Author: Emilie HorackovaLocation: PragueThis is the story of my daughter, whose nickname is Cíca.She was born in Prague in an ordinary Romany family. Her childhood was almost carefree, although she was ill. She started elementary school with symptoms of epilepsy, a permanent physical handicap, and a speech impediment. Her first days at school were traumatic. […]
Learning
How strong is her need for human dignity
Author: Verka Dudi K’otoLocation: OstravaThis story was told to me by Eva, a twenty-five year-old nursery school teacher."Our school primarily focuses on working with Romany kids. There is a saying that every person is about his or her own story. In our school, this is really true. Each and every kid is a story of […]
Whoever rested even for minute got yelled at
Author: Jan Horvath Jr.Location: KolinMy visit to Khamoro 2000 began when the founder of our school, Dr. Emil Scuka, arranged for us to be the ushers at the week-long festival. For the whole week we lived at the Na Zapoli hostel in Michle.In the morning we had to be in Parliament, where there were seminars […]
She reminds me of a rubber toy on an elastic
Author: Verka Dudi K’otoLocation: OstravaThis story was told to me by Eva, a twenty-five year-old nursery school teacher."Liduska is a poor Romany kid. A year ago she fell out of a third floor window and landed on her head. Since then she’s been hyperactive, and her eyesight is bad: she has to wear thick glasses. […]
What really matters
Author: Vera Dudi-KotoLocation: OstravaI’ve been working at this school as a teaching assistant for five years now, but my best experience happened last year. For three years I’ve had a white pupil in my class. His name is Stana, and he is dyslexic, and not very healthy either – but that is not what I want to […]
She’d got rid of the gyppos
Author: Katerina HolubováLocation: BrnoThis happened about four years ago at one of the junior training centers in Brno. Lucie Horváthová, a Rom who today is 22 years old, told me about it. She was studying here to be a baker. "One morning I went to the cloakroom, and four skinheads stopped me. One of them […]
My daughter is smart enough
Author: Marketa Vaculova/Elena MirgovaLocation: OstravaElena is a lively shorter woman, a brown-eyed brunette, and a mother of two. She takes care of children in a pre-school."This happened many years ago in a small village in Slovakia. My parents and I moved there when I was about ten.There were only four Romani families. We were never […]
I got my second wind
Author: Martina HudeckováLocation: BrnoPavel Oracko and I were sitting and sipping coffee in his kitchen, a place where visitors usually do not get to see."I already liked the violin when I was in nursery school, ” Pavel said. “My older brother was taking lessons, and when I saw him practice at home I really liked […]
So instead of teaching, I learned
Author: Lucie ConkovaLocation: Usti nad LabemLucie Rohanova talked to me in our office In the 7th Elementary School in Predlice. She was a bit nervous, but I had the feeling that if there were more people like her in the world, there would be no need to talk about indifference or racism."For my training I […]
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