Consider the visual grammar of the "Gypsy" photograph. Exoticism, and "otherness" separating these people from their majority context. In the words of Czech Professor Miroslav Vojtĕchovský, these images are a theatre of grotesque characters, irreconcilably different, without redemption. Garish colour can further isolation.
RomaRising offers respectful black and white images of dignity, countering stereotype. Many among these souls are highly educated, and have capacity to function as government ministers and lead within society. Indeed, Mr. Ciprian Necula became State Secretary in the Ministry of European Union Funds, representing the Romanian Government. He is not unique.
Mary Evelyn Porter, educator, researcher, and writer produced oral narratives starting in Bulgaria, some 200 in all. Finally the last piece fell in place: hearing each individual's formational story. These narratives obviate "the tendency to define people of colour, rather than allowing them to speak for themselves." (Alina Şerban, Actor, Romania)
Alas, some of the most prepared Roma we encountered are sequestered to the "Gypsy Bubble" of Romani Affairs. Others, unable to deploy hard-earned degrees, seek locales where they are appreciated, allowing a normal life. Witness the obvious sense of freedom on the visages of those within the Canada folio.
RomaRising became a record of feminine empowerment. Time and again we encounter women of strength and achievement stepping onto the stage, and with impact.
RomaRising also has become an international community: participants from 14 countries met one another at the RomArchive rollout in Berlin, some for the first time.
A RomaRising/EU was possible. Enthusiastic endorsement within the Roma and Sinti community was lost on European underwriting institutions. With notable exception, RomaRising is self-funded, at considerable sacrifice.
Our hope is that majority societies will come to recognise the vast talent in these individuals of RomaRising. They are found treasure within their societies. Regardless of their chosen paths, one discovers them to be superlative embodiments of our common humanity.
A note about the narratives: they are transcribed, as told to us by each participant. They are not journalism. As with the portraits, they occurred at a point in time.
We would like to mention Asen Mitkov, of Bulgaria. When introduced to us by Viktoria Petrova, we knew immediately here was the capable colleague we had always sought: a knowledgeable collaborator, who effortlessly facilitated multiple situations, be it by his spoken Romanes, his equilibrium, his empathy. Asen is at the heart of the project's final decade.
Chad Evans Wyatt and Mary Evelyn Porter
Narrative by Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Former municipal official
This story is of an encounter that was a first step toward the project RomaRising. Eva Bajgerová is one of its First Sisters, a progenitor to the accomplished Roma and Sinti women of today in Europe and world wide.
Ústí nad Labem. The Matiční Street wall. In 1998, the only wall of note in all of Europe was the Berlin Wall in Germany, separating East and West. The good citizens of Ústí nad Labem in the Czech Republic decided to separate themselves from their Romani community by means of a wall on Matiční Street. Hard to imagine today, but this was a scandal condemned by the entire European Union, indeed, world-wide, and showed in plain daylight the plight of the Roma in Europe. President Václav Havel determined to intervene. His main contact there? The heroic Roma co-ordinator of the Ústí nad Labem region, Eva Bajgerová.
That wall was swiftly dismantled.
Three years later, I traveled to see Mme Bajgerová, and was instantly impressed with her courage, and warmth. I asked her to answer some questions, here is her response:
"When I was a child I used to walk on winter evenings in the street. I wished for my own window and my own apartment filled with light, warmth and love. I hope that I have successfully created such a warm home for my family. We all like to be AT HOME.
My daughter is at university. I would like her to complete her studies and wish also that my son will enroll at university. I personally would very much like to study English and get a job in an international organization (it might be a non-profit). I hope that this might bring me new experience, knowledge beyond the Roma culture.
People, please care for yourselves, care for everything which surrounds you.
This will help us feel good, even under extenuous difficulties. Don't harm yourselves!"
Eva Bajgerová was a champion of human rights, a beacon for all of us.
Born:
12 August 1950
Place of birth:
Brno
Now living:
Brno - Rajohrad
Education:
worker, skilled scaffolder
Current occupation:
Leader and trainer of the boxing BOA Club, Direct Brno
Life and work successes:
I have survived a serious car accident
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
To focus fully on training of young sportsmen
To achieve success in the field of sports
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Good health, happiness and well-being for my entire family
Born:
28 June 1969
Place of birth:
Košice, Slovakia
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Secondary school of mechanical engineering
Current occupation:
Manager of Social streetworkers
Founder of civic initiative Palaestra
Life and work successes:
Former Czechoslovakian boxing champion.
Founding of Palaestra – a sports and leisure activity center.
Employee of the People in Need Foundation, member of government council.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
Enlarge the activities of this center towards an educational center and transfer my know-how to others.
To extend my activities in social work, and produce more champions.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
To do the common good.
Born:
5 January 1971
Place of birth:
Brno
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Charles University, Praha – majoring in journalism
Current occupation:
Free lance journalist, Editor-in-Chief of Romany monthly journal
Radio and television moderator
Life and work successes:
- moderation of the most popular and observed talk-show in private television Nova – "Acko"
- my own talk-show on Czech TV – I both prepared and moderated this show
Do you live as you wished?
Well, I constantly change my mind. One changes priorities and wishes during life. I think, that in comparison with many others, I am happy – I have work I love, parents I respect, brothers and sisters I love and enough energy and will to fight with all other things.
What are your future plans?
I do not plan, because life changes everything! I would like to write approximately three books, moderate some interesting political discussion program or talk-show on a social theme, have a happy family and healthy children. And most importantly, to be able to live with myself, to be able to look myself in the mirror and not be ashamed about what I do.
Born:
14 April 1979
Place of birth:
Bílina, Ústí region
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Secondary school of technology
Secondary special school – social issues and law
Philosophy School of Charles University, pedagogy – currently studying.
Current occupation:
Special counselor to the Roma Community Council, Government of the Czech Republic
Life and work successes:
I perceive my study at the university as a success in life. My work success is certainly my current occupation, but I believe that many challenges lie ahead.
Do you live as you wished?
My ideas about life are only partly fulfilled. I am disappointed mainly about the difficult status of we Roma in the Czech Republic. The Róm life is sometimes very hard. I am trying to change at least some things, but it's still not enough. Perhaps there is a place in life where the Roma could live better. .
What are your future plans?
My priorities are to establish home and to finish university. All else I leave to God, I trust Him.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
My wish is to be able to bring up my children in the Czech Republic. I also wish for a good life for myself and for those close to me. As a Róm I want better for the whole Roma nation, life without fear of skinheads, racists, discrimination.
Born:
6 March 1981
Place of birth:
Český Krumlov
Now living:
Větřní
Education:
Secondary school
Current occupation:
University student – University of Southern Bohemia, Ceské Budějovice
Romany language teacher at the secondary medical school in České Krumlov.
Life and work successes:
Study at the secondary school, being an university student, studies in Mexico.
Work successes: considered a favorite teacher, am a reliable employee.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
To complete my studies, find suitable work, be a good son, husband, father, friend, employee, colleague.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Nothing in the world is so important that I couldn't stop, and do something even more important.
Born:
2 May 1949
Place of birth:
Hanušovice Prešov district, Slovakia
Now living:
Kladno
Education:
Secondary school
Current occupation:
Advisor at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
Life and work successes:
Life – married, 4 children, 7 grandchildren
Work – educated, politician, member of Czech Parliament for two terms
Do you live as you wished?
Nearly – actually yes, I am satisfied.
What are your future plans?
To prove that what I do is beneficial for those who need help and support.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
If you wish to be happy, allow others happiness.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Teacher
Martina Cichá is a splendid example of the RomaRising objective. She is a teacher in a public school, not a "special school" exclusively for Roma children. It is remarkable that a Romani be given the position of teacher to all in a public school. Her son is now a post-graduate Historian. She firmly is both family and education participant. A no nonsense educator.
Born:
7 July 1977
Place of birth:
Ústí nad Labem
Now living:
Trmice
Education:
University degree – Mgr. degree in the field of construction history
Current occupation:
Student – Jan Evangelista Purkyně University – Pedagogical Faculty
Life and work successes:
I completed an overview of Romany history in Ústí nad Labem region.
I successfully completed university degrees.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes. During my short life it is not possible to complete all wishes I have for the future.
What are your future plans?
I would like to help both the Romany community and Czech majority society to get to know the history of both nations better.
From ROMEA:
Emil Cina was born on 13 December 1947 in the Libeň quarter of Prague. His forebears came from Slovakia, from Kurim u Bardějova, where they owned agricultural estates and made their living trading horses.
