We are launching the 100 Roma Women for the Centenary Campaign on April 8th 2018, the International Roma Day and after 100 years since the Great Romanian Union. We believe that there are many women doing beautiful and interesting things in their communities, and through this campaign we aim to bring to your attention 100 Roma women with their stories and actions, especially at the local level, who are involved in various activities in the communities they come from. We are launching this campaign with 22 stories of Roma women from our Initiative Groups and our Roma women's network.

We invite you to send us your own story or stories of Roma women you know who are actively involved in community life, in actions for women, youth and young women, or who through their experience have been a role model for others.

Part II

see below

Gina Anton

Gina Anton

My name is Gina Anton and I am 49 years old. I grew up with 8 siblings (four sisters, and four brothers). At 31 years old I started my career as a Romani language teacher. One year after I became a Romani language teacher I enrolled in the CREDIS-IDD College of the University of Bucharest, from which I graduated in 2005 being specialized in teaching Romani. Later on, I studied at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Theory and graduated in 2010. I worked as a Romani language teacher from the year 2000 until 2008 at Anton Pann Middle School in Braila. In 2008 I tenured as a full-time teacher in the educational system. I set up a class that was taught in Romani, wanting to provide access to education to Romani girls. I have been a school inspector for minorities. During my 18 years of activity, I have participated in tens of educational and social projects. If my involvement in these tens of projects have contributed to my personal and professional development, these other ten years in which I worked as president of the ”Pro-Europe” Party of Roma people- with the headquarters in Braila, have proved to be the development of the entire Roma community in Braila. I see myself as a lucky woman because I was surrounded by good people that have supported me during all of our activities, but also by people that tried to drag me down, without whom I wouldn't have toughened up and went forward proving myself that I can make it! I’m thanking my father for guarding me from up above in heaven. And because of the fact that I lost him when I was 25 years old, I intent that when I mark my 20 years of activity anniversary, I will write a book named „Talking to my father”, in which I will relate all of these years dedicated to my Roma people.
Ioanida Costache

Ioanida Costache

Ioanida is 28 years old, she is Roma, but she was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, USA after her parents emigrated in America in 1985. In 2014 Ioanida moved to Bucharest with a Fullbright scholarship in order to make a research in traditional Roma music. During all this, Ioanida started to get ivolved in the activist movement for Roma people’s representation and rights. When she went back to the US, she continued her fight by writing petitions and letters. Through her research, Ioanida managed to start her PhD studies at Stanford and she came back in Romania in 2018 to continue her disertation. The foundaiton of her research is how Roma people’s music replaced a written history, and represented a place of remembering and colective memory. By trying to build a fond of knowledge using counter history (Focault 1977) of Roma’s oral music, her project will provide help in filling the historical gaps, the continuousness of the dominant history, by also making possible the healing and cultural acceptance ot the Roma people.
Letiția Mark

Letiția Mark

I am the president of the „For our Children” Gypsy Women Association. I have established this association in 1997 when I started working in my own home for educational programs, because I am a teacher, I am Roma and I knew I have to do my duty for the Roma children. Since then, the association grew, even if it was very difficult in the begining. We annually had around 40 children that went to the Educational Cultural Center for Roma Children (this being our first project in the association). We wanted to integrate the children in schools, we enrolled them at boarding schools, tried to take care of the actual issues, the bureaucracy, the return back home from oustide the country, everything you already know represents the problems that the Roma community faces. We named the association this way, of belonging to The Gypsy Women „For our Children” beacause we wanted to include the women that traditionally take care of children, and not only and that are concerned with raising and educating them and also because it was easier for me to talk to women than talking to Roma men when it came about the subject of children. They proved to be much more sensitive and trusted me more with this subject. But eventually, men started to join our projects. Many of them know me because my family lives here in this neighbourhood for over 50 years. Here in this neighobourhood we have families of Rudari, Kalderash and Geambasi, and along the years we have formed a mixed community.
Maria Dumitru

Maria Dumitru

My name is Maria Dumitru and I am 24 years old. Since I was a teenager I have taken part in volunteering, which has led me to my personal development. Both traveling and interacting with other young people among various cultures, have helped me embrace diversity. Therefore, all these things have made me get more involved in various activities that look into developing our community. One of the things I enjoy the most is working with children. I am currently studying at the Central European University in Budapest, under the department of Gender Studies. Before the Masters I had the chance of studying in Turkey and Norway. I also had the honour of working along with the researcher Solvor Lauritzen regarding the education of Roma children in Romania. My objective for the next two years is to write my disertation paper about Roma women’s emigration in Scandinavia.
Michaela Dragan

Mihaela Drăgan

Mihaela Dragan is an actress and a playwriter who works in Bucharest and in Berlin. In 2014 she co-founded Giuvlipen-„a revolutionary theatre” according to the media agency Reuters, a cultural phenomena on a local stage. The year 2017 grants Mihaela Dragan an important nomination for the International Prize for Gilder\Cogney theatre in New York that celebrates the extraordinary work of 20 artists in the whole world. Mihaela is one of the six finalists and the youngest artist that got the nomination for this prize. A year later, Mihaela’s playwriter career gest a face of recognition as well, again representing Romania in New York, at the International Festival PEN World Voices 2018 as one of the ten most influential contemporary playwriters in the world.In the same year, she becomes one of the artists working for ParaSiteHongKong, where she sets the foundations for a new artistic movement –Roma Futurism, a cultural esthetic that explores science fiction in Roma culture, bringing in focus the Roma culture and history with an advanced technlogy of the future. Along the years, Mihaela also worked as a trainer for the Opressed Theatre in the outcasted Roma communities in Romania and held various speeches for Roma’s rights at events like TEDxHeroes or Creative Mornings.
Mihaela Gheorghe

