Not unlike the children in Ukraine, those coming from Afghanistan and Syria have gone through a lot of suffering and pain during their long journeys to a safe place. Moreover, many of these children are in Bulgaria alone, which makes it even harder for them to cope with the uncertainty and myriads of questions about their future.

Apart from support from qualified psychologists, at the two Safety Zones in RRC Sofia IOM Bulgaria regularly organises various creative and educational activities for those unaccompanied minors. Today our social workers carried out two such activities.

The first one was an art session titled "Learn and colour". Coloring the vivid samples of Bulgarian folk costumes and embroideries that have been unique garments for various rituals and holidays was both educational and enjoyable. The children had the chance to get acquainted with the past of the Bulgarian people and the chromatic schemes, typical of each folklore area and through painting they discovered the magic of Bulgarian folklore and traditions.

The second activity was a presentation on the 3rd of March, the National Day of the Republic of Bulgaria. The IOM staff organised a group presentation and introduced the children to the lyrics and music of the national anthem of Bulgaria. Together they watched footage of the Shipka monument, where thousands of Bulgarians climb to honor the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of Bulgaria. The boys were very impressed and expressed their desire to visit this majestic place.

These activities are realised within the framework of the project “Support for unaccompanied minors, seeking international protection” funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2020 under the Programme “Home Affairs”.