Voices of Stolipinovo

We are two field assistants for a home-visiting program for young mothers in the Stolipinovo neighbourhood in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

We help with recruitment of mothers, as well as with interpretation between the family nurses and the families, especially those mothers who speak mainly Turkish. Both of us are mothers ourselves. One of us got married as a teenager and had to drop out of school in the 8th grade. Years later, when my three kids had grown and I had the support of my family, I went back to school and completed the 9th grade. I’m currently in the 12th grade and have plans to continue studying child pedagogy. I’m eager to work for better and more accessible education in our neighbourhood, especially because so many of the families and children face the challenge of the language barrier in school.

The neighbourhood is extremely big, there are many “panelki”*, as well as smaller houses. Many of the households are overcrowded and there is no running water in some parts. There are 4 primary schools and 2 secondary schools, a medical centre with several general doctors and specialists such as obstetrician, paediatrician, cardiologist. Among the problems and issues we want to tell you about are the: experiences of early teenage marriages; the language barriers in schools and kindergartens for children whose mother tongue is Turkish; language barriers in social and health services; and the need for accessible services for family members who are illiterate. 

* “panelki” are extensive blocks of apartments built in the 1960’s to provide housing to a large number of people.