Mihaela Gheorghe

Mihaela Gheorghe graduated from The Faculty of Sociology and Social Work - University of Bucharest, has a master's degree in Gender Studies and European Institutions at SNSPA and took a human rights course at Columbia University, New York. Since 1997, she got involved in many education and social intervention programs for Roma children and youth, having various positions such as assistant or program coordinator or trainer in the field of gender equality. She worked with many international organizations and institutions, such as: Romani CRISS, OSCE/ODIHR, UNDP, Open Society Institute, European Council, European Commission, regarding the social inclusion of Roma people, women's rights and gender equality. She took part in many awareness campaigns about: the importance of gender partnership, Roma women's rights and the prevention of violence against women. Currently, Mihaela Gheorghe is preoccupied with gender dimension and ethnicity in education.
Mihaela Iancu

Mihaela Iancu

Mihaela Iancu is an economist and is 32 years old. She graduated from the School of Domestic and International Business, Banking and Finance - Romanian-American University and has a master's degree in Policies of Gender Equality and Minorities from the Faculty of Political Sciences - SNSPA. Gender expert and trainer in youth courses, promoting non-formal education, I am experienced in working with the youth and vulnerable groups, being involved in many non-governmental organizations for Roma people, the inclusion of the Roma youth, for Roma girls and women and women's rights. I took part in a lot of organizations, the first one being at my home: Roma Association Frăția Câmpina, where I learnt how to manage projects with European funds at 23 years old. Then from being an employee, I became a volunteer, then a master's degree student, then volunteer and collaborator with many NGOs. Since 2009, I participated in the civil society, my wish being the inclusion of non-formal education in schools, the inclusion and promotion of human rights in the school curriculum and the promotion of gender equality on a social and formal level. At almost 27 years old, I coordinated a scholarship program for Romani students with Roma Education Fund Romania for 2 years. I helped 1500 students to receive ethnicity-based scholarships anually. I am proud of the fact that, because of the chance I got, I reached the peak of my career at that moment. I can say that, this way, I got recognized locally, nationally and internationally. Currently, I am coordinating a program for people that want to become entrepreneurs in Prahova County and Sud-Muntenia region. In the meantime, I made my own NGO - The Hope For Today's Youth Association and I will keep on fighting for Roma youth and young women's rights. Also, I'm currently working on my business and I hope that I'm going to attract a lot of empathetic people that are willing to help this world, because there is nothing more important than helping others. Starting with little things, we can make a big difference.
Mirela

Mirela

My name is Mirela, I'm from Mizil and I am part of the Initiative Group of Women, organized by E-Romnja association. I started involving in the group's activities in 2015 with other women from my community. I am a Christian and an activist and I fight against early/child marriage. I wish girls wouldn't marry so young so they can finish their studies. I fight against racism and violence of any kind.
Nicoleta Ghita

Nicoleta Ghiță

Hello. I am Nicoleta Ghita, I'm 19 years old and I'm in 11th grade. I've always liked being optimistic and I hope that one day I'll be higher and higher, just like Guess Who's lyrics. I was lucky to have a family that cared for me and educated me as well as they could, and protected me from all the bad things. I had lots of lacks, even my parents, but that didn't stop me. Besides my beautiful family, I also got some amazing people that care about my future, here at the Alternative Education Club. That gave me a boost to start, even if it wasn't on time, but that didn't mean I couldn't get on the same page as the other kids my age. Currently, I'm in school, I got my PlayHood family, who's always there for me. I do theatre, sing and dance and I'm trying to change the world. I want to show the white people that we, Roma people, are just like them and that we all have qualities and flaws. In the last 3 years I did a lot of things. I played on the big scene of the National Theatre from Bucharest and Craiova. I represented Ferentari in a movie that we made there with one of the biggest film directors from The Netherlands, as well as an American director. I got the first prize fot the best actress in a leading role in a youth theatre festival and I proved a lot of misconceptions wrong. I did this all because I want people to see the good parts of Ferentari and the Roma community that lives there. I'm sure that we can be at least kinder to each other and we will learn to forgive, to see the glass half full and realize that only the sky's the limit.
Norica Costache

Norica Costache

Since 1990, Norica Costache became the voice of the militant movement of Roma People from Romania, being a volunteer in inter-ethnic conflict mediation and social intervention programes, during 1990-1995, next to Nicolae Gheorghe, the founder of The Roma Movement in Romania. She coordinated human rights programes, mediation and prevention of inter-ethnic conflicts, as well as educational projects regarding school dropout. For the activity developed in the human rights field, she was nominated for the Human Rights Prize, granted by the Carter-Atlanta Presidential Center. Also, the International Romani Union "Romani Unia", awarded her with the Human Rights prize at the 6th IRU congress. She is a founding member and general secretary of the International Roma Women Network, "IRWN Phenjalipe", situated in Strasbourg. Currently, Norica Costache is a counsellor for the National Center for Roma Culture in Romania, coordinating many projects for the development and promotion of Roma culture. She is the author of a conversation guide in Romani language, "Jeanes Romanes?", audio video material, the author of the publication "Roma for Romania" and editorial coordinator of many books published by Roma writers.
Oana Rusu

