NEED Magazine

2 need issue 7 3need issue 7

robert gasca and diana vasile play in the roma village of marginea.

Although popular culture romanticizes the Gypsy

lifestyle, Roma people face a difficult reality. The

two and a half million Roma who make their home

in Romania face unemployment, institutional apathy

and an education gap entrenched by poverty and

systemic racism. While completing grade 10 is the

national average, the average Roma student drops out

after fourth grade. Families cannot afford notebooks,

uniforms and other basic materials that their children

need to attend school. Schools that do not want Roma

students can refuse to register those without IDs. Such

issues cause many Roma children to enter school late

and drop out early.

writer: lauren fischerphotographs: shea roggio

kids


While in Romania for the Peace Corps Leslie Hawke and

Maria Gheorghiu obtained a grant to train impoverished

mothers to support their families. In addition, they

started an education program for children who begged

on the street.

Three years later Hawke and Gheorghiu turned this

small trai-ning program into the nonprofit Asociatia

Ovidiu Rom (OvR). Through teacher workshops,

parent meetings, summer programs and a public

awareness campaign, OvR has helped thousands of

at-risk children start their education. OvR recently

launched a multipartner initiative to have every child

in Romania registered and attending school by 2020.

OvR evaluates each family’s unique needs and the

barriers to their children’s education. “We identify the

children that are not going to school or have dropped

out. … We provide services to the entire family in order

to help them send their children to school,” explains

communication and events coordinator Simona Ilas. village of marginea. a unicef report released in 2005 found that 88% of the roma population in romania live below the poverty line. living this way often forces parents to send their children to work rather than school.

ana manolache lives in roma village of marginea and has seven children. along with helping ana obtain birth certificates and ids, ovr has enrolled one of her children in their educational programs.

OvR also gives each family meal coupons based on their

children’s school attendance rate. Hawke asserts that

“the single most significant thing we can do to get these

children in school early and keep them in school is to

provide economic incentives to the parents.”

From its experience in rural communities, OvR has

learned that late enrollment, sporadic attendance

and dropping out early are predominately associated

with Roma children. This is primarily the result of

undereducation throughout generations of Roma

families. However, Hawke believes that aid should not

be associated with a family’s background. In order to

discourage prejudice and segregation, OvR distributes

aid based on family income rather than ethnicity. Ilas

explains that all the families are treated the same, “We

don’t ask them [if they are Roma] when they come to us.”

Hawke hopes that extending equal educational opportunities

to all children in Romania will decrease anti-Roma

racism. “I want our team to be instrumental in narrowing

the education gap between Roma kids and the rest of

society. I want the pervasive prejudice against Roma

to lessen in my lifetime,” she says. Schools hesitate to

enroll Roma students and employers are unwilling to

hire Roma adults because of the racist stereotype that

they are criminals. These barriers limit Roma people’s

choices and cause some to resort to crime, bolstering

the stereotype. Hawke says, “I wish more people

could see that such behaviors are a consequence of

multigenerational poverty, no of defective genes or

a primitive value system.”

kids


soita viliarda adriana is married and has three children. the school in her village burned down years ago, and the community is still working to rebuild it. ovr arranged for the children to be bused to schools and kindergartens in a nearby town, including Soita’s daughter. ovr also helped soita’s family obtain id cards and birth certificates.

an errc report revealed that 64% of working-age roma have experienced discrimination in employment. 49% said they had been openly told it was racial discrimination by the company.

“There are eight of us. All my children go to school and

do not miss class. Both my wife and I work for a living.

I represent the Roma community from Bistrita colony.

“My wife makes minimum wage, and I have a 220 Lei

second degree handicap pension, but I still work four

hours. We do more than four hours of community work,

we come home where we have to light the fire, cook, and

in the evening we watch TV. We’ve got cable and so we

do something else and forget about our problems.

“I’ve had these problems since I was born and I don’t

see any solution to them. I got used to my handicap.”

[How do others treat you?] “With indifference. I am

considered an outsider because I am a Gypsy, and

sometimes I am not given all my rights because of

that. I don’t see any future for me or my family.”

Over the years, the Marza family has benefited from

OvR’s support. OvR has helped the obtain ID’s for the

entire family, prepared all the documents needed to rent a

house and has provided counseling on the services available

from a family doctor Two of Marza’s daughters are

currently enrolled in Ovidu Rom’s educational programs.

ovr has helped alexandru marza obtain ids for his entire family, and two of his daughters are currently enrolledin ovr’s educational programs.

alexandru marza

kids


tincuta vasile

“There are seven people in our family. Three of the five

children go to school. Andreea has a heart disease and

she is not allowed to go to school, it is very difficult for

her. The doctor says if it is cold outside she should stay

in the house. It’s hard to survive when so many have to

live in such a small house.

