A BabyBox for A Family Living in a Shipping Container

In Bulgaria’s Rose Valley, on the outskirts of the slum village of Pevtsite, stands an old blue shipping container. The door is open, and if you peek inside you can see a single bed, a wood stove, and a worn tapestry of the Last Supper hanging on the wall. 

It’s hard to believe that a family of five lives in this place. The tiny dwelling is home to Georgy (30), Maria (24), and their three children.

The youngest child was born a few months ago, so our reason for visiting was to take them a Baby Box. The oldest daughter, clearly thrilled that we were visiting her home, showed us around the family’s dwelling.

A mesh fence circled the container, probably for the little ones

to play within without wandering off. A boy, who looked about three years of age, was working with his father Georgy to build a shady shelter for the children when they played outside.

The day-to-day existence for this family is not easy. They have no running water or electricity. Maria fetches water from a neighbor’s well pump. In the summer, Georgy is able to drum up work to provide for his family, but jobs are harder to come by in the colder months. In those seasons, meager government child allowances may be the family’s only source of income.

And despite these struggles, Georgy welcomed us with a big smile. Since we couldn’t all fit inside the family home, we presented the Baby Box outside and there prayed for each individual. Georgy and Maria were clearly grateful.

From the village’s church, the family has also received other aid, such as baby food and children’s clothes. In the midst of such difficult circumstances, the church is truly a significant source of help and hope for them and many other families.