Geotechmin and Ellatzite-Med launched “A Dream of Freedom” competition at schools in Sofia region
In March 2016, Geotechmin and Ellatzite-Med organized a competition called “A Dream of Freedom” for children’s drawings, essays and poems. The contestants are 1st – 8th grade students from schools in the towns of Etropole, Koprivshtitsa, Zlatitsa and in the villages of Mirkovo, Chavdar and Chelopech. They compete in three age groups and each participant has to submit only one entry in a desired category.
Along with the competition, a number of historical discourses have been held in the schools. The attending lecturers are representatives of the National Museum “Hristo Botev” in the town of Kalofer and the Museum Directorate in the town of Koprivshtitsa. They acquainted students with interesting facts and events from the lives of two prominent Bulgarian poets who had sacrificed their lives in their fight for freedom – Hristo Botev and Dimcho Debelyanov. The children had a unique chance to see some of Dimcho Debelyanov’s last personal belongings – his soldier’s briefcase and army flask, which were exposed outside his house-museum for the first time. They also saw his book of poems and translations from Russian and French. The students had the opportunity to see а duplicate flag of Botev’s detachment (Cheta). The flag was exhibited outside the National Museum “Hristo Botev” in the town of Kalofer. The children learned more about its history and symbolic meaning. In each school, a young volunteer had the honor to wear a Chetnik’s uniform and a cap with the rising Bulgarian lion. The discourses ended with a memorable picture of the students holding the flag of Botev’s detachment.
The competition “A Dream of Freedom” will come to an end by awarding the prize winners within each age group and thematic category before the Day of Slavonic Alphabet, while the partnering schools will receive teaching aids and other training equipment.
This competition is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility Programme “Culture and National Identity” which is focused on the young generation in the regions where the two companies operate. This has been the second competition for children’s drawings, essays and poems since last year’s contest called “My Homeland through My Eyes. Who and What Am I Proud of in My Homeland History?”. At that contest, students from seven schools submitted 292 works, including 224 drawings, 46 essays and poems and 22 family tree stories. A competent four-member jury determined the prize winners.