Oana Rusu

Oana Rusu graduated from the University of Performing/ Theatre Arts in Targu Mures (Universitatea de Arte Teatrale din Târgu Mures), class of 1999-2003 and it is currently working as an actress at the Ion Dacian National Theatre of Operetta and Music. She has worked in several theatre projects dedicated to children with disadvantaged backgrounds and she collaborated with women from Ferentari in Bucharest for two forum theatre performances. Awards: 2011 - Award for the most appreciated musical actress, awarded by the Roma National Agency 2012 - Award for Public Participation, cultural section, The Gala of Roma Women, awarded by the Agency for Community Development "Together" and the Centre for Education and Social Development. Photo by Andreea Coconus.
Roxana Ionita

Roxana Ioniță

Hello dear friends, my name is Roxana Ioniță, I'm a Roma woman (romnie) from Bucharest of cobbler (ciubotari) heritage, I'm 29 years old. I am a graduate of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences at the University of Bucharest and a graduate of the Master's Programme in Roma Studies at SNSPA University. At 17, I started to get involved in activism, especially in activism on Roma issues. I have worked and collaborated with several Roma associations where I gained valuable experience in working with young people, women and especially field work in poor Roma communities. I am a Roma feminist and I do my best to defend the rights of Roma women especially against domestic violence and forced and early marriages. Wherever life takes me I know two things for sure: I am a Roma woman and I am an activist!
Raluca Cretu

Raluca Crețu

My name is Raluca Cretu; I used to work as secretary at APRPE and during this time I travelled to Roma communities to encourage children to go to school and to raise awareness about the importance of education for every child. I studied Romani language at the University of Bucharest, and I am currently continuing my studies at the Master of Politics, Gender and Minorities at SNSPA University. In my opinion, to improve the standard of living of Roma communities, education is extremely important, but not the only significant factor for achieving this goal. I wish to continue working in this field and to be part of organizations helping improve as many Roma communities as possible.
Simona Torcoi

Simona Torotcoi

Simona Torotcoi comes from a modest Roma family in a village near Bistrita. From 2008 to 2011 she studied at the North University of Baia Mare, where she met other young Roma and together, they founded the Young Roma Maramureș Association. Simona is currently a PhD student at the Central European University (Budapest, Hungary), specialising in Public Policy in Higher Education. Since the first year of her studies, she has been involved in promoting education among Roma communities, and together with other members of the Young Roma Maramures Association group, they have carried out various projects, campaigns and many other volunteering activities. Currently, Simona is doing research in the field of youth and education (Roma youth participation in higher education, Roma representation in school textbooks, etc.), civic and political participation, employability - through which she hopes to influence decision-makers towards the inclusion of Roma youth.
Roxana Oprea (poza 2)

Roxana Oprea

Roxana Oprea is 39 years old and from Bucharest. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History, specializing in Medieval Universal History (Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University, Bucharest); she is a graduate of the Roma Access Programme at the Central European University, Budapest, Hungary; she was a trainee at the Directorate-General for Education and Culture of the European Commission; she is a graduate of the Master’s Programme in Roma Studies at SNSPA. She has more than 8 years of experience in the ONG environment, being involved in numerous projects for disadvantaged communities. She is currently the vice-president of "APDRP - Association for Regional Development and Partnership". I do not consider myself an activist. I still find it hard to understand how the world of Roma activism works. I have seen a lot of hypocrisy, vanity and dubious individual interests, but this world should, in my mind, work as a collective, supportive and empathetic "machine". Fortunately, over the past two years, during my Master's Degree in Roma Studies at SNSPA, I have had the opportunity to meet people with whom I have resonated unexpectedly well and who do things differently: assertive to the end, informed, without pride, with generosity, I would say. And this makes me keep close to everything that means affirming with dignity the Roma identity, fighting against discrimination, against gender inequality. I think more and more intensely about the fact that there is a need for new contexts to bring people together, to communicate with sincerity, to understand deeply, to exorcise hatred. This should be our responsibility - to compromise less, to be more genuinely concerned to give a public voice to those in the shadows, to care more about what we leave to future generations.
Rebeca Bulgaru

Rebeca Bulgaru

"Education is our right". My name is Rebecca Bulgaru and I am part of the Roma community from Toflea. I graduated the Faculty of Journalism and I am currently an educator. The initiative to fight for human rights started seven years ago when I had the opportunity to be a volunteer in several non-profit organizations in Romania and abroad. Inequality of opportunity and the importance of education have built my first steps toward a current strong motivation based on the fight against discrimination, as well as combating the abuses. One of the chances we have enjoyed so that we can justify and implement as well as possible our way, was in 2017, when we had the opportunity for two days, to discuss and analyze the situation of the Roma people in Romania together with President Joachim Gauck and the First Lady of Germany, and 4 other colleagues elected by the Rome Education Fund. Educational activities and professional experience have been acquired and developed over time through the Erasmus Plus-European funds projects, mentoring programs, as well as collaboration with various non-profit organizations. Equal chance means to create equal opportunities.
Zita Moldovan

