The parents, colleagues, celebrations with the children—that’s the wheel that keeps turning and gives me the strength to continue.”
Bosnakova became acquainted with the REYN network at its very beginning through a TSA project to eliminate kindergarten fees. “That’s when I met the wonderful TSA team and naturally became part of REYN.” For her, the network was a way to see education through the eyes of the civil sector. “When you’re inside the system, you only see things from the teacher’s point of view.
And through REYN, I began to understand the other perspective, that of the experts and organizations working with the community. This changed my vision dramatically.”
The director’s most cherished dream is related to desegregation. “This is the only way we can integrate children into society. The network needs to be opened up to institutions that do not usually work directly with Roma. Only when education is supported by everyone, including ‘elite schools’, will we have sustainable results,” says Boshnakova.
When asked, “What would you say to a young teacher?”, Desislava sends a simple but powerful message: “Children are children—they are pure and genuine. Smile, accept the parents, don’t reject them. We will support you.”
At the end of the conversation, she wishes all teachers a successful year with “fewer dropouts, more real inclusion, and more successful young people.”
The interview is part of the series “Voices of REYN,” which presents stories from members of the Network.