Teaching Gender in Social Work - MailChimp

to bring sick people to hospitals or other institutions. Some of the women,
former “Samarjanka” members, organised other welfare organisations for poor
children and women or to counter tuberculoses, thereby continuing their home
visits. Almost every charity organisation had a former “Samarjanka” woman.
Thus, the “Samarjanka” women took the first steps towards establishing a space
for regular home visit practice in Bulgarian social work.
Questions for students:
1. What was most impressive about the work of the American nurses from
the perspective of members of the “Samarjanka” society?
a. their ability to work with the Plovdiv city maps
b. the outlook of the nurses
c. their educational activity
d. their self-confidence
e. their selfless dedication
“We See Only Days Full of Work and We Forget that Tomorrow
is Sunday…” 13 : The Visiting Nurses
After the end of the World War I, in a situation of mass poverty with thousands
of refugees as well as epidemics and high infant mortality, several international
organisations assisted the Bulgarian authorities and charities in creating networks
for social support. Supported by the International Child Protection
Union and the Save the Children Fund, an organisation for child protection
was established in Bulgaria in 1925. In Sofia, the first child health consulting
unit was established, in which the first Bulgarian visiting nurse, who had
trained in London, began her work. In 1926 some new child health units were
opened in the outlying residential districts of Sofia, where infant mortality
rates were very high. In this way visiting nurses began systematic home visits.
They instructed mothers on modern hygiene and the norms of childrearing
and child nutrition, and they supported them by giving them children’s clothes
and other hygienic materials. In 1926 the first course for visiting nurses in
Sofia was organised.
13
Sofia State archive, F. 360 (Archive the Nurse school in Sofia), op.1, a.e.62, l.46-49.
133