Switzerland Meeting the Roma from Romania

August 28, 2010

Comment: On Saturday, August 28th, the online portal of the Swiss radio and television services, the website rsr.ch, published a voice report entitled: Meeting the Roma from Romania (accompanied with an article and 6 photos).

The journalist proceeded to the interview of a Roma family while presenting as well the concerns of Roma activists and social workers working with Roma communities in Bailesti.

The report couples a description of Roma living conditions together with their desires, aspirations and the difficulties they face both in their location of origin in Romania and when travelling abroad.

A Roma activist, Mr. Vasile Ionescu points out that “for almost 600 years, Roma were an excluded minority with a fictitious nationality. The recognition of Roma as a national minority in Romania has been achieved only 20 years ago following the fall of communism”. This recognition is however still relative according to Ionescu: “Roma are the poor of Europe, they are illiterate and without any jobs. The modernization of Roma culture is impossible in Romania; we first need our rights to adapt our culture to universal values. We cannot be integrated as animals” he added.

The presentation then shifts to present the poor conditions of a family living in Bailesti and to a discussion with the mother and her children. While the parents often go abroad to Italy to make a living in Bologna (“never with the children”, the mother adds), they always come back within a month while their two older children aged 15 and 12 take care of their 8 other brothers and sisters. A monthly income of 500 Euro can be brought back from Italy through the activities they perform there, mainly begging.

The journalist also presents the views and aspirations of the children, first asking about the controversial issue of early marriages. Asking a 15-year-old couple about what they foresee to do in the future, the children answer with confidence that “they will find a way” in order to make a living for them and their future family.

They often mention the opportunities they can find in Europe and plan to go abroad to earn money whether by begging or by finding a job, replicating the actual way of living of their parents.

The journalist also wisely introduced the opinion of Roma officials from the local government who stated that “out of 20 000 inhabitants living in Bailesti, 6 or 7 000 are Roma and belong to 5 different communities. “Starting from our births, we are handicapped: it is a big disadvantage to be born in a Roma community”. “I had the chance to study and finish high school. I kept good relations with Romanian colleagues”. The official interestingly emphasized that “though discrimination towards Roma is still a reality in Romania, it is not widespread in the whole society”.

The interview also offers to a window for NGO workers implementing projects with and for Roma children. Claudia Dinca, a social worker working for Terre des hommes presents the difficulties of Roma children in Bailesti, describing that they often have to face violence and are prone to drop out school early.

The project MOVE funded by the UEFA and managed by Gael Rennesson is also described. “The project is intended to protect vulnerable children taking into account the specificities of Roma communities: we try to integrate them into educational or social frameworks with other Romanian children” added Rennesson.

Dinca remains positive about the children and adds that the “most striking for her is their willingness to help their families and the fact that they find a second family back at school”.

The variety of point of views and the genuine character of the conversations offered an interesting insight into the living aspirations of Roma children and their families, challenging the usual clichés by offering them, for once, an opportunity to speak out about their daily life.

To listen to the report in French, click here.

Comments: Pierre Cazenave, regional child rights officer, Regional Office for Central and South Eastern Europe of Terre des hommes – Child relief.