George Atanasov was born in 1983 in Varna, Bulgaria to Roma parents and separated from his sister after his parents' divorce. He faced discrimination and difficulties in school due to his Roma ethnicity. However, he was able to complete his education, obtain a job helping minority students, and integrate successfully into Bulgarian society due to family support, involvement in education from a young age, his Protestant religion, and growing up surrounded by Bulgarians.

1. COMENIUS – Biography
George Plamenov Atanasov
Bulgaria
Language School “Frederic
Joliot-Curie”, Varna
April 2009

2. Family
• My name is George Atanasov.
I was born in 1983 in Varna.
• My parents and all relatives
have Roma origin.
• My elder sister Teodora and I had been separated
after the divorce of our parents when I was 7.
Teodora had been brought up by our mother and I-
by our father and our Grandmother.

3. Family
• My Grandmother was born in Tolbuhin. In the
1930’s she trekked to Varna where she became
a textile factory worker. She is of the protestant
religion.
• My father had a job in a factory designated for
employing disabled people.
• My father and my grandmother spoke only
Bulgarian at home. I didn’t know Romany until
I was 16.

4. CV
•Kindergarten - in Vladislavovo district where the
family lived. My father volunteered for
kindergarten furnishing and thanks to that I have
been registered at the garden. My memories
about this period are not cheerful. We were 2
Roma children in the group. I had been
reproached for all nuisances because of my Roma
ethnos. The kindergartener was often beating me.

5. CV
•Primary school – “Aleko Konstantinov” school
in the same district. I had to repeat my first class,
my first schoolmistress didn’t like me - I had
learning problems because of dyslexia. Because of
that she hit my head on the blackboard …
•I lost my willingness to continue school, but my
father urged me to repeat first class with another
teacher.

6. CV
• Grammar – school – in Draganovo village
My father was unemployed, our life became very
difficult and we had to move from the village to
survive. There I completed at the Draganovo
grammar – school.

7. CV
• Agriculture Vocational School in Valchi dol
My family moved to the little town Valchi dol,
where we bought a house in Roma district. Most
of our relatives lived there. We farmed in Valchi
dol. At 16 I had to experience new stress -
because I did not speak Romany the Roma
people did not accept me. They surnamed me
“the Bulgarian”.

8. CV
University
• In 2001 I was admitted to study law at the
Varna Technical University, but because of the
high fees I couldn’t begin.
• I finished a course of ethno pedagogic in Veliko
Tarnovo and worked as a resource teacher in
an intercultural school.

9. CV
• 2002-2006 I studied Social pedagogic at the
Shumen University . (the fees there were not
so high and I paid them by working)
• After my graduation I worked for 2 years at
Social Welfare – in the Keeping Children Safe
Department.

10. CV
•Now I am a pedagogical advisor at First Primary
School, Varna. I consult teachers, the headmaster,
parents about the school’s integration of minority
students.
•I am a president of a nongovernmental
organization – Balkan Association AMALIPE
(www.amalipe.hit.bg ) We deal with intercultural
education and prevention of drug- addiction.

11. AMALIPE

12. Friends and interests
•I am not married yet.
•My religion is Protestantism and I go to the
Evangelical Methodist Church in Varna. Maybe I
profess this religion because my grandmother and
my father were protestants.
•I have many friends from different ethnics –
Roma, Bulgarians, Turks, Armenians, Greeks.
•I play the piano in a Rock Style Gospel band.

13. The reasons for my successful integration and
realization in the Bulgarian society
• The family support and care.
• Early involving in educational
System.
• The role of the religion.
• Growing among Bulgarian surroundings.
George Atanasov, 27 April 2009

14. Project: “Mind the Gap – Migration Needs
Integration”