I recently found out about this amazing woman who adopted 14 children, from my brother Yariv.

I decided I need to interview her! Being a naturally curious type, I had so many questions! 14 children!

My family runs a film studio in Bulgaria (Nu Boyana). They ran a fundraising event for her recently where I met her and asked if I could write her story. She agreed and has provided me with answers and images which you will see throughout this post. I also posted this on the Nu Boyana blog.

We want to continue to help and support this incredible lady. The goal? To buy her a house for her family. Of 14 children!

Children she adopted!

Her name is Mariana Pencheva, and yes, you read that right. Fourteen!

Meet Mariana Pencheva

Mariana is a remarkable woman whose journey embodies the true essence of compassion and resilience.

She took in 14 children and 4 rescue dogs to her apartment in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, and has cared for them ever since. The team are familiar with the world of rescue dogs due to our work with Starlight Barking.

The children have thrived, 6 are already in university.

Her story is a testament to the power of one person’s dedication to make a difference in the lives of others.

In 2010, Mariana began her career as a teacher in a boarding school for disadvantaged children. What started as a modest role soon blossomed into a life-changing mission.

When the school faced closure in 2014, Mariana made an extraordinary decision – she chose to take in several of the children, providing them with a loving home and the opportunity to continue their education.

Mariana’s commitment didn’t stop there. In 2019 and 2020, she expanded her family further by adopting four dogs in need. Her home in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, became a sanctuary of love and hope for both humans and animals alike.

Despite the challenges, Mariana’s positive attitude and unwavering determination have transformed the lives of these children and animals. Her story is a powerful reminder of how one person’s kindness can create ripples of positive change, inspiring others to open their hearts and homes to those in need.

Below is a Q+A interview with Mariana, answering questions I know many people would have. 

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The story

Where are you in Bulgaria?

I live in Veliko Tarnovo, it is the second capital of Bulgaria, from the medieval period. It is in the centre of the country. It is a beautiful town with a rich history.

How long ago did you take in the children and dogs?

I have lived with the kids since September 2014. The dogs we took in 2019 and 2020.

How far was the orphanage from your home?

Our story starts in 2010 when I became a teacher in a boarding school for disadvantaged children who lived at the school between Monday and Friday.

In the beginning, I worked for 50 leva per month as a lecturer just to have the chance to help them.

It was not a typical orphanage, but rather a school providing education and accommodation for children from challenging backgrounds. Life wasn’t easy for these children. Most of them had only mothers, no fathers, and lots of brothers and sisters, living in miserable conditions.

How did you initially become involved with the orphanage?

After I finished my first [degree] in philosophy, I was sure that my mission was to become a teacher.

I tried to find a work over the three months in the summer, but nobody wanted to take a young girl without experience. I gave my documents almost everywhere, to lots of schools, one of them was the boarding school in a village near Dryanovo.

In my first meeting with the principal, she said that there is no place for me. So, I was almost desperate and told myself, “If I am not a teacher by the beginning of the year, I will change my profession.”

But miracles happen, so on the Saturday, one day before the beginning if the school year she called me and invited me for an interview.

One of her teachers had just left the school and she decided to give me a chance! She explained that it is a difficult, low-paid job, and the children have problems. But this didn’t deter me – instead, I was even more motivated.

How did you come to the decision to take the children in?

I worked in this school for 4 years and couldn’t leave because I felt that the children needed me. I organised a mentor program to support the naughtiest kids.And, I made an art group – theatre, art and dance.

And I spend all day with my students.

Until the municipality decide to close the boarding school and to optimise the school net.

I along with some of my colleagues tried to save the school. We even went to the Ministry of Education, but without positive result.

So, they closed the school.

I was really sad because I couldn’t help, and I knew what happens with children who leave the school.

Some of them stopped going to school, some of them – young marriages, some of them – jail.

All these things happen when they don’t have support.

So, all of these reasons made me to decide to take the part of these kids to study in Veliko Tarnovo.

By his stage of my life, I was doing my Philosophy PhD, so I decided to use the money from my PhD scholarship to help them to continue their education and to give them equal chance for education and life.

How old were the youngest and oldest children you took in?

The youngest was 6 years old, the oldest 12.

Did you have a reason for choosing these specific children?

Just that they were the kids who I invested in the most, I saw their potential. They were in my art class, and I saw that they can be even greater than every normal kid if they had this chance.

Where did the dogs come from?

Our first dog, Mechi, is a Kangal /Turkish Shepherd dog – we saved her from the street.

The second – Maya, is a hunter’s dog and we saved from parvovirus, which is a highly contagious stomach disease – 85% of dogs die if they become sick with it.

The third is Maya’s mother – Berta, she had a tough surgery on her back.

And the fourth is Fury, our Yorkie who came into our life as a gift!

