"What parent doesn't want their child to grow up calm and happy? It's hard to imagine how a parent must feel when their child tells them his classmates are laughing at him because he doesn't have the crayons or pencils he needs for school."
Spaska works for Mission Without Borders, supporting Roma families living in poverty. Every day, she sees parents struggling to raise their children on meagre wages, unable to afford the expensive school supplies that schools require every pupil to bring.
Nine-year-old David is the second of four children and lives with his family in Ognyanovo, Bulgaria. His older brother Zhivko was born with learning difficulties and problems with his vision, and his parents have to take him to Sofia for regular appointments at the hospital.
David's parents, Nadka and Sasho, don't have permanent jobs, but take on seasonal work when they can, work that doesn't pay a living wage.
Spaska said, "David didn't have a backpack or proper school supplies, which made him feel excluded and discouraged. The reality was that the little money earned by the family had to be spent on Zhivko's medicine.
"His parents are extremely hardworking, but their ability to find permanent jobs is limited."
David's parents understand how important education is. As is common in Roma communities, both of them dropped out of school as children – and now, their employment prospects are limited by their lack of qualifications. Today, only seven percent of Roma children in Bulgaria finish secondary school.
David's father Sasho said, "When I was a little boy, I refused to go to school, it was boring to me, and because education wasn't important to my parents, they didn't force it on me. That's the reason I didn't even finish the first grade.
"I'm illiterate, and I'm not proud of it. I believe that parents have a responsibility for how they raise and educate their children, and that they have a huge influence on them by their personal example."
Fortunately for David and his family, Mission Without Borders supports their hopes for the future. Enrolled in our family sponsorship programme, the family receives all kinds of support, including regular visits from Spaska, who's doing everything she can to encourage David and his siblings in their education.