Day 1 - Travelling & Gorna Koznitsa

Started at 7.30 in the morning when we all met at the airport, late arrivals due to traffic but was great fun. We were all looking forward to our day together as a group in Bulgaria. Once we landed in Sofia we went off to lunch and prepared ourselves to visit the institution, which was shut down in 2010.

It took us about an hour and a half to get there and as soon as we entered the homes we were shocked.  The way that it smelled even after two years of no-one living in it.  It was horrible.  Knowing the fact that these children were living in these dreadful collections was shocking for many of us.  The faeces of the children, on the walls, on the floors and especially on the furniture.  They only had one working toilet for about 58 children together.  One of the rooms that Mark showed us was where all 58 children together and were locked in the room.  However, even though seeing these horrible conditions, we are really looking forward to spending the day with the children that have improved greatly.

Karen & Morgane 

As I headed through the doors of the institution I saw that the place was a wreck. It would never have been in a decent state for 58 children to live in. Their life was kept in between the gates, and never had they been outside. This made me realize that we take things for granted and don't realize that we are so privileged to be allowed to live in a well-built home, that we can go to a good school and on top of all have a place we can call "home".




While we were walking around the institution so many emotions were coming to me at once. I felt shocked that people would allow such a place. Shouldn't we all be treated equally? It is hard to explain the way I felt about the institution as I had not realised that this was the way people lived.

Caitlin