The year is 2002 and the place is a small town near to the Rila Mountains, Southwest Bulgaria. The town has four different Roma communities, each located on the outskirts of town. About 5000 Roma live in these communities, but not all are segregated. Two of the communities are mixed and Roma and non-Roma live together.

I was almost 22 years old, having just finished my mandatory time in the army. I returned to find that many young people were wasting their time, doing nothing. I found myself fall in the same situation, but I learned to separate myself from this negative situation. I had a strong wish to study at University, and I did everything I could to enter. Unfortunately, I didn’t got chance to be a student, my test scores fell a little short. Anyway, I thought, there was always next year and set to studying more. So back home after one year I started going out with friends to the discotecs , pubs, and bars. It was so cool. My life was consumed with what I would wear on Saturday, where I would be going outAnd not only had I thought in this way but all my friends did it as well. After 6-7 months I was angry and tired of this narrow view of life, I had my wish – I wanted to be a student and live separately then my parents, to have my own life. I wanted to develop myself in a positive way, not just living at home, without continuing my studys and just get married because of a lack of other things to do.. During this time I had a chance to enter college, but I didn’t have enough money, I couldn’t even cover my tuition.

Around me were only marriages, pubs, bars etc. For example, I had seen a young girl, very beautiful but in 8th grade – who had just finished and was hoping to go on to high school. Unfortunately she has been “stolen” as bride[1] and is now living on the second floor of my family’s block apartment building (many Roma marry in this way in my town. “Stolen” means that both the boy and the girl are going out of town – close by – but serves as an “engagement” of types). At first, things were good but then she started thinking why she agreed? and what has been happened? She was missing so much her life…

During 2003, without intending it, I received an application form from a girl, which was working in the Roma movement (I didn’t know anything about this movement previously). The application was to be filled out and sent to the organizers within a scant 3 days. There was not much time to fill it out and send it. The application required an essay, work experience in a NGO, basic English knowledge and many other things. But when I looked deeply I saw that the organizers (PAKIV European Roma Fund – www.pakiv.org and www.pakivnet.org) were looking for young Roma who had time to travel and be overseas for the following 9-12 months. In the back of the application I was informed that the applicants must study abroad and had a curriculum similar to a school. It was exactly for me and exactly on the right time. I did all my best to fill the application and get in contact with the office, which was located in Sofia(I remember how I disliked Sofia at the time, too much noise and chaos). So I filled it in and sent it, they just replied to my e-mail that I will informed of their decision soon. A lot of time passed and I didn’t think there was any chance of being called in but then, all of a sudden, I received a call for an interview in Sofia.

When I entered the PAKIV office for the first time and I saw a number of other applicants. In this huge office there wasn’t even a place to sit! I was shocked. Everyone looked and seemed well educated and very intelligent. I was dejected and didn’t think that I had any chance of being accepted. I was the last on the list to be called in and then learned that only 6 people of 120 would be accepted. – I though, absolutely no chance.

By the end of the day it came my turn to be interviewed. It was my first interview and I was very impressed. There were four people (Nikolay Kirilov, Rumyan Sechkov, Jennifer Tanaka and Silvia Filipova[1]). All those people were asking me question by question starting with why I have a different color of my hair. I didn’t want to go out of the room. They told me I could be one of the accepted and I had to wait their decision. Going back home I was thinking about this program and I was sure I would be in it. However, two weeks passed and I didn’t hear from them. After that I stopped thinking about it… I started thinking back to my old life – like pubs, bars etc.

After a month I was invited as a member of the Program. I was ecstatic. The program was designed as follows: 4 months study English with other NGOs subjects, like project proposal, communication skills etc. in Sofia; 2-month training in International People’s College in Denmark, studying other subjects useful for working in an NGO; then again trainings and internships in Sofia.

This program changed my life so much, when I went back home I was asking myself how could these young people only think about pubs and bars, for marriages…how could they not have a bigger aim in life? How come they don’t want to finish their school education?

That’s how I began working in CEGA Foundation, I wanted to change the situation, I wanted the youth to have a chance to go out of their communities and not to be so closed, segregated. Since 2004 I have directed many trainings for the young Roma and since then I have seen a significant change in the youth that I have worked with – many would like to continue studying in university, they would like to travel abroad, as I have been fortunate to do.

Most of the youths from my community have been participants in the camp Forward Together, which changed their lives, event though it was only for 10 days. They found there lots of friends, found motivation to pursue life, and started to think about their lives and how continue their education. My personal experience shows that these kinds of activities really make a difference and are worth supporting.

My wife and I saw an incredible movie tonight called Gypsy Caravan: Where the Road Bends. It was the opening for the movie in New York City and after rave reviews in the New York Times, we went to see it with high expectations.

First off, the movie was wonderful. Bringing together Roma bands from India to Spain (including Macedonia and Romania), I was practically brought to tears listening to the variety and emotional complexity of the music. Despite the differences, there was an incredible similarity in the music. Additionally, the musicians themselves displayed an amazing camaraderie even though most of them did not speak the same language.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see the focus on the beautiful and positive aspects of the Roma people while bringing to light the horrific discrimination that many face. We were fortunate to participate in a Question and Answer session with the director, Jasmine Dellal, who was very passionate about her work with the Roma and extremely approachable.

Please look to see if the movie is coming to your area – www.gypsycaravanmovie.com

C.E.G.A. (Creating Effective Grassroots Alternatives) has been disseminating newsletters to the Roma community in Bulgaria for several years. Their latest initiative has an English version that is worth reading! The aim of the bulletin START is to give objective and analytical information for the processes connected with Roma integration in Bulgarian society to stakeholders abroad.

An excert:

“In January 2006 the first issue of C.E.G.A. Foundation’s bulletin, START (A Start for Tolerance with an Accent on Roma Tradition) was issued. It was established for a non‐for‐profit purpose – to improve the image of Roma people in the Bulgarian society by informing thepublic on all positive processes and events regaring the Roma community and its integration. This bulletin was almost indispensable –to compensate for the negativism widely proclaimed by the media with regard to Roma people and their integration.”

The START Bulletin # 1

The START Bulletin #2