The pupils in the Ivan Vazov Bulgarian school in Paris are 160 children from 16 countries this year, with more than half of them studying remotely. In May this year the school will celebrate 11 years since its opening, and in July it will also be 175 years since the birth of its patron and patriarch of Bulgarian literature – Ivan Vazov.

"We are working on celebrating the anniversary, but the events are still in the planning process," Yaneta Dimitrova told Radio Bulgaria and admitted that they are preparing an early surprise for the holiday of one of the most important figures in the lives of children – the mother.

"Every parent who realizes that their child needs to learn Bulgarian has already taken a huge step forward in their development. This language is first preserved in the family, despite the difficulties. The Bulgarian mother is a mother heroine, especially when she lives abroad, because she sometimes has to overcome many difficulties and prejudices so that her child can study in a Bulgarian school, no matter where in the world they live. And the next unit that supports the study of Bulgarian is the Bulgarian school abroad. This is the place where not only do children learn to read and write, but we also give them the essence of the Bulgarian spirit - culture, traditions, self-awareness. This is our mission."

Yaneta Dimitrova - one of the many significant Bulgarian women around the world who pass on the thread of their homeland to future generations. She arrived in France more than seven years ago, led by her heart - following her husband, an anesthesiologist, who found better professional development in France.

"How do I feel?! As a Bulgarian who fulfills a mission. When I left Bulgaria, I realized that my mission is connected to this Bulgarian school and to the Bulgarian language in general. I had not thought this way before, but I felt that I had been reborn and that my life had begun again precisely with this mission - to give children what I know and can do," admits the former journalist, who has not abandoned her dream of one day returning to her homeland.

Yaneta Dimitrova is also the main driver of the International Literary Competition "The Magic Quill", which the Bulgarian School "Ivan Vazov" in Paris is organizing for the second year in a row.

"Children love to write about extraordinary worlds. Unlike adults, they come out through the keyhole of our closed world and fly free and thinking, without any inhibitions. They write about magical animals, especially the smaller ones, and these magical animals do good things. Children believe in themselves, they believe in the particle of good in every human being, and not only human. That is why they succeed in everything and I hope that they will not only succeed in their works and in their worlds, but will also succeed in the real world. And if we let them build it someday, we can learn - from their excitement, from the ways of dealing with evil and difficulties. We simply have incredible Bulgarian children! Our children should not forget the Bulgarian language. It is one of our spices, it is one of our magics" - Yaneta Dimitrova is categorical.

The results of the Magic Quill competition are expected at the beginning of May, and the awards ceremony will be held in Paris at the end of June.

"We cannot stop time at the moment. There is no way to make Bulgarians stay in Bulgaria if they are not satisfied with something, or if they think that the world is opening a wider door for them. But we can and must make sure that we remain Bulgarians. 

For me, there is no danger (for Bulgaria - ed. note) as long as we know who we are, as long as we are aware, as long as there is one place that attracts us like a magnet. And whoever tells me that Bulgaria is a closed book for them and that they will never return, I do not believe it!" - Yaneta is convinced, with the clarification, however, that the state of Bulgaria is different from the homeland of Bulgaria and the people she loves there.

Photos: Facebook /Yaneta Dimitrova, Ivan Vazov Bulgarian School in Paris