Monday, March 8, 2010

I'm a major weeper

Watching the documentary on Mogilino, an orphanage in Bulgary, I realized how lucky our children are to have parents that take care of them. It was heart breaking to hear the stories of the orphans at Mogilino. Many children were abandoned by their parents and dropped at the institution, undiagnosed. They were not being educated. They were fed like people feed geese: spoon after spoon after spoon, without letting the children have the chance to swallow. Many children spent hour after hour on their potty, just sitting there, rocking back and forth. Waiting for someone to come release them out of their miserable life. They never knew when they were going to get hit again. They never learned how to speak, read, write. They were deprived from any warmth or love. Left on their own, without anyone who cared..

Some of these children were mentally sane when they entered the orphanage. Being treated the way they were, many of them lost their mind and couldn't cope any longer. But what was the alternative? They had terrible bed sores, some even had gangreen.. It won't come as a surprise that a great deal of these children end up on the cemetery before they reach the age of ten. And if they don't, they continue to live the life of the deceased..

The reporter that made the documentary, often tried to make contact with the children. They were not used to being touched and cared for. Many of them backed off as soon as the reporter tried to hold them or cuddle them. It was devastating.. absolutely devastating. Some of the people in charge, abused the orphans in so many ways. These children, some blind, mentally disabled and other mute, had no means to defend themselves. They could only cry without being heard and go on the way they have gone all their childhood.
The young girls were lead to the showers naked, like cattle being drifted towards the meadows. Supervised by male care takers.. Just so wrong.. so terribly wrong. This is not an underdeveloped country! Bulgaria is part of the EU and nevertheless, this is still happening.

One out of 50 Bulgarian children spend their childhood in this kind of institution. It shouldn't be like this...

Be prepared to see shocking images.. open your heart to these children.. They deserve better, a whole lot better..


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