Childhood and social exclusion

There are 1 189 680 children in Bulgaria. According to the UNICEF Country Office Annual Report of 2021,33.3% of them are at risk of poverty or social exclusion; for the Roma ethnic group, the probability is even higher: 69,4%.

This short movie tells the story of Petya. She is 11 years old and lives in the suburbs of Botevgrad, Bulgaria, with her family of 5, in a one-bedroom shack with poor access to drinking water and no sanitation. Often Petya must take care of her siblings and house chores while her parents are out looking for domestic work in the village. This situation has consequences on her school attendance and results.

During her free time, Petya doesn’t play. She roams the village looking for donations to improve her and her siblings’ daily life (clothes, shoes etc.). When asked about her dreams, Petya can’t answer because she doesn’t understand the meaning of that word.

Video made by Lina KRIVOSHIEVA -Two Dogs Two Cats Video Production funded by the ROMACT Programme.