-Coats For The Kids-

2-8-2007

I have not posted anything for a while; but I have definitely been writing quite a bit lately. I have another story going, but I am reluctant to post it at this time because I have not found the conclusion I have been looking for. Life here has been a bit crazy lately; I have been ridiculously stressed out. This is a completely different sensation than the gloomy winter depression I have been plagued with previously. I have run into a few disastrous snags with work lately; but I will elaborate on that situation in a different blog.
Yesterday was a productive and quite meaningful day for me. I was finally able to help out the Roma in my town. My friend and nearby PCV Melody; partnered with people in the states to fund a project to bring winter coats to poor Roma kids. Melody and I with the help of my colleague Ivan, went to the Roma School and gave 24 Coats, hats, and gloves to the kids. It was quite heartwarming to see the appreciation and excitement on the faces of these kids. It was made quite obvious to me by the appearance of these children, that these new coats were in great need. I have been to the Mahala (Roma Slum) and seen the conditions these kids live in. I do not know how they are able manage the winter without adequate winter clothing. As we met with the director of the Roma School, she explained to us that the poorest children do not attend school in the winter because they do not have shoes. This is something that is a difficult to comprehend, how could someone be so poor that they cannot even afford shoes? The Roma kids must walk across a garbage strewn muddy field in order to get to the Roma School from the Mahala. I cannot imagine small kids making this trip, in 25F weather without shoes on. The last coat we gave away was to a young girl; who in fact did not have shoes. She only had socks to keep her feet warm.
After I left the Roma School I had to trek across town to the Kindergarten where I teach English. The kids in my class are great, their energy and quirky mannerisms never fail to put a smile on my face. I teach two classes twice a week; one class is 6-7 year olds and one is 4-6 year olds. My younger group is the biggest challenge; they do not comprehend things as quickly as the older group. It is obvious that one year of mental maturity makes a huge difference in learning abilities.
Lately, I have been planning the logistics of my annual 4 on 4 charity soccer tournament. This year should be even better than last year, I have generated quite a bit of interest so far. I will have local teams, PCV teams, Bulgarian teams, and even a team of PCVs from Macedonia. The tournament will take place March 24th, so I will have to do a lot more planning and legwork in the coming weeks in order to make it a success.
Well that’s all I have for now; I hope all is well on the other side. Things here seem to be going incredibly fast; I only have 7 more months left of service. The last 3 months of service I am not allowed to take vacation days or leave the country for any reason. So this spring should be a lot of fun because I have quite a few vacation days saved up. Alright……….I will stop now, a big thanks to all of you that are keeping in touch. It makes a big difference and keeps me sane.

TREVOR

Roma Girl-who could not afford shoes

Melody and I with the Roma Kids