Some of the volunteers during one of the weekly disinfections

Since the beginning of the state of emergency in Bulgaria in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, a group pf young volunteers from Asparuhovo quarter in Varna, every week make a thorough disinfection of the streets in Sesemez hamlet in the quarter. The last disinfection, which covered about 30 streets in the located at the south part of Asparuhovo quarter, was made on Sunday, April 5, this year.

The initiative came from the idea of Sali Svetoslavov from Sesemez hamlet - student at the Varna Free University “Chernorizets Harabar” (VFU) and one of the active representatives of the youths from the Muslim community in our maritime capital, the initiator of many volunteer causes.

“When everything about this global pandemic began, I was following the things from international news agencies. Then I was interviewed by a local media, where I said that with my fellow-students from the universities in Varna, we are ready to conscious act and help according to our abilities in this situation. Then I personally provided two sprayers and, after the mosque was closed, we made the first disinfection – in the prayer house. From there was born the idea to make disinfection also of the streets in the Sesemez helmet in the south part of Asparuhovo, which subsequently turned into a weekly initiative.” – Sali Svetoslavov said for Grandmufti.bg.

According to him the initiative is getting even larger in scale. The team of volunteers, who participate in the disinfection of the hamlet every Saturday or Sunday, already numbers 15 people.

“Big part of the necessary materials for the disinfection we provided from ourselves, with personal funds, and the very disinfectants we received as donations” – the student further added.

The disinfection is made every week so far, during the weekend – on Saturday or Sunday, and the volunteers are ready, in case of imposing stricter measures, such as prohibition of leaving home, for example, to reconsider their voluntary initiative, and if it is necessary – also to stop it.

 With the official permission of the Regional Mufti of Varna Nuray Shukri, for the purposes of the volunteer initiative and for providing information to the society, the sound system of the mosque in Sesemez hamlet in Asparuhovo quarter is used. Every week, just prior the beginning of the disinfection, an informational text is read in Bulgarian and Turkish languages three times. Through the loudspeakers of the Muslim temple the local population is called upon to observe the imposed safety measures in the situation of the pandemic, and is also informed about the beginning of the disinfection.

The mosque in Asparuhovo quarter, Varna

The initiative of the young Muslims from Varna entered also the news informational exchange of several foreign media. The action of the youths was reported by the US informational agency MSN News. Photographic reporting on the initiative was made by Hristo Rusev for the Italian international agency NurPhoto, published with accompanying text by Reuters.

With the clear conscious that the first “vaccine” against COVID-19 is information, at the beginning of the declared state of emergency in our country the student Sali Svetoslavov supported by friends and fellow-students, established also  Information group for Covid-19 on the social network Facebook.

“The aim is the entire information related to the virus, the pandemic and what is happening in our country and around the world at the moment, to be gathered at one place, so that everyone can be informed about the issues that concerns him, without having to search for information at different places.” – commented on his another, not less useful initiative, Sali from Varna.

Author: L. Chausheva