What does trust mean to you? Who do you trust the most and why? Why do we need trust in everyday life at all? What makes someone seem trustworthy? Let’s think about this! I live in Transylvania, Romania. There are quite a few conflicts between different nationalities here. Injustice and prejudice is part of our everyday life and people are likely to look sideways at each other, mostly without any ground. It is difficult to overcome or set aside the entrenched feuds. People here are very colourful and diverse and they sometimes help, other times hinder each other. It did not come as a surprise that I was addressed in Romanian upon leaving the university building. I was only surprised that it was a young boy’s voice, he could not be older than six. He was alone, he wanted to contact his father as they lost each other. He asked for my help to call him on my phone. I readily gave the phone to him and he took a few steps back to dial. My friend, who was standing next to me, was sh...

  What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “hero”? Superheroes with superpowers and cool capes, busy saving New York? I like superhero movies a lot, too, but this story will be different. My hero is a bit closer to home, she comes from a small town, many might not even think she is a hero but she is definitely a hero for me. As a child, when people asked me who I looked up to, who I took as a role model, I immediately listed people in my close surrounding, parents, grandparents or my siblings. A few years went by and when I was asked today: “Who is your hero and why?” she came to my mind immediately, and her story, which explains why I consider her a hero. Judit has been one of my best friends for long years. We got to know each other in high school but we were not very close at first. It is our homeroom teacher I have to thank for our friendship because she told us to sit at the same school desk. We all know how pranks can bring young people toget...

If you had the opportunity to talk to your 15-year-old self, what would you say? What would you say thank you for? What would you warn her about? What qualities would you be proud of? What advice would you give to your younger self? Dear Kinga! I’m writing you this letter because today afternoon we have talked about heroes. I was asked who I consider to be a hero in my life and why. Immediately I wondered if I can be my own hero – why not? This letter is to my 15-year-old self, with lots of love. There are a few things that you don’t know yet (you are good at writing poetry, rollerblading is not for you, it was a great decision to dye your hair) but I do already. And to this very day there are a few things that I learn from you. I know that you like to be comfortable, too, there is something very warm and reassuring in being safe. But this is not enough for you, you leave your comfort zone again and again. You stand up for yourself, for other people, for your principles and truth, for ...

Heroes are born when you make a step even though your legs can hardly move. Heroes are born when you stand up and speak out. When you conquer your fears, when you pass the test, when you fight Goliath. When you let something go. Heroes are born when you tell someone: "I'm here for you". When you ask for help, when you bare your soul, when you make a new friend. Heroes are born every day. You may be the next one! The blog entry was written by Kató Klára Fazekas at Independent Theatre Hungary's Roma Heroes workshop.

What do your parents mean to you? Who can you really count on? What would you like to thank them for and how? We have to face several difficulties throughout our life, but there are always people around us who we can count on no matter what happens. I have always believed that it is worth taking advice from people who had been in a similar situation. I consider myself lucky because I had a wonderful childhood with parents who did everything they could for me and my brothers. We were dearly loved while growing up, we had a beautiful life and I will be grateful to them forever. I love my friends – usually I am the odd one out, the only Gypsy girl in every circle of friends but that has never been much of a subject.   My parent's opinion and advice has always been important to me. I wanted them to be proud of me, that is why I decided to graduate from high school, learn a trade and – to my father's delight – obtain a driving license. I have taken their advice, I kne...

What is real perseverance? Have you ever thought about how much your parents do for you day after day? They make decisions and trust that they serve the best interest of the family. Have you ever been in a situation when you had to make an important decision, one that had an impact on other’s life as well? Daddy, I wanna share what’s on my mind Do you remember when I was four-year-old? You and mummy were getting divorced And you got a chance to change your life. Lot more money, respectable work But staying in our town was not among the perks. You asked me how that’d feel? Did I have any doubt? I answered that I didn’t care much for wealth I’d give up easily on holidays or presents Just stay with us! That is all I care about. For your perseverance I must thank you And I wish for all your hopes to come true The blog entry was written by Ákos Fülöp, a participant of Independent Theatre Hungary’s Roma Heroes workshop.  