Zita Moldovan

Zita Moldovan is an actress and presenter of the show "From Roma's life" on National TV. A graduate of the Faculty of Theatre and Television in Cluj, in 2006 she began collaborating with the Ion Dacian Operetta Theatre in Bucharest in the show "Broadway Bucharest", directed by Beatrice Rancea. Since 2014 she is the co-founder of Giuvlipen Theatre Company where she has performed in "Gadjo Dildo", "Who Killed Szomna Grancsa?", "Orange Blue", "Corp Urban" and "Kali Traś" - the first performance in Romania about the Roma Holocaust in co-production with the Jewish State Theatre, directed by Mihai Lukacs. Her most recent film is "Two ron sixty" directed by Camelia Popa. In 2018 she is part of the Romanian-French production "Uprooted" directed by Bogdan Zamfir, presented in Paris during the Romania-France 2019 season. During its more than 15 years of career, Zita has been actively involved in the Roma feminist and anti-racist movement, working as a theatre trainer in Roma communities and various campaigns for Roma rights.
Tatiana Covaci

Tatiana Covaci

Tatiana Covaci studied journalism and communication science at the Superior School for Journalism in Bucharest. She has specialized in various fields: the mediation in public health, project management, educational mentorship. Since 2004 she has worked in the NGO field and has been involved in various social and educational programs for Roma communities. In 2011 she started working for the Center for Education and Human Rights as a project assistant in the educational programs department. Tatiana is an excellent organizer for communities of Romani women, she has a heightened practical understanding for logistics and organizing community events. As a dedicated communicator, Tatiana facilitates relations between community, school and parents in order to ensure children’s success in kindergarten and school. Tatiana is highly experienced in working with Romani children and youth, in organizing awareness campaigns on the importance of education, labor field orientation and learning perspectives throughout one’s life. “I like to work for CEDO foremost for the people, we are different but have the same goals and expectations thus we’ve managed to congeal a solid team. It is the place where I can evolve, where I feel important and where we can change people’s lives for the better - children, women, men.”
Simona Gamonte

Simona Gamonte

Simona is a Romani feminist activist originating from a rural environment. Having an M.A. in Politics, Gender and Minorities from the National School of Political Science and Public Administration and a second Erasmus Mundus M.A. in Gender Studies from the University of Oviedo (Spain) and the Central European University (Hungary), Simona has been active at her university in Hungary organizing human rights campaigns, including Romani rights with the purpose of raising awareness on the subjects which affect the Roma and of changing the negative narrative around Romani people. Simona believes that activism can be executed both at a macro level through the activity of NGOs and at a personal level in our daily interactions with people around us and through the example we set in the world: “I believe that being Romani and being a Romani activist does not boil down to working in fields which address Roma issues, but also involves working firsthand for your own personal development in order to become the best version of yourself thus becoming a professional in any field or profession and showing those around you that we are more than a negative stereotype.”
Carmen Tanase

Carmen Tănase

Poverty, discrimination and school segregation provided the basis for my professional choices. My name is Carmen, I come from a family of traditional Roma from Sadova, Dolj. I am the only woman who managed to surpass school and social discrimination in a village commune made up of over 1500 bricklaying Roma. The process was not easy and I had to learn and work three times more in Romania in order to prove that the Roma are not only represented by stereotypes. The ambition to become better is due to the fact that I lived in clay, making bricks six months per year in different cities, many times witnessing our summer-long work come tumbling down in front of our eyes due to rainfall and our physical efforts turning out to be in vain. The fact that we were judged for being dirty without anyone considering that we were hard workers made me want to understand society better and pushed me to study sociology. After my M.A. it was difficult finding employment and I decided to do a second M.A. in Public Politics in English. I worked in different international organizations for the Roma and I finished an internship with the European Commission where I was responsible for the field of labour for Roma in nine countries. My work at the European Commission opened my eyes to understanding that the European bureaucracy in regards to the Roma needs a Roma person in Brussels to push the process from close by. Currently, I am working in Brussels at the European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network, which handles Roma issues at a European level and fights against discrimination.
Antonella

Antonella

Hello, I am Antonella, a transgender Roma woman activist fighting for human rights. I encountered too much racism and transphobia in my life and I said “STOP!” Something needs to change. I am a member of Transform and Mozaiq because we need major change in Romanian society - SOLIDARITY is the keyword. We need laws to protect minorities in Romania and to condemn discrimination because human rights are equal for everyone. We want to sound an alarm bell for the authorities for equal treatment under the law for every person. We existed in the past, we exist in the present and we will continue to exist in the future.
Anina Ciuciu

Anina Ciuciu

Anina Ciuciu is a young lawyer, Romanian-French citizen of Roma origins who lives in Paris. Anina published two books in France, which have been translated and published in Romania and Italy. Inher book “I Am Proud to be Roma” Anina recalls with extreme difficulty the racism and discriminatory acts against her family in the process of immigration to France, but also the fight to overcome these difficulties and regain dignity. Anina is heavily engaged publicly, politically and through associations against racism and discrimination and in favour of access to human rights and dignity at a national and international level. In September 2017, she was the first Romani candidate during the national elections in the history of France, leading the independent list “Our Future” in the senatorial elections. As a member of various local associations, such as ASET93 (an association helping children with precarious conditions with their education), she participates as an expert in projects carried out in these fields for international organizations such as the UN or the European Commission. In parallel to her vocation as a lawyer, she decided to dedicate herself to the fight for access to education for all children and youth living in poverty in France (among which also Romani children) supporting the campaign of the #EcolePourTous collective.
Georgescu Lăcrămioara

