email: info@OrphanageStoikite-bg.org
Tel: BG+00359 (0)895 485171
Tel: UK : +44 (0)208 133 7171

welcome to orphanage stoikite-bg
Appeal for help for the children

Comments from Visitors

This page is designated for the emails, letters and comments from those kind people who have visited the Orphanage in Stoikite to see the children and take donations for them and wrote to tell us about it.

It is very important to remember that when visiting the children in the Orphanage they are treated with kindness and thoughtfulness. Many of these children have suffered a traumatic childhood and are of a nervous disposition and need all the support and care that they can get.

Click here to see photos taken by Adam, Julie & Marion during their visits to the Orphanage

Click here to see earlier letters from Visitors to the Orphanage

Wednesday 19 March 2008
I visited the orphanage with Andie on 3.3.08 and the experience will stay with me always. As Andie says, the children were so friendly and loving and full of fun. These children have been through so much in their short lives but are still able to laugh. The lad that really sticks in my mind and haunts me is Slavcho, his story is on the website. He wonders around in his own little world and God only knows what is going on in his mind. He tried to talk but only a mumbled sound came from his lips. He kept touching our faces and showed us affection. However, he will soon be 18 and will be thrown out on the streets again with nobody to look after him. Amanda is desperately trying to find somebody to take him but the situation does not look good. I think of him all the time and dread to think of his future.
Amanda, Doug and Jasmine do so much to help these children. It was great to see Doug playing football with the boys in the school hall. Lots of the boys were wearing their rucksacks that had been donated. I felt very humble that day, these children are great and deserve our help and attention - they have nobody else out there to help them. Just hope that next winter they will be warm. Carole

Wednesday 12 March 2008
We visited the orphanage on Thursday and Friday last week under the supervision of Amanda. We mainly went there to play some football and other games with the kids and help boost the fund raising for our bike ride in May. I was a bit apprehensive of what I might find and was told to keep smiling with the kids and not to show any emotions. Enough has been said about the conditions inside the orphanage so I had tried to prepare myself for this.

What I was not prepared for was the children themselves, they seemed so loving and happy and so friendly with one another. In all the time we were there I didn’t witness any bad behavior or boisterousness. Can you imagine 73 Teenagers in England left with two adults that just sit there and do nothing. There would be a riot! I have got two children 16, and 14 and although I kept smiling and laughing with them I was desperately trying to hold back the tears, knowing these children had nobody to hug them ,praise them, show interest in them and tuck them in at night.

Two of the boys wanted to take me up the hill opposite to show me the small ski-slope, we raced each other up to the top. From there I could see Pamporovo tower with the orphanage in the valley below. I could n’t help thinking of all the Brits Sking, drinking and dinning unaware of what was in their shadow. Coming down the slope the boys raced a head, I was trying to keep up but kept slipping, one boy ran back up to hold my hand all the way down.

We played football with the kids outside the front of the orphanage ,We tried to turn a blind eye to the health and safety as this is what the kids are used to. Pieces of wood with nails in, bottles, building materials etc etc. The kids loved this and kept looking at us for approval when they did something good. Believe it or not I have condensed this post there is so much more to tell. I returned to England on Saturday and finally broke down on Saturday evening, My 16 son looked on confused, he has never seen his Dad Cry. Adam (Adam's photos see link at top of page)

Visit to Orphanage on Monday 3 March 2008

On 3 March, Carole and I went with Amanda to the orphanage and spent most of the day with the children. As a brief background, I joined the team at Carole and Amanda’s request to help with the administration side, recording donations etc and managing the website. I thought I had a good idea of what it entailed and why I was doing it. At first glance the site of the orphanage was so depressing it made your heart sink and wonder whether we could ever do enough to help these children or to improve the conditions that they were living in. But as we went inside the impending gloom and dreariness fell away as the children descended on us. I was not prepared for the welcome that we got – wide open smiles and the feeling of love from the children made you feel so humble. No matter what their age – from the youngest to the oldest – there was a feeling of overwhelming joy and pleasure to see us......... Andie (for complete article)

Letter from Marion - 15 February 2008:

I first heard about Stoikite orphanage from a couple I met at Christmas called Kieth and Ellen. When I returned to London I found my way to the website and read about the plight of the children there and Amanda's story along with her efforts to improve the lives of these children. I was very concerned that anyone should have to live in such difficult conditions, especially so close to a tourist resort where billions of pounds are being spent by developers and tourists alike! I emailed Amanda and received a very quick response ......... .(for complete article) (Marion's photos see link at top of page)

Letter from Katherine Mills - 31 January 2007

On Saturday the 27 th January I went to visit the Stoikite Orphanage. The last time I was there was when I worked in Pamporovo in 2006. Since then I've been working in Borovets during the winter. I was very pleased to hear Amanda and other people are doing what they can can to help this Orphanage and that more and more people are hearing of the plight. I really wanted to meet Amanda and to see the Orphanage again so I was really pleased when I got the time to go. After an over night stay in Pamporovo I drove the short distance to Stoikite ......... .(for complete article click here)

orphanage stoikite, pamporovo, bulgaria
Copyright © 2007 Andie Musson