After much anticipation we boarded the plane from Glasgow to Heathrow, Bulgaria bound. Six brave and adventurous young people (Jamie Dow, Graham Dow, Natalie Greenall, Robert Malone, Paul McMullan and Kris Bauld) set off to help paint an orphanage in a very poor part of Bulgaria called Pernik. But don't worry as we did not send them alone! They were supported by the BDA Youth worker, 2 interpreters and a volunteer who decided it would be her annual holiday. (Crazy Mairi from the Glasgow Science Centre)

We were advised to bring clothes suitable for freezing weather as there had been snowdrifts in the area, but when we arrived, we found it not too different to Scotland! Perhaps they didn't realise how tough us Scottish are!

The hotel in Pernik was basic but comfortable and we quickly sorted out the rooms and went to bed. Next day we all attended a meeting explaining the Bhagavat project and what we would be expected to do. The Bhagavat Educational Trust encourages unemployed young people to come to Bulgaria and help those in poor areas who have virtually nothing. The Trust paid for all our flights, accommodation and food, in exchange for our time and hard work.

That day we were shown the classroom we were to paint and we felt quite sad seeing how poorly the children were dressed and the state of the building. It made us realise how lucky we are in Scotland. It also made the group want to work very hard to make the classroom bright and cheerful for the youngsters. The group also wished they could renovate the toilets - just look at the picture for yourself!

The group's typical day consisted of an early breakfast in the hotel then off to the school to work all day. As part of the training, the group chose 2 team leaders to allocate the jobs that needed doing: taking lunch orders and making sure everyone was working well together. It was also the responsibility of the group to buy the supplies for the painting and decorating. The money raised in Scotland went towards the cost of materials and also books, puzzles and a shelving unit too. It is very cheap in Bulgaria compared to the UK so the money went a lot further than it would here in Scotland.

It wasn't all work though; we met up with the Deaf Theatre Group in Sophia, visited the Deaf school, went sight-seeing and enjoyed many meals out, including the odd party or two. It was a fantastic experience all round.

The group painted a classroom, made new Bulgarian friends, tasted lots of traditional dishes, including frog! And most importantly, they represented themselves and the British Deaf Association in a truly positive way. In fact the project was so successful that they want us to go back and help out again. Unfortunately the previous group can't go again, but we are looking for a Scottish group of unemployed young people aged 18-30.

Think you would benefit from an experience like this? Then contact me at: sallym@bda.org.uk