We love them a lot, the children have cared for them, and they are more responsible now because of them. The dogs are part of our family and after we adopted them, we have helped lots of other dogs also.

What happened to the other children from the boarding school that closed down?

Some of them are in orphanages, some of them – early marriages, some of them struggle.

A small part of them continue their education.

We have contact with all of them and every month we help them and their families with clothes, food, shoes, school materials, Christmas presents, and sometimes even furniture.

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The journey:

Who helped you along the way, and how did they assist you?

In the beginning, my sister Silviya lived with me and helped me a lot. Also, friends, family, and close people who knew about what I decided to do – to help. We have “family” in the opposite part of the world who find us by heart and by our cause, not by blood. Also, lots of people in Bulgaria believe in us and I am thankful to all of them. Some have helped us from the beginning and still help.

What have been the rewards of this experience for you?

I have lots of awards and recognition from the people and organisations like “Mother of the Year”, “Woman of the Decade”, “Honourable Citizen”, “European Citizen” from EU Parliament and more.

But the most important reward for me and what has the most important meaning in this life is to help the others who cannot help themselves and to make the world a better place.

My prize is that I have an amazing family, and good children and I am thankful for the opportunity to do it.

You were and still are a schoolteacher. How did this change your working hours when you took in these children?

If you have good organisation there is enough time for everything.

Now I work as a school pedagogical advisor (guidance counselor), and I am a class teacher of the seventh grade. At school, I help children find themselves, understand their emotions, deal with difficulties, low self–esteem, and career development.

I help parents understand their children better, and advise teachers on better class management, and how to cope with discipline and aggression.

At home, I spend time with the kids.

We have interesting conversations about values, life – everything.

And we have time to cook together, to paint, to dance.

We do home renovations together. It is always fun.

How did you manage to feed and care for everyone?

Lots of volunteers and people help me with what they have and want to give – food, clothes, books, toys, money, time.

How did you earn enough money to support them all?

I work, the students took scholarships, I have the support of people who believe in our cause, and also God provides.

What were the biggest difficulties you faced?

The biggest challenge for me in the beginning was people’s prejudices. They could not believe that this would happen, they thought negatively, they looked for selfish motives in me. But I realised that people see the world according to what they are. And the opinion of others does not define us.

What surprised you the most during this experience?

I always was supported at the right time. It is a miracle for me.

What are some of the children’s achievements that make you proud?

The kids have lots of awards. They are excellent students; they have golden medals from different kind of festivals and contests. But maybe the biggest thing for me is that they have become well–behaved, good people, who want to help the others.

Even the Bulgarian president bought a drawing from a charity exhibition of one of my girls!

How do you balance your time between teaching and caring for the children?

The people said, “Don’t give the fish, teach people how to fishing” It is what I did – I taught the children how to be responsible, to help at home, to cook, clean, and do laundry, so I only organise and support the process.

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The insight and the future:

What are your hopes and dreams for the children’s futures?

My hopes and dreams for the children are to be happy and to help others. To be together.

Also, we want to have our own school for disadvantaged children, a small family restaurant with social kitchen, and of course – our biggest dream is to have a house with a garden and enough space for everybody.

What advice would you give to others who want to help children in need?

If they feel with their hearts that they should help children, not to quit because it is not easy.

All kids are ours and they deserve an equal chance. If you can help, what stops you, then?

How do you manage to stay positive and motivated through challenges?

The challenges are adventures for me. If you are in the right place in your life, everything happens in a proper way. My motivation is the children and their development.

What are your current needs and how can people help?

Imagine living with not one, two, three, but many more children. To prepare everyday food for them and to pay bills. They need clothes, shoes, school materials, and sometimes medicines. Also a very important part for me is to make them complete personalities and to open their minds and hearts, so theatre, concerts, cinema, events, arts and crafts – all of these things we need every day.

How can people get in touch with you if they want to support your cause?

If there are people who want to help and believe in our cause they can:

➡️ Write me an email at mariana_fairy@abv.bg

➡️ Call me at +359898686235

➡️ Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariana_fairy

➡️ Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariana.fairy

➡️ Message me on WhatsApp: +359898686235

A little more about Fury, our Yorkie:

One of the teachers at my school, where I work now, lost her Yorkie; he was bitten by a snake. She was really sad, so we—students and teachers—decided to buy her a Yorkie as a gift. I organised everything and went to Varna for the small dog. Her class decided to give the dog at the end of the school year, so we cared for him at home for two weeks. Fury was a small baby. The kids and I got attached to him, and it was difficult for us to separate on the day of the surprise.

We all hoped for the best for him. The teacher saw him, took him, and we all cried—students, teachers, everybody. One hour later, she asked me to keep the dog because she was afraid the same thing might happen to this Yorkie, that he might be killed by a snake. It was the happiest moment for all of us at home because we loved him a lot. Fury is a small dog with a brave heart!