"Sports for All: UEFA Foundation"
We woke up to a basic breakfast of eggs, Albanian bread, and fresh salad, before dashing out for the day. We had the #polesofinconvenience we had missed to make up, making it a long day with multiple border crossings again, with first stop in Kosovo. It turned out to be a real adventure up a gravelly steep slope and dozens of hairpin turns, but well worth the drive to get to Carmen’s Pass. Do check out the pictures and videos to get a sense of it..
Given the time it took, we skipped the next pole and went straight over to Bulgaria. Did not know what to expect other than what the team had shared. Stories of children like Dmitr, a child with Down Syndrome, becoming victims of the system’s many shortcomings. Institutions claimed that children like Dmitr should be separated from their families for “their own good”. But, they failed to provide the love, affection, and personalized care that are vital to a child’s development. With enforced depersonalization, a regimented model of care, and rigid routines dictated by professionals, the consequences were profound, severely stunting the growth and development of these children. Disheartened to learn how social perspectives on intellectual and developmental disabilities often prioritize segregation over ‘inclusion’, perpetuating a cycle of harm, I took up a new friend’s offer of instead meeting his family in Sofia.
I was also told that Bulgarians have a peculiar practice, peculiar from the perspective of non-locals, of course. They nod their heads to signal “no” while they shake their heads to say “yes”.. like our Indian headnod! Got me thinking about how I convey acceptance and negation. Thought this other way around gesture also provides me the chance to say “no” to established norms while saying “yes” to things I was never open to – an neat way to subvert social norms, don’t you think?
The day ended with us checking into our hotel in Sofia and a silent affirmation of how crucial individual subversion of accepted norms is for people, rather allies, like us!
@tatapunchofficial @indianoilcorp @goibibo @pumaindia – thanks for supporting this rally for #inclusiveduniya