Our partnership with Community Center “Ivan Stefanov – 1918”, Petrevene Village, Lukovit Municipality dates back to the end of 2019 when the “Game for Opportunities” Project was launched.
About the partner: The Community Center in the village of Petrevene has a long history as a cultural center in the region. From the beginning of 2020, there is a Learning Space in the village. It was created as part of the “Game for Opportunities” Project to support families raising young children in their development through a play-based program. Its creation was initiated by one of the project partners – “Knowledge” Association – Lovech and supported by the local government. However, one person had a special attitude towards the process of creating and establishing the Learning Space, and today she is still one of its inspirations. She is Yordanka Velcheva, Chairwoman of the Community Center for 30 years and a person who speaks with pride and sincere love about nature, the surroundings, and life in the village of Petrevene.
Here is what she says:[vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1601294618319{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;padding-left: 30px !important;background-color: #2dbcb3 !important;}”]“When we were offered to join the project and create such a learning space, I was very happy. As Chairman of the Community Center, I have wanted for a long time to find a way to involve everyone from the village in various activities. The idea of creating a learning space for children from an early age has inspired me sincerely. In the beginning, we didn’t have a suitable room for that. It was not difficult to convince the mayor to provide funds, which helped us to renovate a room in the former school of the village. We received toys, musical instruments, and books for the children, involved in the project. And we created everything else by ourselves. We – the people from the village. My sister, for example, sewed cushions and curtains. My family got involved with personal work until our learning space was completely ready.
I first heard about the Element of Play® Program at a training I attended in 2019, in which I gained knowledge and skills to work with children and families through game-based programs.
And that’s how our adventure began!
The families who come to the classes are mostly of Roma origin. Most of them live in extreme poverty and deprivation, but they take care of their children with love. In the beginning, when the children came they were shy, they didn’t want to talk, they were ashamed. When they didn’t know how to solve a situation, they started crying. Gradually they got used to the new environment. They are coming with great desire and are looking forward to every new lesson. More and more children are attracted to the place, games, and entertainment. Sometimes their number reaches 40 children. The children learned to share the toys, to preserve them, to put them in order, to wait in line. They learned to look for solutions out of their experience from the game – to take turns and to step back. We all have a lot of fun!
The Element of Play® Program is very suitable for children living in poverty because it offers them the opportunity to play with different toys that they do not have at home. It gives them the opportunity to listen to stories, dance, and study. In just a few months, the children learned how to name the colors, count to 20, and above, and to recognize animals. The children learned many children’s songs and this enriched their vocabulary. They know where the beautiful butterfly comes from – it starts from an egg, then a caterpillar, and a pupa. They compete with building the tallest tower with a constructor. They are able to recognize and name the fruits and vegetables and we love to cook together.
We spend all summer in nature. I taught the children how to play the game “Dama” and they liked it so much that together we drew it on the asphalt. The music program is also so enjoyable for both children and adults!
What we created for children changed us all. Parents have changed, the whole community has changed, and everyone is involved. The children grow with every time they come. The program gives chance to children from small towns where there is no kindergarten or anything else to be able to gain knowledge and develop skills that they will need in the future.
I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with the Element of Play® Program. Thanks to the support of the Worldwide Orphans Foundation Bulgaria, the families of the village were provided with food packages, hygiene materials, and a home play package during the emergency COVID-19 situation in Bulgaria. Thanks to the “Knowledge” Association – Lovech for our teamwork and development.
The achieved results motivate me. Teaching children from our community through play motivates me. And I look forward to meeting with the kids every week.”[vc_gallery images=”1787,1785,1783,1781,1779″]