My article in the Kitsap Sun..printed version!

Interesting article by the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. I was really surprised by this.

http://www.bghelsinki.org/en/rights/children-rights/

The national strategy Vision on the Deinstitutionalisation of Children in the Republic of Bulgariaadopted by the Council of Ministers on February 24 2010, marked an important step forward in the delivery of better quality care to children in Bulgaria.

Still, the homes for children with mental disabilities in Bulgaria continue to maintain a practice of malnourishment, violence, physical restraint, and treatment with incapacitating drugs. Results from a joint BHC-Prosecutor’s Office investigation from 2010 indicate that over the past ten years, 238 children with disabilities have died in social care homes: 31 children have died of systematic malnutrition; 84 – due to general staff negligence; 13 – of infections resulting from bad hygiene; 36 – of pneumonia through persistent exposure to cold or long-term immobility; 6 – in accidents such as freezing to death, drowning, and suffocation; 2 – as a result of violence. The causes of 15 of the deaths remain unknown.  Sixty three per cent of all deaths occurred in institutions, as opposed to hospitals. This alarming percentage comes to say that sick children tend not to be hospitalised, regardless of the gravity of their health condition, and that they are left to die in the institution, or hospitalised too late. Since a significant proportion of the deaths occurred during the cold months of the year, it is clear that the very basics, such as adequate heating, food staples, and vital medication are not provided.

Upon completing the abovementioned inspection of all institutions for children with mental disabilities, the Prosecutor’s Office initiated 248 pre-trial proceedings. As of 1 June 2011, 25 of them have been terminated and 21 are still being reviewed by a court of higher instance, said the deputy chief prosecutor of Bulgaria, Galina Toneva at a news conference organised by BHC on the International Children’s Day. Still, not a single indictment has been made. The prosecutors have issued a number of disquieting refusals to investigate cases such as failure to treat a child’s abscess and to provide specialised dental care to a child, to a child abused by means of ill appointed tranquilisers; also cases of sexual abuse, hypotrophy and pneumonia-related deaths, and bodily damage. On 1 June 2011, BHC launched its campaign for access to information in care homes for children by media and civil society for regulative purposes.

***

The reform of the system of correctional and educational facilities, the correctional boarding schools (CBS) and the social educational boarding schools (SBS) has been under discussion for a decade and still has not materialized. The long-awaited reforms in the field of justice for minors and juveniles are also not on the agenda. Over the past twelve years, the number of boarding schools was reduced from thirty-three to nine, as law enforcement bodies realised the placement of children in CBS and SBS has no educational effect. This reduction was also a result of the legislative changes which restricted the arbitrariness of such placements. However, this measure could not completely guarantee the respect for the rights of children at risk. The placement procedure is inconsistent with fair trial standards. The grounds for placement in the case of ‘anti-social behaviour’ discriminate against the children, as they allow for the deprivation of liberty for acts which are not deemed crimes if performed by adults.

My article in the Kitsap Sun

Overseas travels lead to life-changing experiences

I would like to relate my unique experiences during the past year. I left my cozy home in Seabeck to spend a year studying abroad at the American University of Bulgaria. The country of Bulgaria is located in the Balkan region of Eastern Europe, on the Black Sea surrounded by Romania, Serbia, and Greece. This nation is sometimes overlooked, and not widely known by the average American tourist.

However, this post-Communist, newly admitted member of the European Union has a lot to offer a young university student like me.

The American University of Bulgaria was founded in 1991 through a joint American-Bulgarian effort. Getting to experience a liberal arts university with classes in English while living in the middle of Bulgaria was truly a unique experience. With students from over 40 nationalities attending the university, the diversity of students was amazing. What I learned in one year in Bulgaria is more than I've learned in two years at college in Washington. Not just from the educational aspect, but more from the life experiences I had. I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and came to see how much we have in common.

Traveling in Bulgaria was a unique experience. Bulgaria has many hidden treasures such as the Eastern Orthodox Rila Monastery founded in the 10th century and located in the Rila Mountains, not far from the beautiful Seven Rila Lakes, which was one of the most stunningly beautiful hikes I've ever been on.

During my year in Bulgaria, I visited 13 countries and met people from all walks of life. In general, I think Eastern Europe has a negative reputation with both Europeans and Americans. However, from Estonia to Bulgaria I've experienced nothing but warm hospitality from the locals. In comparison to Western countries like France, Germany, or Switzerland, Eastern European countries are much less expensive. I enjoyed discovering places never seen by the average American tourist. Visiting cities such as Wroclaw, Poland or Skopje, Macedonia were a long way off the normal tourist path. I think my favorite part of traveling, besides getting to try all the unique food, was getting to stay with the local people through www.couchsurfing.org. I think when traveling, it makes a big difference in understanding a culture when you are able to stay with locals rather than a hostel or hotel.

In June, on another adventure, I interned with an American organization called One Heart Bulgaria. In 2007, the BBC documentary, "Bulgaria's Abandoned Children" brought to light the situation of Bulgarian orphanages, similar to the conditions found in Romania in the early 1990s. However, with Bulgaria now being part of the European Union, you would not expect such conditions would continue to exist. However, they do. One Heart Bulgaria works with orphanages to improve the quality of life of the children. They do this by supplying basic supplies such as food and hygiene products, but also by providing human-interaction for the children such as music lessons and providing grandmothers to visit the children so that they receive attention and stimulation that they otherwise would not get. One Heart Bulgaria has a website: http://www.oneheart-bg.org/

Being back home in Seabeck now feels a bit strange for me, but I definitely missed the beauty (and cleanness!) of the Pacific Northwest. My experiences in Bulgaria changed me. While on the one hand, it really made me appreciate how good we have it in the U.S., on the other hand it gave me a yearning to move to Europe permanently because I enjoy the pace of life and the unique experience Europe has to offer.

One thing that surprised me about Bulgaria is the differences in quality of life within the country. On one side of the road you can have a BMW and on the other side you see a donkey pushing a cart, even in the Sofia, the capital. In the opinion of most, Bulgaria has, improved for the better, but I think it still has a long way to go before it can be compared to the Western European countries like France and Germany. Based on my year there, Bulgaria is an interesting and inexpensive country to visit for a tourist looking for a unique and off-the-beaten-path experience.

P

Malea Martin is a graduate of Bremerton High School and spent her junior year in Augsburg, Germany as a Rotary exchange student. Malea is presently a student at Eastern Washington University.

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/aug/31/my-turn-overseas-travels-lead-to-life-changing/