Home for Upbringing and Education of Children Without Parental care

Address:

9 Yantra Street

7177 Brestovitsa

Obshtina Borovo, Bulgaria

Number of children: 49 girls and 53 boys

All of the children at the Kiril and Methodious Orphanage suffer from mental disabilities of varying levels of severity; 30 residents suffer from the most severe degree of mental affliction. The disabilities of the children present a number of challenges to the management of home. The home provides additional care for the children to accommodate their special needs:

• A special school with small class sizes;
• Work therapy and professional training;
• A 24- hour duty nurse and regular doctor visits;
• A staff psychologist;
• Additional cleaning staff and childcare specialists; and
• Numerous provisions in the home to better care for the children.

Along with the mental disabilities, many of the children cope with physical disabilities that require treatment:

• Heart-related problems (21 children);
• Respiratory difficulties (15 children);
• Gastrointestinal problems (6 children);
• Eye problems (24 children);
• Excretory difficulties (15 children);
• Joint, bone and muscle deformations (24 children);
• Psychological and neurological problems (11 children); and
• Other afflictions (27 children).

Yearly Needs for 110 Children (average population of the home):

• Shoes – 3 pairs (summer, winter, house) $40 per child = $4400
• Clothes - $80 - $100 per child = $8800-$11,000
• Sheets – 2 sets per bed at $26 (many children wet their bed) = $2860
• Maintenance - $200 per month = $2400

** These are the regular expenditures that are not covered by the Ministry of Education.  The figures above are targets set by the management of the home for the children to live under “normal” conditions.  The actual contributions received are never close to these sums and the clothing, shoes, and bed linens of the children are in a deplorable state.

The home is also in need of comprehensive repairs.  Such work would include replacing all the windows and frames with double pained windows, upgrading the sanitation system, repairing the roof and adding attic insulation, and repairing the façade of the home.  The total for this work is estimated to be $53,000.

A more complicated project will also be required in the near future to meet European Union standards, which require that each bedroom have access to a bathroom.  The orphanage management has already prepared plans to meet these standards for a cost of $40,000.

The homes work-therapy program is suffering badly because it lacks equipment to properly train the students.  Despite their disabilities, these children have the potential to be accomplished machinist and carpentry apprentices, as well as artists.  To update the equipment so they will be prepared to work will cost $8, 000.

Some children are in need of medical procedures that would greatly improve their quality of life.  A detailed list of their needs can be provided upon request.

Special conditions in the area where Orphanage is located:

The Kiril and Methodious Orphange is located in the tiny village of Brestovitsa, which is 10 km from the municipal center of Borovo and 50 km from the nearest city, Ruse.  The children are confined to the village where they live and go to school so they do not have the opportunity to socialize with other children.  The home uses a special van to transport teachers from Borovo to the school, but it is an aging, increasingly unreliable, mode of transport.

Source of Funding:

• Gifts:  The Police Officers’ Association in Ruse donates money monthly for extra food and Christmas gifts.  There are no other regular donors but the management does find companies to make food and clothing donations from time to time.

• Fundraising activities:  The children and their art teacher create works of art that they give to donors and occasionally sell.

• Other 

Prospective Orphan Train Intermediaries: Sarah Bain and Alexander Lane, Peace Corps Volunteers. The closest Rotary Club to the orphanage is believed to be the Rotary Club of Ruse

Any organization interested in becoming an Orphan Train conductor for the foregoing orphanage, contact the Orphan Train Project.

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KALINA ORPHANAGE (IN BULGARIA)

Home for Upbringing and Education of Children Without Parental care

Address:

1 Ploshtad Vasil Aprilov

7124 Sturmen

Obshtina Byala, Bulgaria

Children: 32 girls and 25 boys

Orphanage Director and Staff: Director Bosjidara

Ivanova has been at the orphanage for 16 years. There are 18 people on staff, one of whom speaks English.

