As the BNR’s initiative “Awakener (enlightener) of the year 2024” enters its last stage, we present one of the most active volunteers from the Bulgarian community in Chicago, the US. Her name is Zhechka Geshovska, she was born in Dimitrovgrad in Bulgaria, and she is now a true Bulgarian “awakener” abroad.

Thirteen years ago she decided to follow her husband’s dream, and from Sofia moved to the land of opportunity – America. And there she had two daughters and runs a small transport company. In an interview with BNR’s correspondent in Chicago Elena Tsaneva, Zhechka Geshovska admits that her childhood dream was to be a detective, then – a surgeon, but ultimately she became an engineer and economist, and today her work involves logistics. But there is one thing that has remained unchanged over time – the kindness she infects the world around with, making it a better place to live.

“I have kept kindness alive for one simple reason – I want to be the example I want to see in the world. I believe that when we teach our children to love and appreciate kindness they will immediately be able to tell the difference between what is good and what is phony,” Zhechka says. Maybe it all comes from her childhood:

“I probably get that from my father because my mother was constantly telling him off for always being ready to help every time a friend called. I believe that was a process during my development in America. Watching people here, listening to their stories I realized I wanted to give of my own time to help the community. That is truly satisfying and makes me very happy.”

Statistics today show that one in four Americans is a volunteer. Women are more active in volunteer campaigns and organizations than men, and the average age of the volunteers is 35-44. One such volunteer is Zhechka Geshovska, a Bulgarian lady from Chicago.

“The first person who introduced me to the idea was a woman from Brazil. I’d stopped going to work at a big company and I was alone, working from home, and I realized I missed being with other people. I missed it so much, and she said to me: Try volunteer work. Years passed in which my daughter was born and I had to look after her and adapt to the many changes a child in the family brings, until I had found a cause and was able to take it up,” Zhechka Geshovska remembers.

And the first campaign she joined was connected with the place where it all began: “Helping move furniture and cleaning the Little Bulgaria Centre,” she says.  

“Bulgaria is in my heart,”says Zhechka and goes on that she could go back to the country of her birth when she sees “better education, more compliance with the law and better healthcare”. She describes America as the good but stern stepmother in her life. What she says she cannot accept is alienation.

“There are many things I love about America, Yes, volunteering is one of them. It is one of the good lessons I have learnt here. There have been difficult times - we were conned in America - but what I love most are the different cultures, the different worlds you can see here. In America you can see and taste these worlds that are so different from your own world,” Zhechka Geshovska says.

“For many years my own soul had taken a back seat, and I hear it whispering to me: “Give me some attention,” the young woman says. That is why she is determined to give more time and effort to the bidding of her heart – through different kinds of volunteer work.

“One of the things I do is to help at the Bulgarian school where my children go. The other thing is my work for the dance club in our region – where Bulgarians can come to dance and have fun. Just to feel good together,” says Zhechka Geshovska from Chicago.

Editing by Vessela Krasteva
Translated and posted by Milena Daynova