Mr Cina is the nephew of the famous Romani author Ilona Lacková. He trained as a milling-machine operator in the Auto Praga factory in the Vysočany region and after his military service, during which he was a tank operator, he delivered coal around Prague for 20 years with his brother and father.
In the 1990s Mr Cina began working at the Czech Radio Regina station, based in the Prague quarter of Karlín. He started there as the building manager and in 1992 became an editor and moderator of the "Klub dorozumění" ("Understanding Club") program for minorities.
"Through my poems I do my best to inspire Romani people not to forget Romanes. This is our language. It's what keeps us together, which is why I do my best to preserve it," Mr Cina said recently in an interview for news server Romea.cz when asked to describe what motivated his creativity.
Mr Cina, like many other Romani authors, was guided towards writing by the founder of Romani Studies in the Czech Republic, Milena Hübschmannová. His first poems were published in the 1990s in the Romani magazine Amaro lav / Naše slovo ("Our Word"), followed by his editorial work for the magazines Gendalos / Zrcadlo ("The Mirror") and Nevo romano gendalos / Nové romské zrcadlo ("The New Romani Mirror"), in which he established and ran a column for children.
In 1997, at the International Competition of Romani Artistic Creativity, "Amico Rom", in Lanciano, Italy he won two prizes, second place in the prose category and third place in the category of poetry for children.
Mr Cina also translated Duhový most (Rainbow Bridge), a book of children's fairy tales by Ludvík Středa, into Romanes. He also provided the Czech translation for Emir Kusturica's feature film "Black Cat, White Cat" (1998) and translated several passages from the film "Roming" (2007) into Romanes.
In 2002 Mr Cina's poems were published in a collection entitled Legendy, balady a romance národů (Legends, Ballads, and Romances of Nations). In 2008 he published two myths in the book Devla, devla!
Mr Cina also wrote stories of the lives of Romani people in Slovakia based on his visits to relatives and matched with motifs from paintings by the Benedictine monk Lukas Ruegenberg. That material became the basis for the pieces in his 2010 book Ivan a Dominik (Ivan and Dominic).
Recently Mr Cina contributed to the Romani biweekly newspaper Romano hangos, the children's magazine Kereka, and to news server Romea.cz, as well as collaborating with the KHER publishing house. He also authored the Czech and Romani texts of Ibra Ibrahimovič's book of photographs O školara / Školáci (Schoolchildren).
Thanks to his active position toward using the Romanes language and to his creations, Emil Cina is one of the most popular and recognized Romani cultural figures. His years of work for young readers, not just in literature but also in cultural outreach, were very beneficial and of high quality.
Until recently Mr Cina participated in chats and literary workshops with Romani children and young people supporting their relationship to their native language. He wrote poetry for adults and children as well as mythological fairy tales and stories in Romanes, and translated it all into Czech.
His poems call on Romani people not to abandon their identity and their language. In his stories about life, in which he displays not just a talent for observation, but also wisdom and a capacity for self-irony (and a humor based on that), he shows people, through his own example, what it means to live in accordance with Romanipen.
Changemaker Library
Sri Kumar Vishwanathan, from a middle-class family in India, is bringing solutions to the severe housing problems in the poorest urban communities of the Czech Republic. By designing ethnically integrated neighborhoods, he offers adequate housing and a replicable, new model for peaceful coexistence among Roma and non-Roma.
Kumar's Roma Coexistence Village offers a fresh approach to housing and poverty reductions in the Czech Republic as responsibility is placed in the hands of the poorest residents. In the city of Ostrava, Kumar is overcoming housing obstacles among poor urban communities while revolutionizing ethnically integrated living. His work prevents poor urban areas from getting trapped in a culture of poverty and apathy, and brings the plight of the Roma to the public's attention through a broad coalition. Kumar brings stakeholders from all sectors together to design an integrated urban living space. Volunteers, charities, private owners of the houses, and the municipality form small task forces with the Roma inhabitants to build lasting communities that are sustainable. This collective process stimulates cooperation and mutual understanding, shifting mindsets and proving that Roma and non-Roma can coexist and participate together to solve their problems.
Born:
24 March 1961
Place of birth:
Plzeň
Now living:
Plzeň
Education:
Elementary
Current occupation:
Entrepreneur
Member of Czech Government Council for Romany community issues
Life and work successes:
I succeeded to get a job at the Czech Government Council and in this way to help the Romany community in Western Bohemia.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes, and I think that it will be even better.
What are your future plans?
In the future, I would like to spend more time solving Romany community problems. Romany problems are for me more important than my private business.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
My biggest wish is that my efforts bring success and that the situation of Roma in the Czech Republic improves.
Born:
12 May 1966
Place of birth:
Třebíč
Now living:
Olomučany, Blansko district
Education:
Secondary school
Current occupation:
Co-ordinator for Roma community matters, regional kraj (municipality), Brno
Life and work successes:
A healthy family,
Honest and nice friends
Do you live as you wished?
The majority society should accept that we Roma have lived in this country for centuries.
What are your future plans?
I would like to help thepoor on the edge of society, not only in our region, but in the nation.
I would like to join others in solving social problems, problems of national minorities, mainly in the area of education, employment.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
"I can't sit in Atlanta and not to be interested in what is happening in Birmingham. Injustice, wherever in the world, endangers justice in the whole world... Whatever has an impact on one has an impact on everybody."
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I wish that my children never experience what I have. I want them to enter a society which perceives all people here and in the world as living in peace, in safety. It is necessary to tolerate cultural differences that will be with us for all time. I wish I could look around and say: "Yes, it was worth it, today we are several steps further. We are where we were headed and have arrived."
I believe that we will achieve this goal because, if we act together, we will be able to create a society that will leave no differences, a society where all are equal, a society where human rights will be observed.
I am Roma and a member of this society, of this state. I cannot just countenance how human rights and freedom are violated; people should be accepted equally, regardless of skin color. I wish they could live without fear for their families, for their health and safety.
Born:
30 January 1954
Place of birth:
Havřice, Uherské Hradiště district
Now living:
Zlín
Education:
University degree – Police academy Praha
Current occupation:
Czech Republic Police, commissioner for protection of national minorities against the racial intolerance.
Life and work successes:
Gaining of high position at work – advisor to the Minister of Interior and later the Interior Minister Commissioner.
Completion of the project "Preparation of national minorities citizens for employment with Police of the Czech Republic". My work included design, planning and completion of the project. Due to the project's very good results it was accepted as one of the EU accession's key projects.
Very nice marriage, kind daughter who is happy in her marriage and graduated from Charles University.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
To ascend in politics and focus mainly on problems of national minorities.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
I would like to remain the person I am.
Born:
30 December 1976
Place of birth:
Trebič
Now living:
Blánsko
Education:
Secondary school
Currently I am a student of sociology and social work at Masarýk University in Brno.
Current occupation:
Courator of jewelry and textiles at the Muzeum romské kultury, in Brno.
Life and work successes:
My university studies.
Employment that I like.
Project "Roma Women Memories – Roots".
Do you live as you wished?
I am happy with what I have. Of course, I have dreams, and I will be very happy if at least some of them came true. But I am happy even without that.
What are your future plans?
I would like to complete my university studies.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
I would like to live my life in a way that I would not have to be ashamed of, were I to look back.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Graphic Designer
It was my great good fortune to discover Kateřina Danyiová in the first days of RomaRising. Her utter professional competence proved the premise that intelligence is not the possession of any one ethnic or social group. She has moved on in her career as a well-respected graphics designer.
Name:
Iveta Demeterová
Date of birth:
March 7, 1967
Place of birth:
Praha
Where you now live:
Praha
Education :
Secondary school
I am currently studying Jan Amos Komensky University
Current occupation:
Since 11/2002 I have worked as Editor-in-Chief of internet Radio Rota
11/1999 – 11/2002 social officer in asylum home and civic advisory bureau
Life and work successes:
My big joy and success is for me and my son. As for success at work, I can't judge that yet. One is up, then down. Just the fact that Romany people have an internet radio is a big success!
Do you live the way you wanted?
Yes
What are your future plans?
To bring up my son in a way that he will act using both his mind and feelings. I hope that he will be proud of being Roma and will pass this approach on to his children. I would like to complete my studies and continue my work successfully.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
To live so that the mind will not blame me for my pattern of life, and that my heart will not cry.
Let's always find time to listen to others.