The following items of need are listed in order of priority. An asterisk indicates a large one-time expenditure, of which 1/5 of the cost has been included in the estimate of first year's cost.

*Computer Center - $2,500
The home would like to purchase three new computers so the children can complete their Information Systems assignments at home and use computers for assignments in other classes. Staff members will help the students with their assignments. Presently, the home has two pre-Pentium computers that are not adequate.

*Beds and mattresses - $3,990
All of the mattresses at the home need to be replaced.
Shoes - $600

Most of the children have adequate shoes for winter and summer, but they don't have any footwear for playing and sports. The older kids cannot participate in competitions because they have no footwear. The only place they can play is at the home where the other children play without shoes and the ball is tattered and soft.

Food - $500
To improve the diet of the residents the home will purchase more meats and cheeses, and vegetables during the winter.

*Building repairs - $60,000

The building is literally falling apart around the children, held together by patchwork repairs. Extensive repairs will include fixing the plumbing, windows, doors, and structural repairs.

Maintenance - $500 Regular preventative maintenance to extend the life of the orphanage building, and reduce the need for major repairs in the future.

Sheets, pillows, and towels - $505
Just like the beds, almost all the sheets, pillows, and towels need to replaced.

*Music System - $200

Music is joy for these children, just as it is for all. They would like to replace the system they have with a new one. The current system is over 7 years old, and is nothing more than radio now. A new system would allow them to play CDs, which are inexpensive in town. With a system that plays CDs, they can use it to practice their musical numbers for plays and listen to language lessons. (The entire price is included in the estimate.)

Eyeglasses 3-4 pair per year-Estimate needed

SPECIAL CONDITIONS IN THE AREA WHERE THE ORPHANAGE IS LOCATED:

The Kalina Orphanage is isolated in the tiny village of Sturmen. Aside from a special bus that takes the children to and from school, there is only one bus in and out of the village each day. Consequently, the children are dependent on the resources of the village, which are sparse, for education and entertainment outside of school hours. Unlike children in the municipal center of Byala, they do not have access to computers or interesting places to spend their free time. The situation is much worse during the summer because the residents of the home have no school and they are separated from all of their school friends all day long. Regulations concerning supervision mean that the children cannot even walk the seven kilometers into Byala unless they are part of a group.

PROSPECTIVE INTERMEDIARIES: Peace Corps Volunteers Lauren Smith and Alexander Lane.

FUNDRAISING FACTS: The children of the home make Martinitzas (springtime lapel decorations) and occasionally produce plays, which they perform for audiences in Byala. The home supplements its food budget by maintaining a vegetable garden. Many local groups donate food.

Any organization interested in working with this orphanage should contact the Orphan Train Project.

*Special Note to any Lions Club interested in working with this orphanage. Currently, the largest single donor of food to the Kalina Orphanage is the Lions Club of Ruse. Perhaps a connection could be arranged between clubs.

*Special Note to any Rotary Club interested in becoming a conductor for this orphanage. There is a Rotary Club in Ruse, making possible a connection for a matching grant, though this subject has not been explored with the local Rotary Club.

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 CASA HOGAR PADRE MARTINHO (Lima, Peru)

Home to 25 severely disabled or AIDS children are in need of physical, occupational and speech therapy equipment 

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LA POSADA DEL BUEN PASTOR (Lima, Peru)

This is a home for AIDS victins. While they receive government health care, they could use assistance obtaining food supplies.

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SANTA TERESITA (Tingo Maria, Peru) 

This orphanage has a current Orphan Train conductor, but like so many, could use additional conductors. Current needs include, but not limited to, an upgraded play area, electrical maintenance and towels.

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SAN JUAN BOSCO (HUANOCO, PERU)

While this orphanage has a conductor, much needs to be done that can't be accomplished by one conductor. Currently home to a large contingent of boys and girls, this home is in need of animals for food, scholarships for children to universities, washing machines and new clothes for each child.  It would be a special treat for these children to obtain new clothing, as they have only owned second hand clothing.