site.btaInformational Session on Wartime Safety Held for Students of Bulgarian Sunday School in Odesa

An informational meeting on security principles during armed conflict was organized for students from 1st to 11th grade at the Bulgarian Vasil Aprilov Sunday School in Odesa on Sunday. The event took place at the All-Ukrainian Centre for Bulgarian Culture with the support of the international humanitarian demining organization HALO Trust Ukraine.

All-Ukrainian Centre for Bulgarian Culture Director Dimitar Terzi, the initiator of the meeting, said that Odesa is constantly subjected to drone and missile attacks. “We live in difficult times, in a state of war. Naturally, the safety of our children is a top priority,” he noted.

Participating in the meeting were HALO Trust-Ukraine team leader Artem Liventsov, and information officers Iryna Shtitka and Natalia Bezdolna. They told the students that in Odesa region they may encounter military positions, checkpoints or areas where fighting has taken place, which increases the risk of coming across explosive objects. They added that large numbers of mines, unexploded ordnance and other explosive devices remain and pose a threat to everyone living or working in these areas.

The organization’s representatives also noted that incidents occur almost daily, first, because Ukraine remains in an active phase of armed conflict, and second, because both adults and children sometimes find unfamiliar objects and, unknowingly, ignore basic safety rules.

During the session, the students of Bulgarian origin were instructed what to do if they see or find a suspicious object or something that resembles ammunition. The specialists highlighted how to recognize dangerous areas, what to do when encountering official or unofficial warning signs, and how to act if they enter a hazardous zone.

The Sunday school was established in 2002 under the Odesa Regional Bulgarian Society and the All-Ukrainian Centre for Bulgarian Culture in Odesa, being the first Bulgarian Sunday educational institution in the city. Over the years, more than 1,200 preschool children and school-aged youth of Bulgarian origin living in Odesa have studied at the school. Since 2012, the BSS has been funded by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science.