Kermen Children's Home

Kermen is around 20 kilometers from Sliven, and help first began there back in 1993. Over 50 children live at Kermen, and all suffer from some degree of disability.

Recent help included the provision of specialised conductive education chairs for 2 children by a small group of UK care workers. Previously these children were often cot bound around the clock.

Staff levels remain low, and visiting teams are always welcome. Gradually conditions and practices have improved at Kermen, despite the limited staff and resources available, and the children have continued to progress. The great news is that Major EU funding is now expected to take Kermen on to a new level.

Mission Teams visiting Kermen have undertaken many different projects, and typically combine painting & decorating with interactive times with the children. One recent group worked on transforming bland bedroom walls into works of art, which would put a smile on the children’s faces when they opened their eyes each morning.  Another group committed themselves to providing greenhouses to help some of the children learn market gardening skills for the future.

One major concern for children like those at Kermen has always been, what next? The adult residential institutions are slowly improving but are still harsh by comparison. The new safe house at Nova Zagora, another small town near to Sliven, was opened by the authorities at the end of 2007 taking 10 young people, including the 7 oldest from Kermen. This is a real step towards independent living, and something which we could never have imagined happening just a few years ago! We are committed to adding our support to this exciting new Government initiative.