News

13 January 2023

Little sourvakars, students from the first to the fourth grade at Georgi Stoykov Rakovski Primary School in the village of Tarnak, Vratsa Region, performed a ceremonial chant for Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva and sang a blessing for health, success and prosperity on the eve of the Roma New Year, 14 January.

On her part, the Ombudsman presented the singers with treats and wished them to grow healthy and smiling, and to love learning because education would make them independent young people in the future.

The children told Prof. Kovacheva several legends about the origin of the Vassilitsa holiday in which Bango Vassil is the advocate and protector of Roma people. They recalled the connection and the attitude of tolerance which people needed to build among themselves regardless of their ethnicity, customs, language or culture.

“Our school is 156 years old; it is located in Byala Slatina Municipality; it is small and welcomes 117 students. As of 2020, we have boasted the status of an innovative school; we apply new methods of teaching, use software products, work on projects and have many initiative which we will continue in the future,” teacher Svetla Varbanova shared details about the history of Georgi Stoykov Rakovski Primary School.

The initiative for the children to visit the Ombudsman came from Amalipe Centre for Interеthnic Dialogue and Tolerance which traditionally organises Vassilitsa at institutions as a Day of Roma Culture.