They have unwillingly become settlers, for whom life should go on far away from their countries. They have neither a home, nor hope in the future. Every one of the refugees who have been looking for safety and protection for the lives of their families in Bulgaria has a sad story to tell. The data by the State Agency for Refugees are disturbing. Just for two months since the beginning of 2015, people who had sought protection from Bulgaria are more than 2000 people. Less than half of them, however, have identification documents necessary in order to get help from the state.

The period of hardship can last for a month and during that time newcomers live with the help of relatives and donators. The situation becomes even more complicated if we add to the picture a child or a person in need of medical assistance. This is what volunteers of the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria point out. They have organized a donation campaign with the major goal to provide medical care to children and young people looking for protection in Sofia. The start was given by a Christmas bazaar organized by their partners from the International Women’s Club- Sofia.

The first part of the donations will reach 50 children in the capital, where the group of immigrants is the biggest. Refugee Women in Bulgaria hope that by the end of the year the funds will be enough to cover the costs of a total of 150 medical examinations for those who need it the most.

"We invested the funds from the Christmas sale in food for babies, but we lack financing to provide them with health checks and medicines,” says Linda Awanis - Chairman of the Board of the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria.

"When one arrives to Bulgaria becoming part of the health insurance system requires nearly six months,” she says. “Often these are families with small children, and if their babies get sick during this period, they have no access to medical care. These are the case we work on and try to help. We accompany these people in institutions because of the language barrier. These are not people engaged in criminal activities and many of them receive help from abroad. They often need advice and information about their rights. We are to use the donations to pay for medical examinations of children as an interpreter of the organization will accompany families in medical institutions. Years ago in the Ovcha Kupel district in Sofia, where a number of immigrants reside, there was no doctor to take care for them. Over time things changed and now there are doctors to help them.”

War in the Arab countries is unlikely to stop soon, so we must be ready to help people fleeing from the region, the Council of Women Refugees in Bulgaria say. According to them, Bulgarians are sensitive to the suffering of others and they often organize fundraising campaigns themselves. The sum allocated for the treatment of refugee children in Sofia, is not big, but this is the beginning of a lasting partnership and the funds will be used transparently and purposefully, says Maria Ilieva, coordinator of “International Women's Club – Sofia."

"To make sure the money is spent properly, we started the campaign with smaller sums to our new partners,” she says. “This is only the beginning, but the fact that we support them with financial assistance and contacts is a sign of trust and we believe our cooperation would develop. Unfortunately, in recent years the amounts donated by companies and individuals have noticeably decreased. We have been trying to spend the money for those who need it the most. We have already gained experience and see the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria as good and reliable partners."

English: Alexander Markov