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Original poster

Bulgaria's Abandoned Children BBC4

110 replies

TwoIfBySea · 13/09/2007 22:52

Anyone else watching this?

Funny how, despite the children being nothing but bones the carers are all well (over) fed. This is horrendous, I never thought I would see worse than the Romanian Orphanages.

And the "Director" says what the orphanage needs most is a computer! Obviously for her own use and stuff the poor kids!

OP posts:

Budababe · 13/09/2007 22:55

Blast - don't get BBC4.

Where in Bulgaria do you know? (Used to live in Sofia).

puffylovett · 13/09/2007 23:03

ah you beat me to it ! not sure wether to cry or vomit or do both. channel flicking from grays anatomy has made me feel very weird - watching that while this is going on in the world !

don't you just want to pick up those poor kids and hug them better & adopt them all and give them a life

Original poster

TwoIfBySea · 13/09/2007 23:05

Mogilino in Bulgaria.

This is truly heartbreaking, one of those times I wish I could climb into the tv and hug them. Some of the children are so skinny, seriously concentration camp skinny, it is obscene this is allowed to go on.

One girl believes her mother is coming back for her and is writing all these letters to her and telling everyone how much her mother loves her. This mother has requested that her daughter be kept far away from her and not to send these letters. It is awful.

OP posts:

puffylovett · 13/09/2007 23:06

am crying now, poor little vasky just wants to go outside. i can't believe this still goes on in the world.

my ds is about to wake up for a feed and i can't wait to just hold him after watching this

Original poster

TwoIfBySea · 13/09/2007 23:06

But the thing is if you sent money to these places I guarantee it would end up in the Director's pocket. If you sent clothes and toys they would probably get sold.

The EU need to step in and give the Bulgarian government a good kick up the arse about this.

OP posts:

Original poster

TwoIfBySea · 13/09/2007 23:08

puffy I've already been up to give my dts a kiss, sleeping safe, as far away from these monsterous "carers" as possible.

I fear for Melin, what will happen to him in the place he was sent to?

OP posts:

Tinker · 13/09/2007 23:09

It is absolutely horrific. Shocking. What the hell do we do about it? I mean really, does anyone know what people can do? Is there an organisation/charity that can directly intervene?

puffylovett · 13/09/2007 23:10

doesn't it just make you want to get on a plane and go over there and sort them out yourself ?
i wish there was something we could do, your right about money and toys. they need food and love more than anything though

puffylovett · 13/09/2007 23:11

yet the place looks clean and tidy - how can it be clean but the little ones so neglected ????

Budababe · 13/09/2007 23:16

Went on BBC4 website and got the gist of it all.

Ambassador's response to BBC letter is a typical non-letter. This is what should be happening. If it is not we can/will not do anything about it.

When we lived in Bulgaria a friend's DS ended up in hospital for a few days and she was horrified by the conditions there. She was a member of our baby group and we made a collected and she went and bought toys and puzzles and pictures etc to cheer up the hospital as there was nothing there for the children. Within days it was all gone. Stolen by the staff.

Original poster

TwoIfBySea · 13/09/2007 23:17

Exactly puffy, what price a kind word or a hug.

Like I said though, funny how the carers look like they have never missed a meal, did you see the slop they forced into the childrens mouths? Not fit for pigs!

Maybe UNICEF could do something?

The Director is full of excuses and bullsh*t! Vasky and the other little blind boy will be dead soon, God help them.

OP posts:

Original poster

TwoIfBySea · 13/09/2007 23:19

Anyone who fancies going to Bulgaria on holiday should be made to watch this. Hit their tourist industry and watch action happen. I'm off to see who I can email in the Embassy to tell them this because this is unacceptable.

OP posts:

puffylovett · 13/09/2007 23:21

they'd be better off - don't you think ?

yes the carers all look well fed don't they. sickening. how they can be so blind to it i will never know but i suppose they become immune or they just don't care. shocking.

MrsScavoEatsJelly · 13/09/2007 23:22

Heartbreaking.

MarinaLaPasionaria · 13/09/2007 23:23

Romania was refused entry to the EC until it made huge improvements to its orphanages. That and the previous and ongoing publicity hit it where it hurt and a lot of changes were made.
Bulgaria has not been asked to do the same in order to qualify for EU membership. Total and utter disgrace IMO

MrsScavoEatsJelly · 13/09/2007 23:27

I just want to go over there an give those children a hug, read them some stories,sing them some songs, and give them some decent food. Things I don't think twice about doing with my own DC's.

And I bet that place is horribly cold iin winter

puffylovett · 13/09/2007 23:30

i'm off to wake my lo up for a cuddle

i don't know how they all sleep at night, cos i don't think i will after that !

Original poster

TwoIfBySea · 13/09/2007 23:39

I am too tired just now but tomorrow I intend to email: the Bulgarian Embassy, my MEP (when I find out who that is!), UNICEF and anyone else I can think of. I can't just let this lie, I have to do it after seeing that, especially at the end when Kate touched the boy's hand and he immediately went for a hug, when was the last time he was hugged.

Have already emailed BBC4 to congratulate them on this difficult but necessary programme. It should have been on BBC1.

OP posts:

Blu · 14/09/2007 00:20

That hugging just did it for me.

I feel like trawling every travel and ski-ing message board and urging people to boycott Bulgaria until they do something about this.

The 'herding' them around naked was unspeakable. I had to use inverted commas because i can't bear to think of that word being used about humans in such a literal sense.

Tortington · 14/09/2007 00:55

great programme

if you point me in the right direction, i too will write to the right people.

any advice welcome

Tortington · 14/09/2007 01:02

oh and what would i say? just that i think the treatment of these children is disgusting and the Bulgarian govt should look into it immediatley? would that do?

Quootiepie · 14/09/2007 06:29

Don't have BBC4 anymore but in a bad way i'm glad because by the sounds of it it'll give me nightmares. My mum bought a flat in Bulgaria 2 years ago, I had no idea that this sort of thing would be happeneing in what seems not an underdeveloped country. Maybe if I ever go over i'll bring things for the orphanages, but by the sounds of it the staff just steal the toys etc.

Quootiepie · 14/09/2007 06:38

www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=20239 links to charities at the bottom of this page

puffylovett · 14/09/2007 08:50

www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/bulgarias-children.shtml

bbc4's webpage has a link to lots of people we could write to.
sorry i don't know how to make it a proper link but here's the address !!

Blu · 14/09/2007 11:32

Custy - I am thinkiing of writing to my MP and my MEP and saying that I am horrified that we are in a Union with a gvt/country that has such scant regard for human rights and what are they going to do about it.

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