Name:
Dubjelová, Dana
Date of birth:
May 2, 1966
Place of birth:
Praha
Where you now live:
Praha
Education:
Secondary school
Current occupation:
Editor – Radio Rota
Life and work successes:
- mother of two boys
- successful completion of a 5 year's study at the Secondary School of Social and Legal Issues
- others will have to judge
- a big and unique success is the founding of the first Romany Radio Rota on the Internet
Do you live the way you wanted?
In fact, yes.
What are your future plans?
To bring my children up in such a way that they become people with hearts in the right place. To self-educate continuously, and to find out more about all new things. To be a good mother, daughter, editor...
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Behave toward yourself the way you would want others to behave toward you.
It is easy to condemn others, much more difficult to try to understand them.
People should perceive the world more through their hearts, then they would see more true beauty.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Medical Doctor
Dr Roman Dubnický. Here he is in his study for the RomaRisingCZ project, as a young medical student. What impressed greatly is that my assistant, Petr Tluka - now Dr Tluka - and Mr Dubnický were in the same place. Each seeking greater post-graduate degree, both quite happy to trade university stories. Dr Dubnický's family were incredibly knowledgeable and welcoming.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Ordained Priest
Reverend David Dudaš has a story of inspiration that defies fiction. At age 15, he felt the pastoral call, went to Romania, where he taught himself the language in five months, went on to seminary, returned home an ordained Orthodox Christian priest only years later. Photographed here, he is in the transept of his church in Rokycany, donated by the Catholic Church of CZ. Not universally accepted by his townspeople, he nonetheless restored the disused church, at age 22. Some months later we addressed students at the University of Plzeň together, where he was greeted with astonishment and admiration. A young guy, he could relate to them on their own terms. They also recognised that before them was someone educated far beyond their own level.
Born:
November 14, 1973
Place of birth:
Plzeň
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Secondary school, currently studying an university
Current occupation:
Advisor for the Roma community issues, government council office. Secretary of the funding commission and coordinator of the "Support of the social inclusion of Roma communities" program.
Life and work successes:
I consider my independence to be my biggest life success. I take pleasure in the fact that both my girlfriend and myself are in such a good situation that we can help our families and friends.
Work successes are of different nature, but as a very important thing I consider keeping my employment. I would like to demonstrate to the others that if you really want, everything is possible.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes, actually. The wishes are typically being modified in accordance with the reality and man changes its wishes as is getting older. I have never dreamed of a career in the state administration, but at this moment it is for me the best position.
What are your future plans?
I want to be happy, have big family and enjoy the life. Completion of my university studies I consider as another very important task. The other things will come...
Life motto, credo, wish ...
In my life I would like to meet as few idiots as possible. I mean those people who, thanks to their ego, education and maybe also a fear do not see ordinary people.
Born:
19 December 1948
Place of birth:
Vlašim
Now living:
Český Krumlov
Current occupation:
Entrepreneur
Life and work successes:
Founding of a construction company.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
To employ colleagues and to maintain the business as long as possible.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Tranquility and peace for all people.
Born:
25 May 1949
Place of birth:
Vlčany
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Elementary
Current occupation:
Pensioner
Life and work successes:
I have what I deserve
Do you live as you wished?
Quite yes.
What are your future plans?
Merry
Life motto, credo, wish ...
To meet more happy and merry people.
Ed Note: Mr Fabian is a poet and a musician
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Writer
There are not words sufficiently admiring of this remarkable tiny woman, Terezia Fabiánová. We photographed in the apartment of RomaRising Éminence Grise, Dr Milena Hübschmannová. Tera was once a pilot of heavy construction machinery, then playwright, then poet. A pioneer, with Milena's insistence, in converting her aural works into written Romani language. She was fearless in all encounter, and is sadly missed.
In 2003, Dr Milena Hübschmannová wrote this wonderful commentary (this was very close to the time of portraiture):
Tera Fabiánová (born Kurinová) belongs among our oldest Roma writers. This year she will be 70 years old. Her life and work are so interesting and rich that she deserves to be commemorated throughout the year in our publication.
Tera was born on October 15, 1930, in Žiharec (today the district [county] of Šaľa) in southern Slovakia. The community of her paternal relatives, uncles and aunts, resided there. Among them was her uncle Robert, who reared his younger brother, Tera's father, from the age of three. Both of their parents had died in the same month of the Spanish flu and left ten children, the smallest still in the cradle. The older sibling divided up the younger ones and took care of them (1).
When Tera was four years old, the family moved to Vlčany , not far from Žiharec, the communty of Tera's maternal relatives. There in the Roma community her father built, out of raw, unbaked bricks, a small family house. Four-year-old Tera and the rest of the family members helped to trample on the bricks. [Adobe bricks]
When Tera was eight years old, the so-called Vienna Arbitrage (Sept. 2, 1938) accorded 10,400 square kilometers of southern Slovakia to Hungary. Šaľa, with its whole widespread environs, fell into this territory. For the Kurin family, this meant that the father, who was the family's breadwinner, was drafted into the Hungarian army and later sent to the eastern front to fight against the Soviet Union. Then, at the end of the war, sixteen-year-old Lajoš, the oldest of the five sibling, was sent off to do forced labour in Germany. One consequence of the war, was that Tera completed only three years of elementary school. She writes about this in her beautiful autobiografical story "Sar me phiravas andre škola" ("How I attended school.")
After the end of the war, the land taken by Horthy's Hungary was returned to the Czechoslovak republic.
In 1946, the Kurin family, along with many more Roma and poor Gadže were talked into working in Moravia.
In her sixteenth year, Tera worked with others on various farms, then in Prague doing construction, and later got a good chance to know the meaning of being a servant for Milady and Milord in their inn, which was private until 1948. In one place in her autobiographical story, Tera says, "Man savorestar iĺa avri mro humoris." ("My humour has always saved me.")
As an eighteen year old, she met her husband Vojta Fabián from Kurima u Stropkova and in May 1949 their first son, Vojta, was born.
Tera does not like speaking about her marriage, which ended in divorce after forty years. For traditional Roma "boy" Vojta, who was also a professional non-commissioned soldier, it was not easy to come to terms with his creative Tera, an individual who absolutely refused to play the part of the subjugated, obedient Roma wife. (Here it might be appropriate to compare their relationship with that of Božena Němcová to her staid, bureaucratic husband, except for the fact that Tera never disobeyed the commandment "te avel žuži avre muršestar" ("to remain undefiled by another man"). [Position of the husband and wife in the family])
Living with a community of southern Slovak Roma, to whom Vojta belonged, had a decided influence on Tera's spoken and written expression. Basically she acquired Vojta's dialect, but his dialect is deeply influenced by elements of her native "Hungarian Romani". [Ungrika Roma] On the lexical level, it is highly enriched, because horizontal varieties (that is, dialectic expressions) move to the vertical, stylistic scale and become synonyms. It is more difficult to get used to parallel uses of grammatical forms. Tera's Romani, for example, uses the characteristic imperfect ending –ahi instead of the -as which is used in the majority of other dialects. Phonetic and morphological differences are easier to understand in both dialects - even when, after a short time, spoken experience of speakers of both dialects speak together well.
When Tera speaks with Slovak Roma, her expression contains fewer "Hungarian" elements. When she speaks with her relatives, she returns to her own dialect, but her relatives tease her by saying that she has become a "Slovak" because she doesn't manage to rid herself of elements of her acquired language.
In her literary expression, Tera holds rather to the usage of "Slovak"Romani. At first, of course, she used Hungarian spelling, which she mastered during the three years she attended elementary school. In the area of Šaľa there always lived a Hungarian minority and in Tera's childhood the only schools were Hungarian. In the course of time, under the influence of Czech books, Czech spelling began to creep into their Romani literary works. Czech spelling, however, made way for Romani spelling which was elaborated by the language committee Cikánů-Romů (1969-1973).
Tera stigmatised marriage not only in her linguistic expression but also in her choice of themes. A series of her tales and verses is concerned with the harsh fate of Roma women.
Tera worked her whole life, starting at the age of five: with farmers on their fields, for Jewish families, on farms on the borderlands, in construction, as a servant in an inn. When "Milord's" inn was nationalised, Tera began working at ČKD in Vysočany as a cleaner, an unskilled worker. There she noticed a "gádžo, so prindžarlas but thema - šaj uľa Čhindo na džanav" ("a Gadžo who knew many lands, who was perhaps a Jew, I don't know"). He noticed that Tera could do something more than drag heavy pieces of ion. He convinced her to take a course in crane operating. When Tera finished the course with excellent results, she began to work on a crane at ČKD. She performed that work for 35 years. Sometimes she earned medals.
