Gorica Radeva is an actress whose career is connected with the theatre in Shumen. With the approach of the holiday season she started making bags with a special purpose – to raise funds for the soldiers bravely defending their country – Ukraine.

“When the war started it gave me such pain, I helped Ukrainians in Bulgaria, but in the summer I went to Ukraine and heard an interview with a soldier, and he said something I will never forget – that we shouldn’t sit and wait for victory, and that posting things on Facebook is not enough. When I came back the first thing I thought to myself was – what can I do to help the army, because if we do nothing, the war could drag on for 10 years. 

And I decided to make bags because I had already done that for a different cause. That would be a way for people to donate money, but they will also have something to show for it,” said Gorica in an interview with Miglena Stefanova from the BNR’s Radio Shumen.

On the bags, Gorica has made drawings connected with Ukraine, as well as the flags of Ukraine and of Bulgaria. Everything has been made with a lot of hope for peace soon, and with faith in the courageous people who are defending their country, she says, and adds she is hoping to sell as many bags as possible by Christmas and raise money to buy a drone to be handed over to the 12^th special purpose brigade of the Ukrainian army by 27 December.

“It is interesting what kind of people buy the bags. At this time, they are half-and-half Bulgarians and Ukrainians. Actually, many buy bags as a gift. I was moved by a Ukrainian lady who ordered three bags with the Bulgarian and the Ukrainian flag to give to friends who are Bulgarian who had helped her when she came here at the beginning of the war,” says the actress who has already sold bags worth about 600 Leva.

Compiled by Gergana Mancheva

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova

Photos: BNR-Shumen