Georgescu Lăcrămioara

My name is Lăcrămioara Georgescu, I am a health mediator (?) in Constanța city and I activate from 2002 when I started the program for the development of the community health care network and health mediation. I serve all the Roma community from Constanța city, with 4212 people, based on the last raport from 2013. I had served all the Roma community, in the whole county for 3 years, from 2002 to 2005, until I asked the Constanța’s Public Health Directive the preparation and extension of the network of health mediators through 8 health mediators were formed and employed in 8 towns with large share of Roma people. These health mediators still active today and I am so glad that I could warmingly and seriously send them the activity of a health mediator. Sharing with them my experiences from working with people, we really succeeded to form a united trust-worthy team for the communities we represent. My activity and professional knowledge leveled up because of participation at different professional courses of formation on a national and international plan (trainer in health mediation), courses regarding human rights (detecting cases of discrimination, 2004). Given the importance of teamwork, I did not hesitate to have a good collaboration with my colleagues in the country, who I have supported their rights and keeping the position of health mediator. Therefore, in 2010, the Association of health mediators „Zurale Romnia” was founded, having the honor to be chosen as a vice-president. Also, in 2009, right after the decentralization, I was named the coordinator of the Regional Center of monitoring the problems of health mediators from the South-East region.
Delia Grigore

Delia Grigore

Delia Grigore is a Roma woman, by profession is an ethnologist, teacher of Roma literature and culture at the University of Bucharest, activist in Roma movement for 24 years and president of Roma’s Center “Amare Rromentza”. She wrote books about Rromanii culture among which: “Ghid de limba și cultura rromanii” (2000, Aven Amentza) (Guide for Rromanii language and culture); “Rromanipen – Mistica familiei la rromi” (2001, Help the Children) (Rromanipen – The mystique of the Roma family); “Introducere în studiul elementelor de cultură tradițională ale identității rrome contemporane” (2001, University of Bucharest – CREDIS) (Introduction to the study of the elements of traditional culture of contemporary Roma identity); “Rromanipen – Fundamente ale culturii rromani” (2011, Amare Rromentza) (Rromanipen – Foundations of Rromanii culture). She writes poetry and published collectives of Rromanii literature in volumes in Romania, Germany and Serbia and won the second prize at A category (poetry written in Rromanii language) within the International Creation Contest "Amico Rom", the 15th edition of 2008, organized by the Association "Them Romano" from Lanciano, Italy.
Călin Biatris

Călin Biatris

Hello! I am Biatris Călin, I am 19 and I am part of the Valea-Seacă community. I set out as a child to get to where I am today, and today I am a teacher. I am a person who loves the work I do and what is related to it. I can say that I am a Roma activist. I have participated at many competitions of mother tongue (Rromanii), the Roma History and Traditions Olympics (where I won 3rd place on national level) and at music competitions, where I won a few trophies and medals! I take part in the youth group of Village Claims from Nițiat and I put into practice activities that I think made those around us no longer see us as “gypsies” but “Roma”. I took part of the play “Christina’s choice”, a very realistic and successful play, and participated at an activity, where “the woman can be more than a kerchief”, and to many activities with the theme “Stop the violence!”.
Ioana Enache

Ioana Enache

My name is Ioana Enache, I am 33 and I was born in Roseți, Călărași county, in a Roma family of brick makers. I finished pedagogical high school and began my activity as a school mediator and Roma history teacher in 2003. I graduated the college of teachers and from 2006 I activate for Roma movement, as an employee at Roma Center “Amare Rromentza”, in the education department. I’m married and I have a beautiful girl. I had wanted to become a doctor, a chemist, to work in a laboratory, to become an English teacher, Romanian teacher, to become anything else, without knowing that my life would lead me to this place I am today and I have found out, since 2003, that is the right thing for me, that I need to be here and this is my calling. The Roma movement opened my eyes, helped me find myself, understand who I am, what I can do and how I can help others to succeed, to find themselves.
Florina Busuioc

Florina Busuioc

My name is Florina Busuioc, I am 50 and for approximately 15 years I have been working in the social field. I was supported to find a job as a health mediator by the “Romani Criss” organization and I was encouraged to continue my studies! Today, I am the first inspector at General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection, in Bucharest, sector 6, within the Social Marginalization Prevention service and I try by all means to make sure that Roma youth have access to education! Also, I work permanently with the members of Roma communities and representatives of public authorities, in order to increase the access and addressability of the Roma population to the services offered in order to increase the standard of living!
Halangecu Iulia