“We have a cart and a horse and we get wood from the

forest to earn some money. We want to bring the wood

home instead of selling it, because my children are cold

too. Can I just stand there watching them being cold?

“We face [challenges] every day, beginning with the

lack of money and ending with health problems. But

what can we do? We just have to move on, because the

children keep asking for food and we just have to feed

them. The worst part comes when they get sick …

I wish at least for them to be healthy.

“It’s easier in the summer because we can work occasionally,

but when the winter comes, i t’s harder. We manage

somehow. We used to get social help from the City Hall,

but now, they don’t give it to us anymore.

“What can I wish for the future? All the best. I wish

my children to be healthy, because this is the most

important thing. Doesn’t matter if I work too hard

or if I’m sad, I’ll raise them by myself.”

Three of Tincuta’s children are enrolled in OvR’s edu-

cational programs, where they have access to homework

assistance, sports, IT and English clubs.

OvR helped Tincuta get IDs, birth certificates and a federal

allowance for her children. The organization also helped

her family prepare documents for renting their house.

All of them now have access to a family doctor.

kids


regina iancu

“We are many and it’s very hard. We need food every

day, milk for the young ones, shoes and clothes for the

ones in school. I didn’t have any money to get birth

certificates for the children, but Mrs. Mihaela from

OvR helped us.

“My husband earns some money with the horses [carrying

things for the people in his wagon]. I stay home with

the children. I don’t have time for a job and I don’t

know what I could do anyway.

elena diaconu holds her romanian identity card. lengthy forms can make obtaining an id a difficult process for many roma people who are illiterate. an id is crucial to finding employment, getting an education and being eligible for children’s allowances. over the years, ovr has helped over 600 adults and children get id’s and birth certificates.

“We used to live having no birth certificates or IDs for

our children, because we had no money. Mrs. Mihaela

got papers for us all. Now I get allowances for all my

children. [For the future] I wish my children to be

healthy, and that they never have to live like me.”

OvR helped Regina obtain IDs and birth certificates

for her children, and enrolled her son in a local OvR

kindergarten. Without electricity her son must finish his

homework by sunset; otherwise it is very difficult to see

by the candlelight.

kids


monica rosmarin

“I am a housewife, I have 15 children. It’s not easy.

Every day I wake up at five o’clock and the first thing

I like to do is to pray to God for my family. I cook

breakfast for my children, then I do the housework:

I wash, I clean and everything else. I am ill and there

are no jobs so I am forced to live on child support.”

OvR works with local schools across Romania to

improve enrollment and bolster existing curriculum with

teacher training, after-school programs and sports teams.

Valentina Vasile, principal of a school in Potlogi, says,

“OvR staff brought a breath of fresh air to the school

community and adapted education models to our needs.

ovr currently serves 500 children from impoverished families with year-round educational programs including after-school activities, preschool, specialized classes for older children and summer school.

“we’ve asked the children how the program influences them and what makes them take part in the activities. Words like learning, joy, fun, knowledge, socialization and friendship came up in almost every answer.” ovr teacher dana muntean.

the rosmarin family

They got involved and helped us become a family that

learns and celebrates its successes together.” A teacher

notes that “the school drop-out rate has decreased

significantly since OvR started its program. Children

come to school regularly and they are aware now of the

importance of education in their lives.”

Children come to school regularly and they are aware now of the importance of education in their lives.”

Three of her children are enrolled in OvR’s Sotron

preschool program and have not missed one day of class.

Monica accompanies her children to take part in their

learning process. Before OvR, the stress of housework

and caring for 15 children left Monica little time for

individual needs. But during Sotron activities she is able

to spend time with each child and supports them all.

kids


What is your favorite thing about school?

“I like writing, reading, drawing and sports. The

school teaches people to read and write, it helps

them make something of themself.”

What do you want to be when you grown up?

“When I grow up I want to be a policeman to

drive a car and to fine people.”


“I like to color.”

What do you want to be when you grown up?!

“I want to be a football player ‘cause I also like

to play the ball.”

What is favorite thing about school?

“I like to write, draw and talk about planets.

I like to listen to stories.”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

“I want to be a cop.”


“I like to write my name, draw and play with children.”


“I want to be a doctor to check the patients.”

alexandrunita

mihai cornelungureanu

alexandruciubotaru

georgianapruteanu


“I love drawing using markers. I love drawing flowers

and making cards.”


