1. Theme 1: Major community problems Our TREASURES European school partnership project under the Comenius programme 2nd project meeting – Vidigueira, 12th-16th February 2011

2. It is not a true story … But it could be … Moreover, it often happens … What is your reason?

3. Once upon a time, there lived a brother and a sister. To make the story easier to follow, we’ll call them Anne and John.

4. The children lived with their parents who were always angry. They yelled and argued for hours about the same old things – the unemployment and uncertainty on whether or not there will be food on the table the next evening. This lasted for as long as it would take for Anne and John to understand these problems.

5. A s they grew up to be teenagers, they realized that some of their needs wouldn’t be satisfied. The disappointment of looking at other, more privileged children, was too much to bear and the siblings’ parents could see that.

6. They decided to go abroad and earn some money to make a decent living. And so they left Anne and John to their grandparents. Over time, both the boy and the girl would suffer from the lack of attention and understanding.

7. John wasn’t very happy about the arrangement of living with his grandparents. With his father secretly sending him extra money, he was in a position to afford some of the cheaper drugs – a regular joint or something more serious from time to time. Of course, he only used them to get away from reality. You see, he was struggling to be accepted by his peers.

8. He knew that he had to fit in somehow and since the ambitious kids were too snobby, he joined a gang of rebels, whose main objective was to make others feel bad about themselves. And that made them feel good. So, John became a gay basher.

9. John quit school and hitchhiked his way to a big city where he made connections with drug dealers. His work ethic was “Kill or be killed.” And all that because his parents weren’t there when he needed them. While they were struggling to ensure his physical existence, his mental state was overlooked.

10. Anne actually felt better once her parents left and started sending money. It was easy for her to bond with other girls, go shopping, do the things she likes. She became one of those girls that could afford any dress in the shop. So her self-esteem boosted a lot. She had to do everything the other girls would do, and more, in order to keep up her reputation.

11. During her student years, Anne had already felt as if everything was allowed. She was a treasured beauty in the guy circles and was unavoidably involved in sexual acts that she did not desire, but was willing to perform for money. More money, so she could afford prettier things and feel special and important.

12. A s you can imagine, life is not an easy thing and not as happy as the John and Anne have thought. In a few years only, the story came to an awful end. John was killed by drug dealers and his body was thrown into a river. When the police found the dead body, no one could recognize it.

13. Almost at the same time, Anne met a very rich and generous man from an Arab country. She was sure he was her lucky lottery ticket to wealth and everlasting happiness. The young woman left her country and went abroad with the Prince charming.

14. But the fairy tale ended very soon. The man of her life sold Anne as a white slave to one of his business partners. No one heard for her any more…

15. The poor parents are still looking for their children but unsuccessfully. So, it was the end of the whole family…

16. These were the reasons these kids never got the chance for a different, better life. And what are your reasons to bully or neglect others as well as yourself? Never forget: Your life and future are in your hands!

17. Created by School Comenius Team Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Secondary School Targovishte Bulgaria