Iulia Halangescu

Is a socio-psycho-pedagogue and Roma activist, she graduated the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work - University of Bucharest, with Probation Officer specialization. In 2003 she graduated from I.P.C Helsingör International College, Denmark, specializing in Project Management and Community Development. From 2003 to 2007 Iulia coordinated projects dedicated to the development of Roma communities in Hungary and Bulgaria. In 2007, together with other graduates of the I.P.C Helsingör International College, Denmark, she established the Pro European Network, a network that has developed projects for Roma communities in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia. In 2009 she became the executive director of the AMURTEL Romania Aid Association, carrying out activities with young people from placement centers, managing two private kindergartens, a personal development center and a day center in the village of Panatau, Buzau. Here most of the young people in the placement center were of Roma origin and she worked with them on connecting with their roots and identity. In 2010 Iulia became vice-president of the Pakiv European Roma Fund, working in the field of youth actions and the development of critical thinking for Roma communities at European level, based on the philosophy and writings of Nicolae Gheorghe. In 2014 she became a personal development mentor in the NLP (Neuro Lingivistic Programming) coaching method, working for the Centrul pentru Parteneriat si Egalitate (Partnership and Equality Center), as a trainer, to prepare public institution workers in interacting with vulnerable people, with a focus on working with Roma people and people with special needs. In 2016 she worked as a social worker for Goteborg Raddningsmissione, facilitating the group "Romanian and Roma beggars coming from Romania". Currently, Iulia has become a mother and enjoys these magical moments with her daughter Daria.
Georgeta Motrogan

Georgeta Motrogan

Who am I?! I am a mother! I'm a teacher! I am a Roma woman, as my parents were Roma. My mother embraced her origins but had no tradition to pass on to us. Romanian-washing (Romanianization) is to blame! My father, from a family that has kept many traditions, is the most vehement fighter against cultivating and promoting cultural identity. When people look at me "they think" that's just me, they see myself strong and ambitious! I am what I am because I am not alone, with me I carry the love given by my grandparents, the envious looks of acquaintances, the contempt of society for my origins, the love I have for my daughter and the devotion to all my students. There was a time when I liked to think of myself as having a diplomatic attitude and when I thought that all people were trustworthy! That was a time when I didn't bother anyone and didn't ask for anything. Everything changed when I started asking for what I deserved! In college I put in twice as much effort as my classmates and I got double the results! (?) Love followed! And that feeling was also tarnished by the stigma of the snobs. But I met the peak of racism at work! People think that what is happening around you should not affect you. Seriously!? For every action there is a reaction, that's the law of physics. We have seen how discriminated against, marginalized, segregated, assaulted, accused and disregarded we all are by society! So who am I? I'm a Burmese in a forest who doesn't want me. I don't want them either! It crowds me, suffocates me, steals my light and my freedom! I prefer the wanderings, the loneliness of the road and the boundlessness of the horizon.
Elena Garofita Rupa

Elena Garofița Rupa

Hello everyone! My name is Elena Garofița Rupa, I am 28 years old and since December 2016 I have been living in France. I was born in Romania where I lived until recently. I come from Pîrscov commune, Buzău county, from a family of cauldrons, Roma Ursari. Do I janau Romanes? Va, janau! (Do I speak Rromani? Yes, I do). We are 9 brothers raised with love by my parents. Although I grew up in poverty and hardship I never complain because I know that my parents sacrificed themselves and gave us as much as they could. I have always known that all that I endure will motivate and build me beautifully. That's what happened. I graduated in Social Work from the University of Bucharest and then did a Master's degree in sociology from the same faculty. At the same time I finished a Pedagogy module, many projects, a lot of work and perseverance. I had many dreams that came true, others that took other forms as I grew up both literally and figuratively. The dream that encompassed all the others was - and still is - to find my vocation, my passion, peace and balance. Today I found them in what I do here in France. After preparing myself enough and after “picking up” what I considered necessary from all the experiences in Romania, I decided that what is happening in Romania is not the most favorable framework for what I want. I do not want it and it is not useful for me to criticize the "still" movement and the empty words from the so-called Roma world, but the important thing is that I realized that my place is wherever I can find my vocation. And voilὰ! Today I am a social worker in France. I work with and for the Roma people who live outside in precarious conditions. It's hard, but I work as I dreamed to do it, for their benefit and in concrete and tangible ways. Specifically, I work for their social inclusion by facilitating access to their rights: in housing, work, training, information, schooling, health, state aid, allowances and so on. It's nice when I make a report and I see that, for example, in 2-3 weeks we have 3 children going to school, a shelter obtained for a family, a job / training for a family, 2-3 health insurance in progress, an application for housing etc. The system is very complex, so I can't even describe the procedures now, but the smiles and trust I give to people are the most important. People call me "the good fairy" and it's overwhelmingly beautiful. There is a lot to say and if you want to talk, do not hesitate to talk to me, I will be happy to answer. Warm greetings and thank you for your time. Regards.
Holea Veronica

Holea Veronica

My name is Holea Veronica, I am from Brahasesti commune, I have been working as a health mediator for 8 years, I have been a widow for 12 years and I have 4 children. My job is to be present in the community every day, to help people get birth certificates, health cards, bulletins, etc. All of these activities have helped me build a trusting relationship with people in the community and get along well with everyone. My activities include helping the elderly by distributing medicines to them at home, taking children to the pediatrics for vaccination, informing pregnant women that they must go to be registered by family doctors. In our community, we do not have parents who have abandoned their children nor do we have domestic violence cases.
Mihaela Paraschiv

