by Hawa Ansary
As a teenage volunteer in a Bulgarian orphanage, I learned lifetime lessons about the danger of alcohol for pregnant women and the health of their children. Growing up in Afghanistan, I never knew or could imagine that alcohol could be a harmful substance for pregnant women.
For religious reasons, alcohol consumption is not legal in Islamic countries like Afghanistan. Furthermore, with the high poverty rate, lack of medical support and three decades of constant war, Afghani children suffer from many diseases more urgent then the rarely if ever identified disabilities resulting from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). In Afghanistan, we would drink tea when families and friends got together. It was not until I lived in Bulgaria for two and half years that I became familiar with a lifestyle in which alcohol plays a major and potentially harmful role. I knew very little about alcohol and had no knowledge of its effects on the human body until I started my volunteer work in an orphanage in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
Being passionate about volunteer work, I spent my entire summer of 2006 volunteering in Saint Sofia Orphanage. The orphanage housed around 60 to 70 children from birth to age four. They were adorable, beautiful and fun to be around. My first day experiences overwhelmed me with conflicting emotions. I was caught between the children’s thirst for love and attention, and their tremendous need for help. Unfortunately, most of the children were physically and mentally disabled. There were only four caregivers for 60 children and my job was to help feed the children. Three days a week I fed 20 children during lunch time.
One of the care mothers, who could speak a little English, befriended me. Since I had never met children with disabilities or birth defects before, I became very curious to know why most of the children looked different. “Why are most of these children disabled?” I asked in my broken Bulgarian. “The parents take drugs or abuse alcohol,” replied the care mother. My curiosity grew and I asked how the children come to the orphanage. “Most of these children are from Roma (Gypsy) parents. They are mostly very poor and cannot afford to feed their children, therefore they bring them here,” she added. The care mother explained, “Not all of these children are born in the hospital. Some of them are born at home. When the parents realize that their child is disabled or has birth defects, they bring them here. We do the best we can.” There was barely any medical care. At most the orphanage could get some medication for children with flu or stomach problems. But, there was no support for the physical and functional challenges of the children with FASD.
Like many other Eastern European counties the health care system in Bulgaria provides very little awareness about alcohol and pregnancy and FASD. Awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is found only in hospitals, and then only to a limited degree. Therefore, only those who have health care or who can afford to pay for medical needs ever have a chance of getting a diagnosis or any kind of care.
In March of 2008, the Roma population in Bulgaria filed a complaint against the Bulgarian government for systematically excluding them from access to health care. About 700,000 to 800,000 of the approximately 7 million people in Bulgaria are Roma. The majority of them face poverty and no health care support. Some international organizations provide help and support to Bulgaria, a developing country with many needs, and organizations such as USAID, One Heart Bulgaria and a few others provide some assistance to orphanages in Bulgaria. However, no organization provides any help and awareness about FASD. In countries like Bulgaria where consuming alcohol is part of daily social life learning about the harmful effect of alcohol is critical for mothers before and during pregnancy to prevent the risk of FADS to babies.
Consuming alcohol during pregnancy is known to lead to mental retardation and birth defects. FASD are leading causes of learning and behavioral problems among adolescents and adults. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are completely preventable if women abstain from alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Like the children in Saint Sofia Orphanage, many children and adults in countries around the world suffer from FASD. Sadly, most never receive a proper diagnoses or care. I am pleased and appreciate that NOFAS not only provides awareness about FASD but also sponsors programs that support those who are diagnosed, and their families. However, NOFAS and organization like it need so much more national and international funding, education outreach and health care resources to be successful in their mission.
Hawa Ansary was born in Afghanistan and is currently attending Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, majoring in International Relations with a minor in Arabic. When she was 15 years old she was selected to participate in an exchange program in the United States. After returning to her home country, she moved to Bulgaria in 2006 where she graduated from the prestigious American College of Sofia. She speaks seven languages and is interested in foreign policy and intentional affairs. Her passion for volunteering and community service introduced her to NOFAS, where she volunteered during her winter break from college and agreed to share her experiences working with disabled children in Saint Sophia Orphanage.
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