Language and cultural workshops "My Bulgarian Summer" once again take the children of Bulgarians living abroad to some of the most beautiful places in the country. A series of trips for children and students from 6 to 15 years of age has been organized by Elena Pavlova. It is not by chance that she called them Language and Cultural Workshops, as the main goal is to build a relationship with Bulgaria through culture, history, geography, crafts and above all through communication in Bulgarian. The summer trips are attended by children of Bulgarian parents or from mixed families, who often come to Bulgaria during the summer vacation, but do not speak Bulgarian well. A varied program has been created, which includes a visit to the seaside resort of Obzor, hikes in the Balkan Mountain near Gabrovo, as well as one-day classes for the youngest participants in Vitosha Mountain near Sofia.

According to Elena Pavlova, there is a lack similar offers for children who return for their vacation to Bulgaria. And the need for this workshop is great, as the children do not speak Bulgarian well and could not easily fit in every excursion organized for children at the local level. "The main idea of these children's workshops is to achieve an emotional charge, an emotional connection, to create friendships and then the children retain very pleasant and positive memories and emotions from their stay in Bulgaria", Elena Pavlova says:

"The organization is not easy because the period of summer vacations vary in different countries. We have tried to organise groups in such a way as to cover as many vacations as possible, at least from European countries, although we also have one group from the USA at the beginning of July, which will go to the seaside in the town of Obzor and at the beginning of August there is another group who are to visit the mountain above the town of Gabrovo. We also have a third group as the idea is for daily trips to Vitosha without spending the night there. Children can experience nature and they can learn new words, because this group is aimed at children who speak Bulgarian not so well, or are younger and cannot stay longer without a parent."

Children between the ages of 9 and 13 are the best group to work with in "My Bulgarian Summer", because they more independent and on the other hand, they are young enough and open to all kinds of new things, Elena Pavlova says:

"Children from mixed marriages have come and even if they do not live in Bulgaria, declare that this is their homeland. They are impressed by the meetings with the people, the warm and relaxed attitude towards them. They feel this quite clearly in Bulgaria and that's why they feel good. Our first camp took place in 2021 and we wondered if we would be able to do it at all. But we were determined to go, and in the backdrop of the closures back then, we ended up with the children in the Balkan Mountain above Gabrovo and the feeling of freedom for everyone was incredible. In Bulgaria, there is something that is not easily noticeable, it is very delicate, but there is an openness of the people and a kind of love for freedom that is not found elsewhere. And that is what makes an impression to those coming from abroad. This freedom may seem chaotic, but the children feel this and it makes them feel good in our country."

Elena Pavlova's idea for the children's workshops "My Bulgarian Summer" is also supported by the travelling festival “On Megdana of the Other Bulgaria". This is an annual event for folklore groups abroad that attracts hundreds of Bulgarians. "Such events help the children get together and build a connection with the homeland, to create a more romantic image of Bulgaria, free from the problems that exist in our country," Elena Pavlova says.

Read also:

• All things Bulgarian are in sparkling colour in the eyes of the children coming from abroad to spend their summer holidays here

Publication in English: Al. Markov

Photos: Facebook/mybulgariansummer