Free Europe Bulgaria (Svobodna Evropa) shared this short film (in Bulgarian) about the story of Snezhana Ivanova, a Bulgarian woman from the poor Sofian district Fakulteta, who has successfully escaped from the closed circle of life in the ghetto. This happened thanks to the Center for Social Development in the Fakulteta neighborhood, where she is also currently working as a social worker. Snezhana enters the center at the age of 12, where she grows up in an environment that presents the alternatives to the predictable life in the ghetto.
"I got married older. I gave birth older, I'm educated and not working as a cleaner. Things that happen to normal girls happened to me" says Snezhana
Unfortunately, as Snezhana notes, such chances for development come mostly from non-governmental organizations rather than from the Bulgarian government. Volunteers and mediators are the people who give a helping hand to the victims of segregation.
"Living in the ghetto, you see only the example of the ghetto. You are born, grow up, reach 13-14, maximum 15 years, get married, then you bear and raise children. I saw a hole in this circle, that is, you can grow up, get an education and then think about having children" Snezhana adds
Snezhana is grateful for the opportunities she has received. She is now 25 years old, happily married with 2 children, and works in the same place where she found her way out of the ghetto. Her mission is "to help as many young people as possible to build a future in which education and environment are fundamental."
You can watch the video as well as find additional information on the case in Bulgarian on the source article page.
