Elena Petrova Is UNICEF’s New Goodwill Ambassador in Bulgaria

I have been raised to believe that good should govern every heart.

That good is a guiding light leading one along the unexplored paths of life and towards other people. I can remember the first time I had the opportunity to lend my support to a cause related to children. I was overcome by a unique sense of gratitude, love and warmth. My heart was exultant at a point when I did not have children of my own. The trust and many hugs those little ones gave me prompted me to make a promise to myself: that I would always offer care and a helping hand whenever someone needed them.

Parenting is much like rehearsing for a part, the only difference being that you do not have a script to follow. You go in and out of rehearsals and yet you are never prepared for the surprises a child may bring. There are no outline, instructions or model to follow when it comes to raising a child but one can promise oneself to do all in one’s power to give this young person a chance to grow and develop their own strength and potential.

Raising a child to be a good person is among the most worthwhile endeavours in a person’s life.

We have heard that children are our future often enough. In this sense, we have to shoulder the task of ensuring a present that nurtures their personalities and enables them to grow, develop their skills, build friendships, understand the world and love.  This is a particularly difficult task in the case of children with special needs, at-risk families and children with disabilities, who cannot enjoy a normal family setting.

UNICEF’s invitation for me to become its Goodwill Ambassador is an honour and a responsibility. It is not just a cause that we are talking about here but a battle to secure a better and indeed normal life, one in which these children and parents will not feel isolated and on their own. By conducting effective campaigns, raising awareness, fostering solidarity and goodwill, showing understanding and extending a helping hand, we can help others and lift them out of obscurity, showing that they have a right to a full-fledged life here and now.

To my mind, being a Goodwill Ambassador comes with a message of hope and of life. Let us pay all that is good forward!