Mihaela Paraschiv

My name is Mihaela Paraschiv and I am 27 years old. In 2013 I graduated from post-secondary Sanitary School and after graduating I worked as a volunteer in various departments of the hospital, and currently I work as a general nurse in the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery at M.S Curie Hospital (Budimex). I am from Budești, Călărași County, and during the past years I have been involved in several projects implemented by various NGOs in my locality. I worked as a school mentor in the project "Equal Opportunities in an Inclusive Society" implemented in the community school (2011-2013). Then I worked as a community nurse in the “Rode to sastipen” campaign (2015-2016). I volunteered for various organizing activities such as: Roma Women's Gala, International Roma Day, Santa Claus exists, and prevention campaigns regarding sexually transmitted disease. Thanks to these opportunities I was able to develop, to have a different perspective on life, to be more confident and to wish even more to help those around me.
Irina Spataru

Irina Spătaru

My name is Irina, I’m 28 years old and I was born in Romania. I have been living with my parents in Austria since I was 1 year old. I finished my Translation and Interpretation studies at the University of Vienna. Since 2016 I have been a member of the head council of the Austrian organisation Romano Centro in Vienna. In recent years we have contributed to the organisation of many conferences and projects for Roma youth nationally in Austria and internationally. For 5 years I have been working as a trainer in non-formal education, specialized in the fields: commemoration of Roma victims in World War II and education about the Roma genocide, for which I have already obtained several certificates from the European Council. As a human rights and minority activist, I am very proud of the opportunity to work as a trainee for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.
Laura Sandu

Laura Sandu

My name is Laura Sandu, I’m 23 years old, I graduated from the technological high school "Tase Dumitrescu" in Mizil. I’m part of the Roma women's initiative group in the Mizil community. Since 2015, I have participated in several initiatives carried out by the E-Romnja association and namely in activities organized on the occasion of the International Roma Day, in the mobilization of Roma women to collect signatures for a space for women in the initiative group, flash-mob organized for the occasion Gender Equality Day, marches and protests against violence and discrimination of every and any kind. I also attended local council meetings in Mizil to lobby for community infrastructure. My involvement would be to teach young people what early marriage means and to take action on it and especially to guide them towards studying.
Rodica Păun

Rodica Păun

My name is Rodica Paun, founding member of the Mothers' Club and mediator for access to electricity for three years now, in Ferentari. I work at the Policy Center for Rome and Minorities Foundation, for 8 years at the Ferentari Alternative Education Club. I started working with children and their parents. For 5 years now, with several people in the community. Since 2015, we are partners with Enel Romania, which has come to the aid of people to help them connect legally, and I mediate in this partnership, I help people to connect. In addition to connecting, I help them enroll their children in kindergarten, school, find a job, do projects together, identity documents, enroll in high school and where it’s not something that I can help with, I redirect them to other foundations and institutions for support. The Mom Club is a civic initiative group, founded in 2013, made up of women from the ghetto area, with whom we meet every week, to discuss the problems they face and which affect both their lives and their children’s, and to think and find of solutions to solve them.
Mirabela Mille

Mirabela Mille

My name is Mirabela Mille, I am 35 years old. When I arrived in France, I was 21 years old. France made me an activist, after what happened at the Massy police station where I was humiliated in the worst possible way ever. From there I became an activist, I enrolled in law school to become a lawyer, to defend those that are discriminated, humiliated people, but due to financial problems I could not go further, but that did not stop me from getting involved and defending those that faced injustice, so I started working in the La voix de Roms association in France where I do field activism, not office activism.
Coman Ioana Mariana

Ioana Mariana Coman

Hi! My name is Coman Ioana Mariana, I am a 2nd year student at the Faculty of Civil, Industrial and Agricultural Constructions within the Technical University of Constructions Bucharest. I am 21 years old and I identify as a young Roma. I am not part of a particular community, but that does not stop me from wishing a better future for young Roma. Following the activities supported by E-Romnja and the Women's Initiative Groups, we had new experiences, together with other Roma women, problems in the communities, the prejudices and the pressures to which women are subjected made an impact on me. I wish that in the future, we Roma, progress towards a better life, towards a better future. I long for Roma girls not to need or be forced to "marry" from an early age, I want for them a life full of high aspirations for a successful future. I want the young Roma not to be subjected to discrimination and injustice from society, and for all this, I will fight, together with the women of the communities and the women's initiative group, waiting for an evolution of the Roma ethnicity.
Corina Păun

Corina Păun

I find myself surrounded by people. I am Romani, for that, I thank my parents and God, divine will trusts the will of men. I opened my eyes at the same time as Romanian democracy, in the 90s, in the arms of a Roma woman that taught me to love the power of words. She told me that a writer can’t write well without reading, that’s why she encouraged me to listen carefully to the stories lived by people around us, not only lived by princesses and princes “once upon a time”. Being a newspaper proofreader in Ialomița when I was in high school, a project manager of “knowing means respect!-Kher lilla Romani Naparis”, a program that collects important books for the Romani culture in Romania, but that also offers free Romanian and Romanian literature tutoring and civic education for youth, I realized that I started grasping serious matters. Later on, I became an auditor for the Philosophy Students Association “Philos”, I coordinated educational projects in the context of the faculty together with my professors and fellow students. At the same time, in Bucharest, I worked with important actors from the Romani Civil Society and I was selected as a mentor for the students from my hometown. Currently, I am studying at Bucharest University to get a PhD in Philosophy and I am a counselor at the “Documentation, Research, Education” department at the National Romani-Romano Kher Cultural Center, the only Romani cultural institution in Romania. I will forever be the daughter of a Romani woman and the writer Păun Ialomițeanu, and the proof that human will entrusts in the divine will.
Baldovin Iuliana