“When I grow up I want to be a doctor because I like

giving shots. I have a little brother and I take care of

him when he is ill; I give him tea and watch him.”

Andreea came to the Stefanita after school program

in 2007, after her mother asked OvR to help her

daughter with homework. Her mother explained that

she had attended school for only two years and could

not help her daughter at all.

During her time in OvR’s after school program,

Andreea has met other children in similar situations.

She has overcome her shyness and her fear of asking

for help with her homework. Her confidence is growing.

Now in the fourth grade, Andreea never misses class

despite living far from school. She has learning

difficulties, but she has made considerable progress

during the last two years.

andreeaheliteanu

What do you like most about school?

“I like Romanian and math the most.

I go to school to learn.”


“I want to become a cop because I want to take care

of people and to save the world from bad guys.”

All seven members of the Petrea family live in two

rooms of a government-subsidized house, and the

children’s allowance is the family’s main source of

income. Gabriel’s parents only attended four years

of primary school, and want their children to get a

better education.

Gabriel attends OvR’s Primary Kaleidoscope school

programs. Since he started the after school program in

2006, his grades have improved, he is more organized

and more receptive. OvR says that Gabriel socializes

more, plays for the basketball team and his selfconfidence

increases daily. In one school semester he only

missed two classes.

gabrielpetrea



“I like to play with the children and go through

the books in the bookshelves.”


“I want to be a teacher to teach children beautiful

things (drawing and writing).”

What is your favorite thing about school?!

“At school I enjoy learning. I like sports and

French the most.”

What do you want to be when you grown up?

“When I grow up I want to become a shop seller,

so I can give children what they ask, and teach

them what they have to do in a shop and how to

count. That’s why I will learn the multiplication

table very well.”

alexandrabican

gina dumitritastirbu


“I like to make trees of little woods, to make

little crowns.”


“A teacher at Finetti because there is a lot

of chocolate.”


“I like sports, to play football with children and

I like English so that I can make my way around

in other countries.”


“I want to be a cop (the one that wears a mask) to

control the bad people that cannot be controlled

by the police.”

ionut donatelo lupu

valentina adriana dorobantu


“I like coming to school because I learn how to

write. I’m proud to learn math, too.”


“I want to be a teacher like Mr. Aurelian because

I want to teach children what they should know.”

Roberto’s has no furniture or any basic comforts. His

mother stays home and takes care of Roberto and his

two brothers. His father is a street cleaner for a local

sanitation company. Despite of all these difficulties

Roberto comes to school every day, never missing

one of Mr. Aurelian’s classes.


“I like to write, to learn, and to play with the other

children. It’s warm and clean in school and I see a

lot of beautiful things here.”


“I want to be a doctor for sick children. I want to

give them good treatment so they can be healthy.”

In 2002 Simona’s mother came to OvR asking for

help. OvR found her mother a job and enrolled

her three children in school.

Simona and her siblings were integrated into kinder-

garten and a Stefanita afterschool program. They

now receive help with their homework and learn

IT and English. OvR reports that Simona is hard

working and enjoys being a leader.

simonabotez

roberto claudiu chirita



“I like to play, learn, write, eat and go outside. I like

to play hide-and-seek.”


“I want to stay little [Why?] well … because I like

being little. If I work I want to work with Vali, Vali

is my friend. I want to work in a pharmacy, to work

with toys or to work with little children.”


“I like to write and read the letters I learned and I

like to have a look through books. Each day I like

to say which day of the week it is and I like to play

with my toys.”


“I want to be a TV news presenter to say what happens

if you are hit by the cars, so that one can watch out

not to die. I would also like to present the weather.”


“Sports and math. I like coming to school, because

I have to learn so I won’t be stupid.”


“I want to be a football player because I like it

and I’m good at it.”


“To play with children and to write.”


“I will get a bicycle, and I will work on a car.”

euro antonio baragau

mariana beatrice nita

ionut silviudochiu

abelrosmarin

Roma communities have been oppressed and ignored

for centuries. Generations of Roma people grew up in

poverty and had access to little or no education. Hope

for a future was unimaginable.

OvR is working with the first generation that can

change this. On the long road ahead, OvR’s work is

aurelian ignat teaches 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade students in ovr educational programs.

crucial to improving life for Roma families. As these

children continue to grow, and believe in their own

abilities they will bring the change their parents have

wished for. Principal Vasile reflects on Roma children’s

future: “OvR offers the possibility to take a stand in

the community, to use their life experience to their

advantage and make them proud of who they are.”

ovrmusterstrasse 3455404 musterstadt+01 02 34 52 [email protected]

NEED Magazine

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