Category: Истории

I met Angel Simeonov 5 years ago. At that time he was working as a psychologist in the local school of the Roma neighborhood “Asphalt Base” in Velingrad, where he has lived since birth. The neighborhood has existed since the 1950s and numbers about 280 houses, most of them illegal. There are no asphalted streets in many places in the neighborhood, and the water and sewage network does not reach all homes. Landscaping and social infrastructure are not even mentioned in the neighbourhood.
Read more “For an Angel who brings hope – Story by Anna Rizova, TCA”

When I graduated from high school, the mothers of my friends kept asking me if I would not marry anymore and gave me the example of girls who had been looking for a suitable husband since they were in high school. I told them that education was much more important to me than material things, and they exclaimed, “But you’re always talking about teaching, as if you were going to become a headmistress!” and advised their daughters not to communicate with me, lest they get “infected” with my love of books and miss their chance for a successful marriage. The Roma often use this expression ironically because they think it is impossible for a person of our ethnicity to occupy a director’s chair. But I was not of the same opinion and I was even more ambitious to learn and be a role model for other girls. I wanted to prove to my neighbours that I could make it in any profession as long as I set my mind to it. Read more “The example of Vili – The story of Velichka Marinova from the village of Govedare”

I got married at the age of 16, but despite that I went on to study and completed my secondary education alongside my peers. Times are changing and so is our worldview. If until recently a woman’s role was to stay at home and take care of the children, today the responsibilities in the home are shared and the professional satisfaction of both parents is equally important.
Read more “The satisfaction of being an example for your children – The story of Natalia Stefanova, Montana”

When I was a kid I was said to be half a man. When I was only five years old I had a bad accident – I was hit by a car and had to recover for a long time afterwards. At the hospital, they casted my broken limbs and removed the spleen that was affected when the car hit me, but in a life-saving blood transfusion, I was infected with Hepatitis C and developed anemia. Only my parents know what it cost them to get me back on my feet and back to a full life. Fate offered me many obstacles. I suffered a broken pelvis at birth and five surgeries, I suffered from breast tumors. My treatment was costly and my family’s resources were not enough for my education and for this reason I did not enroll to study after finishing high school. Today, however, I am on the verge of my last year of studies.     Read more “No impossible things – The story of Galya Borisova, Kozloduy”

I often ask myself what is the success of a person. Is it a one-time triumph, the achievement of a goal, or is it the ultimate reward? I think people should pursue their dreams all their lives, even when they seemingly put them on pause and devote themselves to caring for their loved ones. And maybe only then do they get a second chance to realize their cherished plans by continuing to help others, and that is the real achievement. I tell this story as a woman who has waited many years to realize her childhood dream and finally understands the meaning of success.
Read more “The success of helping others to succeed – The story of Fatme Ahmed, village of Ruen”

In the small town of Dalgopol, where time seemed to stand still, lived a girl with big dreams and an indomitable spirit. She was born into a family that kept its good name and stuck to tradition. And they dictated that education was not a necessity for girls. Rather, they should strive for a successful marriage, raising children and maintaining the household. But despite the norms and expectations her family imposed on her, she had her own views on how to make her life fulfilling. This lady didn’t give up easily, even when the path to her dreams seemed impossible. Her story is an inspiration to all who have ever felt lost but never lost hope.
Read more “Don’t give up! – The story of Elena Dimitrova, Dalgopol”

Everyone has a cherished goal that they secretly hope to achieve, even if it sometimes seems unattainable. Dreams are the one thing no one can take away from us. It is no coincidence that I chose this title for my story because for a long time my family and I lived abroad, but I never stopped dreaming of returning to Bulgaria and becoming a nurse. Even before I finished my secondary education in my native Red Bank, I wanted to continue studying human health care, while my parents insisted that I go into veterinary medicine. I got stuck and decided to skip applying until the following year. And as often happens, life turned me in another direction, I started working in Lukovit, soon after I got married and became a mother to a beautiful daughter, and after another year we went to work in Spain. So studying stayed in the background.
Read more “Dream without Borders – The story of Miglena Tsakova, Lukovit”

The day of my prom seemed like the beginning of a magical fairy tale with a foretold happy ending – my long-time friend Desislav asked for my hand in marriage, and I excitedly said the cherished “Yes!”. It was a warm and sunny day at the end of May 2018, and I couldn’t imagine a future with even more light than the one I saw springing from my dreams of a prosperous family life. That summer, my husband and I had both decided to go abroad in search of a better future. But fate had other plans for us and today I, 21-year-old Toshka Ventsislavova from the picturesque village of Butan in Vratsa, work as a teacher’s assistant in the local kindergarten “First of June” while I am about to finish my higher education. Read more “The happily missed flight to Prague – The story of Toshka Ventsislavova, Butan village”

In my role as a health mediator over the past 15 years, I have had the pleasure of working with a variety of institutions and the professionals who represent them – doctors, psychologists, educators, lawyers, and scientists from diverse areas of our public life. People who have overcome all kinds of difficulties to make it. Personalities who inspire you to build on yourself to take your place where you will be useful and serve as an example to others.
Read more “Why I want to become a teacher – The story of Nina Ivanova, Medkovets village”