Iuliana Baldovin

My name is Baldovin Iuliana. I am from Targu Jiu, Romania and I've been working in Finland in the Hirundo Community Center(Helsinki Institute of Diacony) for 7 years. I enjoy my work because I can help and support the Romani people that come from Romania in Helsinki. I was in the same situation and I know what it is like when Romanis get their rights violated in foreign countries. I also wish to fight for women’s rights to education and access to the labor market.
Florentina Ibinceanu

Florentina Ibinceanu

I was born in a poor family. My mom, who raised me alone, stayed in school until 4th grade. She still managed to send me to a school weekly and with the help of her small salary as a cleaner, she could secure my meals and a bed there. I stayed there until 7th grade, between strangers and spoiled Romanian kids, missing my home and my mom. In that place, I learned that we, gypsies, are “different from Romanians”. After I finished 10th grade, my mom made me get a job so that I could support the family. I worked for 2 years as a cleaner. With no self-esteem, I felt like I wanted more and in the meantime I enrolled in the 11th grade, taking night classes. After I got my baccalaureate and doing the traffic control school, I got a better job. I worked in a male dominated field, there existed gender and ethnicity based discrimination. I learned how to be diplomatic and how to earn their trust, demonstrating that nothing is impossible. I also know how to control myself and to have control over the men by doing my job well. In 2011 I participated in different projects targeting workplace discrimination and other topics, I went to some events too. I won a trophy at the Romani Women Galla, in the social-economic category, for being a “Romani Woman role model”, a skilled coordinator at the workplace, a good mom and a wonderful wife
Elena Spirea

Elena Spirea

My name is Spirea Elena-Nicoleta, I am 19 years old. I was raised in the countryside, in a county in Calarasi. Recently, I moved to Bucharest to be closer to my university. I study Accounting and Management Informatics at ASE, it’s a pretty tough course. I wish that discrimination between Romani people and Romanians didn’t exist, we should be equal. I participate in this group to give Romani girls an example. Many can’t have a good future because of their parents, that’s why i enrolled in this group, to help them all.
Rivanaa

Cristina Rivanaa

Hi! My name is Cristina, I am 19 and a half years old, I am from Bucharest and I am Romani. I am part of the Boldeni group. Since I was 12 I started drawing. I believe that through art I can express my thoughts and feelings. I wish that my drawings and paintings will get in all the European art galleries.
Isabela Stanescu

Isabela Stănescu

My name is Isabela and I dedicate myself entirely to art. I'm trying to change something by what I do. I want to go to a university and draw a path to a beautiful and elegant universe, and on the path I drew, let others come. I want to be one of those flowers that make spring, to change something, to be a good example for young Roma who do not have the courage to ask for more than what is offered to them and to make their work easier by opening doors that they will let the girls out of their little world full of traditions and customs into a world from which many of the girls have been spared: the real world; job, career, experiences, etc. Thus, gypsies would slowly evolve into a civilization without barriers imposed by society or even their own community: "we are gypsies, we do not do such a thing", "you are a woman, what do you know how to do? your place is in the kitchen ”. Because the change is ours.
Francisca Raut

Francisca Răuț

My name is Francisca Răuț, I am 32 years old and I graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Painting department at the National University of Arts. I am currently studying for a master's degree in Rome Studies at SNSPA. I really want you to contribute to raising the living standards of the Roma! I wish that one day the image of the Roma in the world would be diametrically opposed to what can be seen today! I think that by designing dreams and high ideals, reality changes. I have been involved in Aresel for a while, but I am convinced that it is one of the long-distance relationships. I hope this is the beginning of a new history of Roma, brothers and sisters with high self-esteem, who have the strength to dismantle discrimination and racism! The real art is to live beautifully!
Vatala Cateluta

Vatala Cateluta

My name is Katy, I'm 40 years old. I grew up in the Rahova ghetto in Bucharest. I had a happy childhood because no one cared if you were Romanian, Roma or poor. When I was in the seventh grade, I called my mother to school, she didn't want to, but in the end I convinced her. Then the children started laughing at me because my mother was dark. I haven't been to school since. When I became an adult I had several jobs: a maid, a seamstress, I also worked in cosmetics, but none of the jobs were well paid because I did not have a diploma that showed that I had an education. At the age of 26, I managed to resume my studies. I managed to finish two more seventh and eighth grades. As a mother, I try to give my children the best so that they don't go through what I went through. I am very proud of my older son who is in college and my daughter who is in high school. I also have a younger child with autism. In 2014 I started working as an educational assistant at the Policy Center for Rome and Minorities in one of the Alternative Education Clubs. Now I'm a housewife and I'm going to high school. I'm in my final year and I'm getting ready for high school. Sometimes it is difficult to show others that they have to learn when they have only 84 lei per month allowance, but not impossible. In theory, it's money for school supplies and clothes, but that's not enough. On weekends, I volunteer adult literacy classes at my neighborhood. I also help children who want to go to high school in Roma places, inform them and go with them to enroll.
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