She had to abandon crane operating because of bad health. Half deaf, she began to lose her sense of balance, the chemical vapors of acid, in which boilers produced for Iran and Iraq removed rust, affected Tera's body so badly that she had to be operated on. During the operation, she was clinically dead. She returned to life because her four children held her. That experience of how she "re-lived" is in one of her first tales "Le Romeskero suno" ("Dream of a Gypsy"): A Roma ČKD crane operator experiences clinical death after an accident. He gets to heaven. He expects Roma and Whites to be treated as equals. How surprised he is when he sees one entrance for Gadže and a special entrance for Gypsies. And everything else is the same as on earth - not even in heaven do the Roma have the same rights. The tale – perhaps Tera's first prose – is written with inventive humour, which expresses the harsh experience of being a Romni more revealingly than any political propaganda. The tale "A Gypsy Dream", in Czech translation, was broadcast on Czechoslovak radio in the mid 1960's. In the story, the crane operator finally returns to life because his wife and children call him.
Although Tera has been retired for quite some time, she still works. In a conversation printed in this volume, she tells how she went to work for the Hungarian embassy. Later she worked "for Arabs", then for the family of the Venezuelan consul. There she met an Indian cook and the two women understood each other perfectly, not only on the human level but also through their languages: Tera spoke Romani, the Indian spoke "Indian" and after a few days the affinity of the two languages was close enough for them to converse. Today Tera washes five storeys of an office every single day. Does she have to? She says she does because if she hadn't bought her state-owned flat for a large sum of money, she would be on the streets. Her youngest son Miška, who lives with her, naturally makes financial contributions. Miška is a salesman for an exclusive firm. She is also helped by her oldest son Vojta. Her daughter Marika lives in Germany and doesn't have it easy. Jarošek, her second son and formerly a singer in a "Kučerov group", died a few years ago. This was one of the tragedies of Tera's life, of which there were more than a few.
When thinking back on how Tera's first Romani poem came into existence, I always go back to the beauty of that moment. Some time in the 60's (I have known Tera since 1954), we were on a trip to visit a relative in Pilsen. Suddenly Tera began "to call into the universe" words which fascinated me. When she finished, I stopped the car, grabbed a pencil and paper and begged her to repeate "it" again. Who composed it? Who wrote it down? Where did she get it? "Kada me phenav! Kada me dikhav anglo jakha." ("I am saying it. I see it before my eyes.") She was, of course, unable to repeat that "it" that she had seen for a while before her eyes so beautifully as at the moment of her first inspiration. And so I wrote it down as I remembered it. Then I read her "vision" to Tera – and Tera improved it and completed it. That first poem, "Av manca, čhajori" ("Come with me, my love") was published in the first collection of Roma poetry Romane giľa (1979).
I had the good fortune of being a witness to the inception of another of her poems "Raťate avľom" ("I came in the night"). Tera was inspired when she was washing dishes in the sink and I was sitting near her on my accustomed seat in the kitchen. And that time I wrote down Tera's "šukar lava" ("beautiful words"). But at the same time I begged her to write down her poem herself. Actually she did, and we are printing it as a facsimile next to the edited, authorised version.
When, as a consequence of the so-called Prague spring in August 1969, the Gypsy-Romani Union was founded and began to publish a newsletter "Romano ľil", Tera's column became the first contribution in Romani. We are publishing it here as a historical document. Further columns under the title "Reserved for Tera" were published and were a living inspiration for more than one Roma girl or young woman. I remember how I came to Nachod to record songs and met Olina Balážová, at that time about 49 years old and today the leader of the "Obláček ensemble". Although she didn't know Tera personally, she sent her a message that she would like one day to be like her. Olga, whose married name is Vnadová, then really did collaborate with her father, the late Elemír Baláž, to write his life stories. She is a traditional woman and, at the same time, emancipated. With her family she is struggling to save Roma culture.
Apart from the position of Roma women, Tera's literary work reveals two further themes: the stigma of being a Gypsy, which causes so many Roma to deny their origins, and the friendship with animals, which, like people, are part of nature and therefore in so many Roma families they become "relatives", companions, friends. (In Tera's short story Čavargoš [Tramp], which was filmed for television by the director Jana Ševčiková.)
1 Tera and her youngest sister Ili tell about this time in detail in their contribution "Románo čládo"(printed in Romano džaniben [1-2/96; p. 6-10])
Dates of birth:
September 6, 1953
July 10, 1955
September 13, 1957
April 8, 1961
June 6, 1965
March 27, 1967
December 26, 1971
December 30, 1975
Place of birth:
Poprad, Slovakia and Karvina
Where you now live:
Karvina
Number of brothers and sisters:
9
Current occupation:
Private entrepreneurs – restaurants and construction company
Life and work successes:
We own four restaurants. We also built and own the first Romany cultural center (club) in the Czech Republic. Since 1989, we have run a construction company. Currently (2003) we have 120 employees.
Do you live the way you wanted?
We aim to live the way that our children did not have to be ashamed of us. We want them to continue our business.
What are your future plans?
Our plan is to extend our business activities and keep our goodwill.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
To have a goodwill is more than to be rich
Born:
30 March 1978
Place of birth:
Praha
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Secondary School
Jaroslav Jezek Conservatory
Current occupation:
Music agency – lecturer
Professional Musician
Life and work successes:
My success is that, only 24 years old, I have traveled as a musician to many countries. I have accompanied famous musicians, such as Karel Ruzicka, Emil Viklicky, Felix Slovacek. And I'm very happy for such great a career as professional musician. This is the big success of my life.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
I have received an offer to teach music at the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary. In order to do this, and start teaching at this school, I have to become fluent in Hungarian.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
I would like to be successful in my profession, yet remain as well-liked in the future as I am at the moment.
Born:
26 May 1942
Place of birth:
Humenné, Slovakia
Now living:
Neratovice
Education:
Elementary
Current occupation:
Assistant at a special basic school in Prague.
Life and work successes:
My family, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Do you live as you wished?
Everybody has wishes. I am lucky, my wishes mostly have come true.
What are your future plans?
I plan to complete some reconstruction on my house. At the same time I would like to create a retreat, not only for my family, but also for my work with children and youth. I just hope that my age and health will enable me to fulfill these plans.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
My wish is to complete a 5 year's study at the Evangelist Academy of Social and Legal issues. I am already in the second year of my studies.
Editor's note: Mrs Fečová is founder and director of the famous children's theatre group Čhavorikani luma, and both wife and mother of two internationally-celebrated musicians
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Attorney
Zuzana Gáboravá was thought to be a "secretary" by one commentator in the press. Far from that, she is an attorney in the Brno ombudsman's office, and quite a dangerous one, were you to take her lightly. Her insights and skills are surpassing, ignore them at your risk. And, yes, she is indeed the warm person one sees here.
Born:
29 February 1971
Place of birth:
Rokycany
Now living:
Rokycany
Education:
Special
Current occupation:
Assisting editor for the main news programme, Czech Television, Prague
Life and work successes:
Trusting in one God. I found real freedom. I achieved the position of Moderator of the main news broadcast of Czech TV.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes, but I am still trying to improve it.
What are your future plans?
I do not have any plans, but I will use one citation: "If you want to make God laugh, plan your own life."
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Faith, freedom and solidarity without repeating the mistakes of current society.
Name:
Ondřej Giňa Snr
Date of birth:
August 9, 1951
Place of birth:
Rokycany
Where you now live:
Rokycany
Number of brothers and sisters:
4
Education:
Secondary school
Current occupation:
Journalist
Life and work successes:
I have a happy family life.
I have succeeded in establishing co-operation between twenty Romany organizations, this I believe to be my biggest work success.
Do you live the way you wanted?
Yes, for sure in my private life.
In society in general I am still trying to achieve my wishes.
What are your future plans?
I plan to spend more time with my grandson Adam, I am ready to give him as much of my time as I can.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
People should love one another much more.
From the RomArchive:
Giňa Jr, Ondřej
Born in Tolčemeš (today Šarišské Sokolovce), Slovakia on 1 January 1936, Andrej Giňa was, together with Elena Lacková (1921–2003), one of the first Romani writers in the former Czechoslovakia at a time when being illiterate was the norm among Roma rather than the exception. His father, who had the same name, was a blacksmith and a renowned musician, whose job and good reputation meant that the family were able to live in a well-built house in the non-Romani neighbourhood of their hometown.