We have to face a lot of challenges and difficulties throughout our life. However, the most important is to stick to our goal, no matter what, and do our best to achieve what we truly want. This story dates back to my childhood. I still remember the moment when we entered our new home. I don't know how old I was but I can clearly recall that I thought, we might have a better life here. My stepfather would take care of us, we would live together in happiness, we wouldn't be cold during the night... As years went by, I really got everything I ever needed. One of my most precious memories is when my stepfather picked me up at school one autumn afternoon. He made me sit on his bike and we rode home. I was very happy, I was laughing the whole time and I fell asleep that night with a smile on my face. I can't explain what was so special about that afternoon but I can still remember that feeling. When I lost him, his absence left a huge void. I tried to find joy...

We often judge other people because of their clothes, their outfit, the color of their hair or skin. However, it can happen that the one who helps us in need is someone who we would never have expected to do so. If we are open and not prejudiced our everyday life becomes more beautiful. I am a blond with green eyes, I had an amazing childhood and I have great parents who I owe a lot. When I was a child, I didn't hear much about Gypsy people, I didn't know any Gypsies in my close environment. If this topic ever came up, people talked about them in a negative way. It was the well known triangle of lying, cheating, stealing. I never really cared about this, I was a child, I was not interested, still, I was a bit afraid of Roma people. I didn't know why, it was inexplicable. I was nine years old. One day, me and my brother wanted to go home but I run out of money, be couldn't buy bus tickets. My brother got so scared that he started to cry and I suddenly didn...

What can a schoolgirl do to fight injustice? What do we look for in pedagogues? What can we do for our children to be taught of equality and accepting each other in school? In primary school, I always sat in the first or second row. I hated it! I always wanted to sit in the last row because there, I could have been next to the window watching the whole class. From time to time, some of the "worst" boys were seated next to me. The rules for table plan were the following: 1.   bad students sit next to good students 2.   if you are a good student and do something wrong (which happened to me quite often) then you will get a Gypsy next to you For a few days or for months, it depended on the scale of the punishment. I liked those boys because they found this process unfair, too. I had three seatmate by this method in the first four years of primary school. When teachers realized that this seating arrangement was no problem for us and we even made friends, I ...

What is the first thing that comes into your mind when you think of your parents? What do they mean for you? What did you learn from them? For what can we be grateful to them in our adult life? Disadvantages – I have heard it way too often, and often as an excuse for positive discrimination or feeling pity. In my childhood, want and hardship were a natural part of life. I often run after my mother – even when she was cooking – to ask for bread with sugar. I loved it, just as I loved 'bodag', the Gypsy bread. I did not mind that my mother usually baked it when there was nothing else to eat. My family had a little garden so we had some fresh vegetables and fruits. Also, my parents did day work to put bread on our table. My father worked as a bricklayer, my mother made money as an unskilled worker. But I always said in school that she was a housewife, her work was to look after us, her family. Many thought she was a sluggard because we were just a Gypsy family. As a ...

We all need role models, heroes in our life whose acts and qualities serve as examples. Sometimes it takes time to realize that real heroes are all around us. Find your own hero! Oh, my darling granny. She loved us, her family, she did whatever she could for us. She was a vibrant ball of energy. She rushed from one grandchild to the other whole day long. She helped with household chores, made jam, cooked our favorite granny-cakes like no one else. She often told us about our badass grandpa and she kept loving, loving and loving. Words cannot express what she means to me even today. No doubt she had a huge impact both on my mother and me. We got the love and solidarity of the family from her. She lived her life with sacrifices and an everlasting smile on her face, she lived for us and for our happiness. We learned only after her death that besides everyday care, she had a secret that she never told anyone. A stray paper found after her death revealed this secret. My grandm...

A message that will never be answered any more. What message would you send to someone who has passed away? Write it down! These are the messages of the Roma Heroes workshop's participants to the loved ones who are not with them any more. What would you add? Who would you address it to? 1.You do not age any more You stand still Thinking I'm a high school student But in fact I work! 2.I look most like you I drive angrily And I throw tantrums a lot I hope you can also see it from there 3. I don't know how old you are   Your memory is greyness   Your flowers are beautiful   You never forget about them!   ------------------   1.Is gone, doesn't exist The words hang in the air I cannot find the door handle Mummy, I'm gay! 2. Birth, death Leaf, dream, move Incomplete eternity Daddy, hold my daughter in your arms! 3. Moveless monotony.   Death stumbles without farewell   Last minute no   I keep ...