Grandmother of the Heart
The
mission of The Grandmother Project is to strengthen and improve the
development and well-being of children living in orphanages through out Bulgaria. The
goal is accomplished by arranging for "grandmothers"(or women
from the community who are available to nurture and spend one-on-one time
with the children). The women spend 4 hours every day
with two children placed in the local orphanage. Each child receives
individual care and is given a chance to build a close relationship with
their caregivers. This individual care can help the emotional development
of the child, stimulates the gross motor development and fosters fine
motor skills and speech development.
The emotional contact that can be built between the “Nanny” and give the child the warmth and love the child of having a Grandma. Many of the children build confidence and self-respect due in part to the opportunity provided by a relationship outside of that which they know from their caretakers. This time may strengthen their physiological health and allow them to be open to trusting and growing closer to their future adoptive parents as well as form meaningful relationships throughout their adult life.
Through the personal care, the child is at less risk of developing feelings of abandonment when they can look forward to this time of each day with their “Nanny”. Often the children are taken to the local library, walks in the park, simple trips to the grocery……..the activities that most children do in the course of normal family activities.
While there may always be an exception, as a general rule, the care within the Bulgarian orphanages is very high. The caretakers appreciate the extra support of the “Nannies” as it allows their small charges some time to explore outside of the daily routine of living in an orphanage. The children are excited to see their Nannies arrive and look forward to the time and affection they receive from these generous older women who are most often experienced mother’s and grandmother’s.
The officials of Bulgaria are seeing the increased level of emotional development in the children blessed with the opportunity to have a Nanny. Many more women are stepping forward to assist; the gain appears to be positive for both the Nanny and the children for whom they care. Most certainly the feeling of being needed benefits the woman who are hired and the children receive so many opportunities to learn about the world outside of the orphanage that the gain appears to be many fold.
As a personal sharing, the little boy pictured here spent several weeks in the hospital in Sofia and upon his return to his orphanage, his Director felt that he was in need of some emotional support as he recovered both physically and emotionally following his hospitalization. She saw to it that a Nanny was hired and he was played with and held one on one each day for several hours; when we arrived to visit our small son, we happened to be there when his nanny was interacting with him in the playroom. She made a wonderful ‘bridge’ to our relationship as she encouraged him to come to us and as she showed us some of his favorite activities. He often ‘remembers’(although he was very young, 22 months, when he came home) stories of his Nanny. He enjoys seeing the pictures of her that we have to show him as part of the excellent care he received during his time at his orphanage. (See Pictures Below) and the one attached above.
The emotional contact that can be built between the “Nanny” and give the child the warmth and love the child of having a Grandma. Many of the children build confidence and self-respect due in part to the opportunity provided by a relationship outside of that which they know from their caretakers. This time may strengthen their physiological health and allow them to be open to trusting and growing closer to their future adoptive parents as well as form meaningful relationships throughout their adult life.
Through the personal care, the child is at less risk of developing feelings of abandonment when they can look forward to this time of each day with their “Nanny”. Often the children are taken to the local library, walks in the park, simple trips to the grocery……..the activities that most children do in the course of normal family activities.
While there may always be an exception, as a general rule, the care within the Bulgarian orphanages is very high. The caretakers appreciate the extra support of the “Nannies” as it allows their small charges some time to explore outside of the daily routine of living in an orphanage. The children are excited to see their Nannies arrive and look forward to the time and affection they receive from these generous older women who are most often experienced mother’s and grandmother’s.
The officials of Bulgaria are seeing the increased level of emotional development in the children blessed with the opportunity to have a Nanny. Many more women are stepping forward to assist; the gain appears to be positive for both the Nanny and the children for whom they care. Most certainly the feeling of being needed benefits the woman who are hired and the children receive so many opportunities to learn about the world outside of the orphanage that the gain appears to be many fold.
As a personal sharing, the little boy pictured here spent several weeks in the hospital in Sofia and upon his return to his orphanage, his Director felt that he was in need of some emotional support as he recovered both physically and emotionally following his hospitalization. She saw to it that a Nanny was hired and he was played with and held one on one each day for several hours; when we arrived to visit our small son, we happened to be there when his nanny was interacting with him in the playroom. She made a wonderful ‘bridge’ to our relationship as she encouraged him to come to us and as she showed us some of his favorite activities. He often ‘remembers’(although he was very young, 22 months, when he came home) stories of his Nanny. He enjoys seeing the pictures of her that we have to show him as part of the excellent care he received during his time at his orphanage. (See Pictures Below) and the one attached above.
Read Progress reports of children in the Grandmother of the Heart Program
A few reports from the Grandmother's can be found here that show what the grandmother's provide and the progress that they make with the children. All names, dates and places are stricken from these reports to keep the child's information confidential. Click on the links below to read each report.
Child #001 Child #002 Child #003 Child #004 Please considering donating to this program and helping an orphanage receive the basic care that every child deserves. All funding goes directly to the Grandmother of the Heart Program. Any amount is greatly appreciated! Thank you for your support.
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Quick Facts* A grandmother for which takes care of two children costs $1900 a year
* The Grandmother Program has been running since June 2010 although as early as 2001 this program has been active in Bulgaria and was often sponsored by Vesta (our in country team ) and Tree of Life * Many adoptive parents report that their child did much better while in the institutional setting because they were enrolled in the Grandmother Program. * Children receive 4 hours of one-on-one care from the Grandmother every day. *It is typical for there to be 1 caregiver per 5-10 children in the Bulgarian Orphanages * Children who are cared for in the majority of Bulgarian orphanages have excellent care but the “Grandmother Program” assures that as many little ones as possible receive one on one attention on a regular basis. This extra attention allows them additional opportunities to grow and experience a personal relationship. *The Grandmother’s are encouraged to take the children out of doors and even on small adventures so that they have the opportunity to see many things outside of the orphanage. |