After the war, the family resettled in Rokycany, western Bohemia, where Andrej Giňa finished primary school and went on to obtain a vocational school diploma as a certified smelter. He continued his education by training as a teacher through distance learning but had to give up those studies to perform military service. After a stint in the professional army, he returned to Rokycany and worked at the local Žampírka foundry, first as a founder and later as a driver. Between 1969 and 1973, he worked for the Union of Gypsies-Roma (Svaz Cikánů Romů, where he extended his portfolio to include activism and writing.
After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, he set up a family business delivering potatoes, onions and the traditional Romani delicacy goja to Romani neighbourhoods across the country. Besides having many jobs, he was also a renowned guitarist and bass-player and was always a member of some band or other; his own band, 'Rytmus 84', reigned on the Romani-pop scene in the 1980s.
In the 1990s and 2000s, while travelling throughout the country in his van, he observed his fellow Roma and wrote stories and columns about the deteriorating state of Romani communities. These appeared mainly in the Romani press and were published in a volume of his collected works entitled Paťiv, ještě víme, co je úcta in 2013. The volume also included his early works from the 1960s, his first-ever published collection of short stories, Bijav (1991), and the many stories he wrote for his own and his family's pleasure over the years.
Andrej Giňa continued writing even after the publication of his collected works and planned a second volume of short stories. He died in 2015 but his legacy lives on both in his works – the second volume of his collected works is now in progress – and in the memory of the people for whom he served as a role model, not only as a writer but also as an outstanding human being.
Bibliography
Giňa, Andrej. 1991. Bijav, romane priphende / Svatba, romské povídky. Praha, Apeiron.
Giňa, Andrej. 2007. „Pal o Škiparis". In: Čalo voďi / Sytá duše. Brno, Muzeum romské kultury.
Giňa, Andrej. 2007. „Pro odpustos". In: Čalo voďi / Sytá duše. Brno, Muzeum romské kultury.
Giňa, Andrej. 2007. „Andre mašina". In: Čalo voďi / Sytá duše. Brno, Muzeum romské kultury.
Giňa, Andrej. 2007. „Pre lavkica". In: Čalo voďi / Sytá duše. Brno, Muzeum romské kultury.
Giňa, Andrej. 2013. Paťiv. Ještě víme, co je úcta. Praha, Triáda.
KAROLÍNA RYVOLOVÁ 2018
Born:
18 November 1939
Place of birth:
Ihráč, Slovakia
Now living:
Praha
Current occupation:
State employee (ed: now retired)
Life and work successes:
I helped many Roma people of today live on a quite good material level.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes, I live
What are your future plans?
I would like to help the Roma nation fight together against racism and xenophobia.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
My wish is that all people on Earth live in peace and without wars, let children never experience wrong and hunger.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: NGO Official
Mgr. Zdeněk Guži surprised us all. He has a post-graduate degree, he is a former Member of the Czech Parliament, and also Secretary in Chief of Kevabe in Prague. As seen here, he is also a military man, actually a pilot and an instructor. "Man should be of help to man" is his advice.
Born:
31 January 1959
Place of birth:
Svidník, Slovakia
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Elementary
Current occupation:
Writer, taxi driver.
Life and work successes:
My work and children.
Release of my book.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
Write some more books about the Roma
Life motto, credo, wish ...
I wish mainly health for my children and better living conditions for Romany people.
Chad Evans Wyatt + Jana Horváthová
Occupation: Civil Engineer, Editor, Advocate, Founder of the Muzeum romské kultury (Brno)
Here is Karel Holomek. He is a Civil Engineer by training, but so vastly more. His father was the first Róm graduated from Charles University Law. He co-founded the Muzeum romské kultury in Brno. His Historian daughter, Dr Jana Horvátová, is now its Director. The Muzeum is founding partner to the RomaRising work. His son-in-law is a cardiothoracic surgeon.
Mr Holomek continued a valued advisor to the RomaRising. He is an internationally-respected advocate, a respected voice of moderation and inclusion. He was the very embodiment of balance and reason, utterly without agenda, save for emancipation. Able to ignore impeding histrionics by others. His family are among the vanishing few Czech Roma who somehow survived the Holocaust. A glimmer of the talent and ability and creativity lost to Porrajmos.
He inspired the term "RomaRising".
Karel Holomek was a Giant of our time. It is a great honour to say that his was the first portrait I made for the project.
Here are words that his daughter Jana wrote for the RomArchive:
He is the son of Dr. Tomáš Holomek (1911-1988), the first Rom in Czechoslovakia ever to finish university studies, at the Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Law. During the Nazi Protectorate (1939–1945), Karel Holomek should have been transported together with his sister to a concentration camp. With the help of a Czech officer, their mother managed to save the children. Many of Holomek's family were murdered in CC Auschwitz II-Birkenau. After Holomek finished military high school, he studied at the Military Technical Academy in Brno graduating as a mechanical engineer (1960). Until 1969, he served in the Czechoslovak army where he held different technical positions. His last posting was as an Assistant Lecturer with the rank of major at the Military Academy.
During the so-called "Prague Spring" (1st April 1968 – 20th August 1968), he was working for the Association of Gypsies-Roma (AGR) as director of one of the plants – Nevodrom (a blacksmith factory) – an economic and purpose-built body of the AGR. At the beginning of 1969, he was expelled from the Communist Party and released from the army service for resisting the Warsaw Pact invasion of 20th – 21st August 1968. In 1981, he was charged with subversion of the Republic. Holomek was forced to work as a freight transport driver and as a foreman at building sites until 1990.
At the beginning of 1990, Holomek was elected MP of the Czech National Council (one of the then three Parliamentary bodies of the CSR) for the period of three years; he founded a non-governmental organization, the Association of Roma in Moravia. In 1999, he started a fortnightly newspaper, Romano hangos, as its first editor-in-chief. He was the decisive in the establishment of the Museum of Romani Culture. For twenty-five years, he was a member of the Co-ordination Council of the Czech-German Fund for the Future, a member of governmental councils for human rights and for Romani matters. In 2010, he published his book Dávné vzpomínky (Distant Memories).
In 2002, Holomek received from president Václav Havel a Distinguished Service Medal. In 2007, he was awarded Prix Irene from the Tolerance and Civil Association Society. In 2014, Holomek received, from Karel Schwarzenberg the Ferdinand Dobrotivý award for his publication activities and in 2015, he was awarded the prize of the World Romani Festival Khamoro. On 27 July, 2017, the Czech National Television aired an episode of the National Elite Gallery (NEG) about Karel Holomek. He became the first Rom ever to appear in the NEG.
Pan Holomek, you will remain ever-present and inspiration.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Insurance Underwriter
Kateřina Holubová is an insurance underwriter in Brno. We all need some form of insurance, perhaps more than one. Here is your Provider. One could speak of other things, her family's vivacious reception, her own humour across language divide. But no. Instead, one should know this: Ms Holubová insured the very first showing of RomaRising, at the Muzeum romské kultury. By this simple, innocuous action, she enunciated the entire RomaRising premise.
Ms Holubová, in her unassuming professionalism, is an echo of those who came to my family's flat in New York, to prepare the Civil Rights Era in my own country.
Born:
2 September 1962
Place of birth:
Spišská Sobota, Slovakia
Now living:
Brno
Education:
Apprenticeship
Current occupation:
Entrepreneur / Restauranteur
Life and work successes:
- I have owned my own firm for 10 years
- my children are both students
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
- to extend my business
- to learn English
Life motto, credo, wish ...
I want to be happy in my business, children and life.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Businessman, multiple activities
A greatly successful businessman, Milan Horvát has insisted on giving back to the community of Lisa nad labem. He established a community centre for medical and social and educational needs, providing funds from his own pocket to match grants. So very remarkable have been his efforts that awards from the EU and from the US Ambassor to CZ have been awarded him.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Born: 22 March 1967
Place of birth: Brno
Now living: Brno
Education: University – Masarýk University, Brno, subject history; later special study of museology
Occupation: Manager of Specialists, Museum of Romany Culture, Brno
Life and work successes: In 1991 I founded (together with Ing. Karel Holomek, historian Bartolomej Daniel and PhDr. Eva Davidova) Museum of Romany culture in Brno. I participated on development of majority of its collections.
Original profession: Historian
Do you live as you wished? My present life only partly coincides with my girl’s dreams. But I feel very often that I am happy and in fact I do not have any reason to complain. Well, I mean as for my private life.
What are your future plans? Plans? Yes, I have some, but I do not know whether I will put them into effect. I in fact flow on waves of life
Life motto, credo, wish... I have more credos, but want to mention at least two of them: The more a man thinks of death, the more he improves the quality of his life. There is more truth in people than in words.
