1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
SocietyBulgaria

Bulgarian Roma teacher inspires his students to succeed

04:18

This browser does not support the video element.

Mariya Milkova in Shumata, northwestern Bulgaria
June 19, 2025

Dafin Paskalev is of Roma origin. Abandoned by his parents as a baby, he grew up in a Bulgarian orphanage. Today, he's a hugely popular teacher who teaches his students to believe in themselves and never give up.

Dafin Paskalev is a Roma teacher in the village of Shumata in northwestern Bulgaria. 

He was abandoned by his parents as a baby and grew up in an orphanage. As a child, he was told over and over again that he would not amount to anything in life

But instead of quashing his spirit, these harsh words made him even more determined to carve out a life and a career for himself.

Thanks to hard work and the support and belief of people along the way, Paskalev is now a teacher and has devoted his life to giving his students the support and belief he never had growing up.

Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW