Summer 2022: From the Faculty of Medicine to Fakulteta neighborhood in Sofia and the continuation of the efforts for health prevention of our scholars in Varna
In the month of October, scholarship holders within the Scholarship Program for Roma students in medical degrees held a number of long-prepared initiatives in different parts of Bulgaria.
Some of them were in the Fakulteta district to talk to parents and children about dental health and cavity prevention for children. The young people took part in the traditional happening of the HESED Foundation, which brought together dozens of children and parents from the neighborhood. They colored thematic materials with the children, talked about the right way to brush your teeth, had the opportunity to give specific guidelines and advice for follow-up examinations and treatment to the mothers. The children enjoyed the toothbrushes and toothpastes that were distributed.
During the same week, Sofia Martinova, a student pursuing a degree as an Assistant Pharmacist Assistant, her mentor Ass. Prof. Klara Dokova, and Georgi Georgiev – a student studying Medicine were in Dalgopol near Varna. They organized an information event on the prophylaxis and prevention of diabetes. During the event, Sofia and Georgi provided the residents of Dalgopol with information on the causes, prevention and control of the disease, and those who wished had the opportunity to measure their blood sugar and receive specific guidelines according to their indicators. Sofia shared her impressions of the day:
“[People] were asking questions, mostly about the normal values, the complications of diabetes, and they were grateful for the information. In addition, the fact that Georgi and I are future health professionals was of interest to a young girl who shared that she also wanted to study at university, and her parents, standing by her side, encouraged her, setting an example that one day she would do what we do now. I’m glad that we organized the event and that it was useful for a lot of people!”
At the same time, the observations of the volunteers in the Fakulteta neighborhood in Sofia are that there are a large number of children who do not have access to a dentist for initial guidance and prevention from an early age. Access to dental specialists is very limited and the awareness of adults about the possibility of examinations and dental treatment for their children is minimal.
The meeting with the students in Dentistry and Medicine gave many mothers the opportunity to get a first opinion and advice on maitaining their children’s dental health. The children learned more about the foods that are good and bad for their teeth while coloring the thematic coloring pages prepared for them within the small project.
Alexey Mitkov is the initiator of the idea of a meeting with children and parents to share information about children’s dental health. A native of Lom, he is a student in Dental Medicine at Medical University-Sofia. “For the first time, I set foot in Fakulteta, which resembled the rest of the Roma neighborhoods in terms of the structure – the visible division of wealthy and poor people was most obvious when you look at the houses. There are also visible signs of integration. There were older and inquisitive children at the event who asked additional questions about oral hygiene. They wanted to know,” says Alexey.
The students got the chance to gain experience and understanding of the community’s problems and to meet the little ones, who showed great interest in the opportunity to have fun, learning more about the correct use of the toothbrush and toothpaste.
“The conclusion I can draw is that there are people there, and most importantly – children, who have realized the meaning and are ready for life in an integrated society,” the student also says.
Alexey, Sofia and Georgi, together with other colleagues from the program, received an Ambassador prize in the Volunteers category at the Fifth Annual HEROES Awards given out by the Time Heroes platform in 2022. It was about their volunteer initiatives in 2021, and this year their work continued on other important health topics in different Roma communities.
Naturally, high hopes are placed upon the youth who meet with children and young people from these communities to inspire them to be responsible for their health and boldly pursue their dreams.
The importance of these efforts is also evidenced by many of the mentors working with students today. Some of them have been scholarship recipients of similar programs and are now passing on the experience and support they relied on years ago. Thus, the Roma community in Bulgaria seeks to create and support the people who build its future from within.