Czech Roma are few. Hitler's killing machine assured this. As a result of former regime policy, today's Romani population in the Czech Republic are overwhelmingly of Slovak origin. Among those Moravian decendents remaining are this utterly remarkable couple. They are central to the RomaRising concept, and have advanced the project significantly. Dr Jana Horváthová, historian, is Director of the Muzeum romské kultury, Brno, and steadfast colleague in the RomaRising initiative. Dr Vladimír Horváth is a cardiothoracic surgeon, thus placing him among less than 1% of any nation's population.
(Pictured with grand daughter Natálie)
Born:
15 April 1948
Place of birth:
Písečná, Jeseník district
Now living:
Brno
Current occupation:
Composer & Musician
Editor of Romano Hangos weekly journal
Life and work successes:
I work as an editor of Roma weekly journal Romano Hangos. I am a member of the Protective Union of Authors, for many years professional musician, composer, author of lyrics, arranger with active participation in international music festivals. I promote Roma culture on television and radio. Since 1980 I have worked as professional musician. I participated in many festivals here and abroad (Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Scotland, Hungary, Austria etc.) I compose music and work with various Roma bands as a compoaser. I also work with Czech Television and Czech Radio to create programmes on minority cultures (both as an author and interpreter).
Do you live as you wished?
YES
What are your future plans?
I would like to publish a book of my Roma novels and produce a CD of my songs..
Life motto, credo, wish ...
One should be strict only with oneself; toward others be tolerant.
From the RomArchive:
Gejza Horváth (born in 1948) is a prominent composer, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, writer and mentor to other Roma in the Czech Republic. Like most Czech Roma of his generation, he was born in Slovakia and moved to the Czech part of what was then Czechoslovakia for work-related reasons.
He settled in Brno and started a family with his wife, a Romani teacher. They raised two children – their daughter is a psychologist and their son a heart surgeon. One of his grandchildren is a physician too. Horváth and his family have been consistently and actively involved in the Romani community, giving up their time to numerous educational and other projects. These real-life involvements are reflected in Horváth's song texts, many of which are inspired by collective Romani interests.
Horváth developed his musical career while employed as a manual labourer. In Brno, he played with Romani ensembles, eventually becoming a professional musician, a newspaper editor, the author of short stories and the owner of a musical instrument shop.
He has toured in a number of countries, and his music is widely disseminated by other Romani performers. Through his texts – both musical and literary – Horváth gives expression to the Czech Romani conscience, honouring traditions while supporting social progress.
PETRA GELBART 2018
Born:
1 November 1959
Place of birth:
Bílovec, Nový Jičín district
Now living:
Bílovec, Nový Jičín district
Education:
Secondary librarian school
Current occupation:
Roma Pedagogical Assistant – elementary school Ostrava – Privoz
Writer, Poet
Life and work successes:
A long-term practical experience of work for the Roma nation.
I worked several years as Editor-in-Chief of Romano kurko (Roma weekly) and of monthly journal Amaro lav (Our word). I also worked as a Documentarist in the Romany Cultural Museum in Brno. In an open competition, I was awarded the post of Roma Advisor to the Brno Municipality. I worked for 2 years as a Social Streetworker for the Roma community for Mutual Living Together organization in Ostrava. .
Life success – my son passed successfully a school leaving examination
Do you live as you wished?
Can you believe that I do not even know? I take the life as it is. Life is random. You are up and then down. You don't have a choice.
What are your future plans?
One doesn't have big plans in his 43 years, but what could I wish? Mainly health for our whole family and for myself. I would like to continue fighting for the Roma nation, for our place in the sun.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
All people have been created in God's likeness, and therefore Roma are full members of the society who should be respected. During history the Roma nation never started a war towards any other nation. We never occupied other territories. The world belongs to everyone and the Romas live in the world. We do not respect borders created by people, we only tell good and bad. Skin color is not important. I am an optimist and I believe that finally the world will accept the Roma as equal human beings.
Born:
July 16, 1968
Place of birth:
Stropkov, Slovakia
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Secondary school
Current occupation:
Nurse
Life and work successes:
Happy marriage.
I am happy I can work independently and also that I fulfill my tasks reliably.
Do you live as you wished?
Quite, yes, I would only like to be more financially independent.
What are your future plans?
I would like to gain further education.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
More tolerant people around me and mainly health for the entire family.
Born:
April 4, 1949
Place of birth:
Matiašovce, Slovakia
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Elementary school
Additional professional training – social and legal streetworker
Current occupation:
Disabled pensioner
Life and work successes:
20 years of work in Perum ensemble – Romany dance tradition.
Release of my book.
Do you live as you wished?
No.
What are your future plans?
To continue in the work with ensemble and write books.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
If only the Roma could live in this country as people.
I wish to live a life without wars.
(Author's note: Mme Horváthová is among these participants because she is a recognised author)
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: NGO Official
I first met Gabriela Hrabaňová in Brno, and was startled that such a young person was so articulate and focused. We made this image two years later, when she had taken on a post with the Prague Romani student organisation, Athinganoi. She went on to be its Director, and yet other accomplishments too numerous to list here. Her career has taken its natural pathway to several posts in the Czech government, then on to Bruxelles. Her future seems limitless.
Born:
18 November 1958
Place of birth:
Bílovec
Now living:
Brno
Education:
secondary school
Current occupation:
Social Streetworker – People in Need foundation, Czech Television Prague
Life and work successes:
- my professional work
- Manushe Association
- two healthy children, succesful students
Do you live as you wished?
YES
What are your future plans?
To continue an in-depth study of Adler psychology.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Wish: To hand my knowledge over to other people.
Motto: "Let's learn to be happy with our own personalities, in order to be able to find a path towards other people."
Author's Note:
RomaRisingCZ was made possible by the energetic efforts of three people: Karel Holomek, Milena Hübschmannová, and Marta Hudečková. I am greatly appreciative of Mme Hudečková's contribution.
Date of birth:
April 10, 1955
Place of birth:
Myjava, Slovakia
Where you now live:
Haviířov
Education:
Secondary school
Current occupation:
Chairman of ROI (Czech Romany Association)
Chairman of KERAHA - a Romany entrepreneurial association
Entrepreneur
Life and work successes:
I have a large interest in Romany employment.
Do you live the way you wanted?
Yes
What are your future plans?
I want to provide for my children. I take a keen interest in improvement of the Czech Roma living standard. I would like to change social politics and contribute to the achievement of a higher education standard for Romany youth.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Health, and a wish for a lowering of discrimination in the Czech Republic.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Costumer, Designer
This is the principal portrait of RomaRising. Dagmar (Dana) Kariková-Straková, of the Puppet Theatre of Ostrava, CZ, an inclusive venue. We arrived welcomed by chatter, thrilled laughter, "You are here to see Our Dana?" This way! Suddenly we were in the presence of an entirely beautiful and creative person. Dagmar was recently returned from a year's absence, in recovery from cancer. I made many lovely images of this obviously singular visage, then folded equipment. "That is all? I have just returned." She had somehow recovered, to now work anew in her studio. "I came back to my mannequins, they said to me, 'You're back, let's get to work!'" Of course, I unpacked the lights and tripods, and we made this image together. Her indelible signature is on the project, forever.
Name:
Julie Kitanovská
Date of birth:
August 3, 1968
Place of birth:
Kladno
Where you now live:
Kladno
Education:
Secondary school of pedagogy
Currently am a university student – special pedagogy
Current occupation:
Teacher
Life and work successes:
Life – my family
Work – my employment
Do you live the way you wanted?
Yes
What are your future plans?
To complete my studies successfully, to focus on education and re-education of young people who have criminal records.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
I love to be able to make decisons about my family. I wish that more Roma people had this kind of freedom and did not depend on what others did for them.
Name:
Albina Tancošová
Date of birth:
September 19, 1956
Place of birth:
Kladno
Where you now live:
Kladno
Education:
University
Current occupation:
Teacher in a special school, Kladno
Life and work successes:
All my wishes already have come true, now I only want to become a grandmother.
Do you live the way you wanted?
Yes, I am getting more out of my life than I wish to get.
What are your future plans?
Graduation ceremony with a big celebration.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Home, love, health...
Date of birth:
March 30, 1961
Place of birth:
Slovakia
Where you now live:
Český Krumlov
Education:
Elementary School
Current occupation:
Entrepreneur. With my wife, I run a small restaurant
Life and work successes:
We have operated the restaurant for 10 years, and I think that this is a big success. I have a happy marriage and two sons. The older son has successfully completed his studies.
Do you live the way you wanted?
I live the way I wished, without even thinking that my sons would be disadvantaged.
