The beginning of a friendship

Ivayla and Tsetsi met in HOUSE OF OPPORTUNITY programme in August and since then have been spending all of their spare time together supporting each other in difficult times. They promise their friendship will remain forever. “Ivayla taught me to be an optimist and to believe in friendship”, shares Tsetsi. Iva says that he is patient and calm, and this has had a positive impact on her.

State orphanages are not a pleace where you make friends, despite the fact that you are surrounded by peers who share your daily joys and troubles. In the orphanage you are rivals. You fight for personal space, for the few belongings you have, for independance. You fight to outshout each other and get your voice heard. The toughest fight, however, is the fight for love and attention. Most of us know what it feels like to be the most important person in someone’s life. Some don’t. In HOP we gave Iva and Tsetsi the opportunity to find a friend. And they took it.