For several years now, the WWO Bulgaria playgroup in the social center in the town of Novi Pazar has been the only place where children from the poor Roma neighborhood can touch toys and learn about the world through play. The results would not have been as successful without the Summer Group Activities program.
Sometimes left unsupervised by their preoccupied parents looking for seasonal work in the summer, children are forced to organize their daily lives on their own. For others, the longing for the parents who have gone to work abroad cannot be replaced by the care of elderly grandparents. To ensure a safe environment for children, the team offers various group activities themed around books, drawing, sports. Children experience the pleasure of activities encouraged by adults who skillfully guide them in working with materials and communicating with others.
And to the parents, the program gives a feeling of support and more hope. As the mother of one says, "I feel so relaxed when my daughter is in a group session, and when she comes home with a beautiful drawing as a gift for me, the problems don’t seem so impossible to solve.