What are your future plans?
Work and again more work. I would like to spend more time with my disabled son.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
I wish I could wake up in the morning and find my son walking and healthy.
And then, of course, peace and life without wars.
Author's note: Mr Kotlár is beloved far and wide as a philosopher restaurateur, raconteur, and all-around genial conversationalist. His restaurant is always full of delighted clients.
Born:
1 May 1963
Place of birth:
Chomutov
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Secondary school of pedagogy, State Conservatory Praha
Current occupation:
Singer, Television Moderator
Life and work successes:
My child, work – possibility and ability to perform it.
Not only partnership, advisory.
Do you live as you wished?
If I pass over my imperfections and incompetence, then YES!
What are your future plans?
Always something ahead – that's life and happiness.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Let's repeat ourselves, more times in the good stuff!
Radka Kováčová
Born:
15 August 1977
Place of birth:
Přerov
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Secondary school
Currently student of Charles University, Philosophical faculty
Current occupation:
Project coordinator for Athiganoi civic initiative
Life and work successes:
I am currently studying at the Philosophy School of the Charles University. This is for me a big success, a dream come true.
Do you live as you wished?
I can say yes, I am happy with my way of life.
What are your future plans?
Firstly complete my university study, then work and travel around the world.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
To live my life the best way I can!
Yveta Kenety
Born:
11 November 1971
Place of birth:
Přerov
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Secondary school,
University
Current occupation:
Non-profit organization:
Chairman of civic initiative Athinganoi, director of Roma student information center
Life and work successes:
I am happy that I succeeded in moving from a small town to the Capital, learning foreign languages, enrolling at university where I currently study, trying to live abroad, finding a purpose in life and setting up home, which I really love.
Do you live as you wished?
I think that I live better than I ever wished, everything went beyond all my expectations.
What are your future plans?
To continue in my further education and do interesting and meaningful work. To bring my children up in a good manner.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
What should happen, happens.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Born: 15 July 1960
Place of birth: Brno
Now living: Brno
Education: Secondary School
Occupation: Roma advisor - Brno municipality
Life and work successes: Three healthy, successful and good daughters Interesting work -- ability to help other people Original profession: accountant
Original profession: accountant
Do you live as you wished? YES, but there is always a goal which is worth living.
What are your future plans? To spend time with grandchildren, not to live only for myself.
Life motto, credo, wish... To live only for oneself is the worst life philosophy. "If a man lives then he should try to be." (meaning a good person)
Vivacity. Only word that occurs when thinking of this singular accountant in Brno, become social worker. Helena Krištofová attended the Prague Castle exhibition of RomaRising CZ. Such obvious capability behind her grand smile. We stood before her portrait, while introducing her to then First Lady of CZ, Lívia Klausová, who insisted on hearing Helena's narrative. To our question: Do you live as you wished? YES, but there is always a goal that is worth living for. Helena raises everyone's game substantially.
Born:
22 March 1989
Place of birth:
Ostrava
Now living:
Ostrava
Education:
I am attending the 7th grade of elementary school
Current occupation:
student
Life and work successes:
Since 2001 I am a member of International Children's Award for Children Rights, in Sweden
Do you live as you wished?
I would like to live in the world without wars and where children are not mistreated
What are your future plans?
To support poor children and become a singer.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
During my life I would like to meet nice people.
Born:
5 December 1970
Place of birth:
Vrchlabí
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Secondary school
Currently I am in the fourth year of my study at the Philosophical Faculty of Charles
University, subject Pedagogy
Current occupation:
Social advisor for national minorities, Municipality Prague 3
Life and work successes:
- I have a family which gives me love, safety, and gives me values which I also respect. I have friends and good education.
- I participated in the "Education towards tolerance and against racism" project as lecturer . On this, I cooperated with the Czech Center for Negotiation and Conflict Solving Resolution and with Civic Initiative R-Mosty (R-Bridges).
-In the past I moderated several educational programs about Roma (Amare Roma). I also participated on analysis of situation in the Matiční street, Ústí nad Labem, struggle – this was done for Vize 97 Foundation. Occasionally I translate into Czech from Olaš Romany language.
-I am a member of the grant board in Civic Society Development foundation, Dživas Jekhetane program and Open Society Fund Praha foundation.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
- to complete my study at the Charles University
- to focus on problems of refugees
- to have my own family
Life motto, credo, wish ...
"We see correctly only through our hearts. What is important is invisible to the eyes."
(Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
Date of birth:
June 11, 1979
Place of birth:
Roštár, Roznava district, Slovakia
Where you now live:
Praha
Education (you do not have to answer):
University of Pavel Josef Štefánik, Prešov, Philosophical faculty
Current occupation:
Social curator for national minorities
Life and work successes:
Completion of my studies at the philosophical faculty. The work successes will occur in one or two generations.
Do you live the way you wanted?
Yes, I could not be more successful.
What are your future plans?
To learn the English language well and travel.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Don't do to others that which you don't wish them to do to you.
Born:
7 June 1979
Place of birth:
Praha
Now living:
Praha
Education:
Secondary school
Current occupation:
Public relations specialist – "Varianty" project, Člověk v tísni, foundation of Czech TV.
Life and work successes:
Moderating of various social events and TV programs, a movie part and definitely my current occupation.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
Not to focus only on work, but also to have my own family – but I do not like to make fixed plans for the future.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
To enjoy every single day.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Štefan Ličartovský was the leader of the Roma Civic Initiative political party, the result of the wish to establish freedoms and rights for the Roma Post-Velvet Revolution. Ličartovský was unsuccessful in leading his party to the 5% popular vote level, to secure a seat in Parliament. Thereafter, intra-party struggles led to its dissolution. The brightest minds among the Roma elite turned to Nongovernmental Organisations and executive branch jobs, to find a manner to bring about change. Also, they sought incremental change locally, rather than nationally, and entered the professions. Since 2004, Mr Ličartovský has been the director of JULIUS, z.s., which is a public-private partnership for social initiatives.
Born:
July 1, 1955
Place of birth:
Brno
Now living:
Brno
Education:
elementary
Current occupation:
Entrepreneur – owner of a store with musical instruments
Life and work successes:
My dream came true. I am doing what I really like to do. This is what I consider to be a success!
Do you live as you wished?
There will always be certain imperfection. Maybe I am modest – and that's probably the mistake!
What are your future plans?
I would like to have my own club where quality music, theatre, jazz and musicals will be played.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
I have many wishes, the most important probably are for a better understanding within society and for health!
(Author's Note: Mr Lázok is from of a family of surpassing musicians. During our visit, two of his siblings joined him for a perfect rendering of a Count Basie selection, much to our astonishment)
Date of birth:
July 8, 1974
Place of birth:
Brno
Where you now live:
Brno
Current occupation:
Salvation Army pastoral employee
Life and work successes:
In May 2002, I succeeded in opening a countrywide Romany conference (in Brno). I established contact with Czech Television's Christian Magazine. I established other contact with Proglas Radio and TWR.
Do you live the way you wanted?
As a Christian, I follow God's Gospel, in this way I am happy in Christ. But there are still some parts of my life that I would like to change, with God's support.
What are your future plans?
My dream is to complete secondary education and enter the theological faculty of Charles University. I would like to focus on religious history.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Head towards God, because God is love.
Born:
22 May 1947
Place of birth:
Stropkov
Now living:
Praha
Education:
University – Philosophical faculty of P. J. Šafarika, Košice, Slovakia
Current occupation:
Poet and writer
Life and work successes:
- university
- poems
- Czech Army officer
Do you live as you wished?
No
What are your future plans?
to publish my poems
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Tranquillity, love, peace.
Born:
16 May 1948
Place of birth:
Bánovce, Poprad district, Slovakia
Now living:
Zbraslav u Brna
Education:
Charles University, Praha – Faculty of Law
Current occupation:
Educational advisor and teacher – Romská střední škola sociální (Romany Secondary School of Social Issues), Kolín
Life and work successes:
Post-graduate study, doctorate in law.
Personal meeting with the Holy Father in Vatican, in 1997.
Do you live as you wished?
Partly
What are your future plans?
None
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Man is lifted up only by discipline, modesty and wisdom.
Born:
March 28, 1981
Place of birth:
Brno
Now living:
Terezín near Hodonín
Education:
Secondary school
Current occupation:
Librarian at the Romany Culture Museum
Life and work successes:
I have work I like, because it gives plenty of opportunity to help the others. Really big success comes when I can see that my help was and is useful.
Do you live as you wished?
