BORN to a French father and a Vietnamese mother, Marie Halbherr didn't spend much time in her land of birth, Vietnam. With her father being in the military, her family lived in many of the former French colonies, like Morocco, Guadalupe and Caledonia. After childhood and teenage years on the move, Marie had a four-year interlude in France during which she graduated in English American Studies. "And then my wandering started again, because I met my husband who was leading a life pretty much similar to my parents. I tried to count the countries that I have lived in and I ended up with 14, keeping in mind that I have never lived longer than four years in any given place. Living in so many different places all your life has a very big effect on the psyche of a person. I feel rootless, and I don't have a strong sense of cultural identity although I certainly identify most with French and European culture. On the other hand, I have an inner readiness to accept different circumstances, places, cultures, religions and people. I have developed a deep sense of interconnectedness in my life, not only between the different cultures, but I believe that every event, every encounter, every experience is connected to an invisible thread that has a spiritual meaning. I derive from this certainty a very strong sense of continuity and stability, despite the unpredictable nature of my life. I feel like I am guided and that everything happens for a reason. An example related to the social work I have done in many countries and that I am doing in Bulgaria for the International Women's Club (IWC) as Charity Co-ordinator: Even though social studies was never my field of studies, nor work, strangely enough in every country I lived in I was placed in circumstances or met people that has led me to involve myself with this kind of work. All these experiences, I feel, have been a preparation for Bulgaria. I have been living in Bulgaria for almost two years now and I became involved in charity and social projects full time for the first time, for the Charity Foundation of the International Women's Club. This work has two sides; on one hand you are confronted with the very bleak existence of the children in orphanages, the disabled or the elderly, or you see how many families have to struggle on a minimum wage. It can make you feel depressed and discouraged. On the other hand I meet such inspiring loving people like Donka Paprikova, who has dedicated her life to the elderly, or some directors of orphanages who are so caring and pro active. They go out of their way to improve the conditions of these children in very difficult circumstances. I witness small miracles, so in that sense I see that people can make a difference. Also, when the IWC does a project we try to organise it in such a way that it's beneficial to as many people as possible. For instance, if we need bed sheets for an institution we have them made by a group of unemployed Bulgarian women. Or the Christmas presents we will give to orphans this year will contain hand knitted woollen gloves made by village women, some of whom are disabled. Or we employ retired women to give exclusive care to disabled children at Petrovo orphanage. Thus our work has a repercussion on others by helping them indirectly. There are many aspects of Bulgaria that I love, like the nature, the monasteries and the food. My field of interest is history, religion and philosophy. I have started to do a lot of research and I found that Bulgaria is so rich in all these fields. Bulgaria has so many fascinating historical and spiritual connections with the rest of the world that I wasn't aware of. I also love the teachings of Peter Dunov because his social message is infused with spirituality, and I believe that the two must be connected. We live in a world of political, cultural, economical and spiritual crisis. Peter Dunov's teachings transcend religious dogmas. He believes in the transforming force of love and that it pertains to every one of us to create connections with other souls, as well as to create social conditions for developing the spirit in every person. I have been very privileged in my life, I live comfortably and I feel that with my work I can give something back."