Most of my wishes and ideas haven't come true, but a big one is coming... "to be happy"
What are your future plans?
I believe in destiny and therefore I do not plan so much. I have only certain ideas that may either or not come true.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Don't do to the other people what you do not like.
— by ROMEA.CZ
Ms Hilda Pášová was born in 1941 in Vlčany (Šaľa district) in southern Slovakia, and after the Second World War her family moved to the Prague quarter of Letňany to work. She always had loving memories of her childhood even though she did not have an easy time of it, precisely because of that move.
During her entry into first grade she spoke almost no Czech and had to repeat the year. However, drawing on her own energy, she managed to master the Czech language and after graduating from primary school she matriculated to a college preparatory school and began to study at the Faculty of Education.
Her father passing away interrupted her university studies, which she never completed, but despite that she helped to build up the department and to teach for many years at the Romani High School in Kolín and later at the Social High School in Prague 3, where she taught Czech language – and all of this at a time when she had long been eligible to do nothing but relax in her retirement. She also became generally famous as the moderator of a program about Romani culture for public broadcaster Czech Television called "Točkolotoč".
Ms Pášová filmed many reports for Czech Television aboute the lives of Romani people. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989 she began to work as an assistant to the Deputy Minister for Science, Technology and Investment Development and was active in the newly-established Romani political party ROI (Roma Civic Initiative).
She was also employed for nine years as a social worker at the local authority in Prague 2 and at the Municipal Center for Social Services and Prevention. At that time she began to visit high schools, college preparatory schools and other training institutions to lecture on Romani culture, history and literature.
At the invitation of Milena Hübschmannová, the founder of Romani Studies in the Czech Republic, she also lectured in that field at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University, telling students not just about her own family's history and traditions, but also about the dialect of Romanes that she spoke, which she herself called "ungriki romaňi čhib" or Hungarian Romanes. "It is only now that I am older that I am aware of what a pity it would have been if my mother tongue had slowly disappeared and gone extinct," she wrote for the Romano džaniben journal in 1995.
Inspired by Hübschmannová and also by a cousin, the author Tera Fabiánová, Ms Pášová wrote a short story capturing the events of the Second World War in her native Vlčany called "Te dživen musaj" (Life Goes On). In 1999 that story won second place in a literary competition in Lanciano, Italy and one year later was published in Romano džaniben 4/2000.
Date of birth:
July 8, 1941
Place of birth:
Vlčany, Galanta district, Slovakia
Where you now live:
Praha
Current occupation:
Secretary to Director of Community Center of Social Services;
Writer, Interpreter of Roma history
Life and work successes:
What is a success? Maybe I was successful in jobs where I was able to help others solve their difficult situations.
Perhaps I was successful in bringing up my children. The fact that my son is today a good and selfless man and an excellent doctor, I consider to be thanks to me.
Because of a car accident, my daughter has dire consequences (head injury) – the doctor's prognosis was without hope. We did not give up. I taught her to read, write, I taught her the basic values of life. I helped her to gain general knowledge and to find a job. In this way, she realised that she is an important and useful person.
I was very happy when the first short story I ever wrote was awarded an international literature prize in Italy.
Do you live the way you wanted?
Before I got married and left my parents, our house was always full of aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives. Even though I was an only child, we were never only the three of us at home. My cousins often stayed overnight. I was used to a continuous flow of relatives. We were never alone for good, or for bad.
I also wanted to have a big house, where I could live with my large family. I wished to have many sons, daughters and grandchildren. Reality was unfortunately very different from this dream. I live alone with my daughter, my single son lives separately.
Even though from the financial point of view I have everything I need, I am not satisfied with my current peaceful way of life. I have lived one third of my life in this way, I remember it even now.
What are your future plans?
Firstly I would like to obtain a driver's license, so that I could travel more by car with my daughter. I would also like to learn English because there is a demand for this skill every day. Additionally, I would like to complete my book, started to two years ago. Its subject is my native village in Slovakia, and all the fantastic people who lived there. I also intend to establish a Romany ensemble – choral, musical and dance – in which both children and adults would participate. I have too many plans for my age. Which means I always have goals.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Media Adviser
Martina Pokutová has a post-graduate degree. She secured work in the mainstream, as a media adviser to a public relations firm in Prague. How fulfilling that, as savvy spin-aware professional, she accepted my invitation to participate in RomaRising, which she concluded was not about pr. Her remark, This is not the usual Gypsy thing, this is new. Not only did she offer a wonderful portrait, she was quietly responsible for others to come and be a part of the Project.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Formerly with Czech Radio
Mrs Poláková was essential cog in the Czech Radio's estimable programming on Romani issues and history. A skilled producer and commentator, she honoured me by appearing alongside me before Czech Television on the occasion of the RomaRisingCZ project's exhibition at the Prague Castle. But storms lay below the surface: her children had been attacked more than once by skinheads, and she chose therefore to take family into Canadian, then British asylum. She remains beloved by many.
Here is a moving and deeply saddening article by Czech Radio's Romave https://romove.radio.cz/en/print/22483. It is representative of the Romani experience in the Czech Republic of the era. Indeed, matters have changed only little on some streets in the country.
Born:
25 October 1963
Place of birth:
Praha
Now living:
Praha
Current occupation:
Editor-in-chief for Romany broadcasting at Czech Radio. The name of the program is O Roma vakeren which means "Roma are talking." This program can be also accessed on the Internet at www.romove.cz. The broadcast covers the entire country.
Life and work successes:
I always wanted to have three children and this happened. Two of them study at secondary school and the youngest is getting ready for school. My biggest success is that my children are proud of being Roma, they are proud of our ancestors. They know how to face the prejudices of majority society and racism. They know how to help the weaker people in our community and defend their laws.
A big success in my work is the increase of broadcasting time in Czech Radio from 25 minutes to 1 hour a week. An educational program, Amare Roma for Czech TV (including its Romany language course), was a big success. Finally, I was awarded in a journalist competition organized by OSN "The refugee story".
Do you live as you wished?
Nobody knows what the life will bring. I live in stress, work hard, and have the feeling that whatever I am doing at the moment is very important for the future. I would live to spend Christmas holiday with my whole family, which lives all over the world (Canada, UK, New Zealand, Australia), I may afford this sometime later, I hope...
What are your future plans?
I do not have plans. I have hopes for the whole community.
Unfortunately, Roma can't plan their future and futures of their children. My son, a secondary school student, was brutally attacked in 2002 by skinheads. He was very lucky to survive this attack. I wanted him to leave the country and complete his studies in London, where my brothers live. He did not leave and studies still in the Czech Republic. But what feelings a young man who has such an experience and knows what the dark color of his skin means in this society is a problem. I do not plan.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
I wish that my children, myself, my husband and all Roma in the whole world could live life without the majority society prejudices. A life without racism. I wish that everything available in everyday life for the majority society might also be available for Roma people.
Born:
1 July 1959
Place of birth:
Prešov, Slovakia
Now living:
Ostrava
Education:
University (bachelor's degree) – social pedagogy, prevention and resocialisation
Current occupation:
Ostrava City hall – Roma Advisor (since 1999)
Life and work successes:
Life successes – happy family life, 3 healthy children
Work successes – integration of Roma into community work
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
to continue my work
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Motto: Behave yourselves the way you would have other people behave toward you.
Credo: Help only those who appreciate your help.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Medical Doctor
Traveling through North Bohemian towns, we remarked to one another: what to expect of Dr Olga Rostášová, who had been unfailingly correct, polite, even charming on the phone. In person, she was all of that, but more. We hadn't realised that she was a diabetes specialist. Or, that she would evince such dignity, even slight bemusement at all the fuss. There is both happy and further good in this story. Rostášová was not thought to exist, by some of her own people (thus compounding a sad phenomenon, that Czechs don't consider the Roma capable of medical education). Discovery of her brought real satisfaction to many. At the time, there was no real network of Romani doctors in the Czech Republic. The further good is that two others of the RomaRisingCZ participants were medical students. Now they are physicians.
Born:
9 June 1957
Place of birth:
Kraslice
Now living:
Zlín
Education:
Elementary school
Skills in concrete construction
Current occupation:
Disabled pensioner, but still I take pains for the creation of a worldwide Romany documentation centre (an archive with the Roma theme).
Life and work successes:
Since the age of 20, I have collected Roma artifacts (books, musical instruments, various handicrafts). I am a Róm and I will remain Róm. I try to help other Roma, I do not aspire for degrees, but I want everybody to improve his/her education. It is not important where. I am getting a better overview by increasing my own education. Information is for me essential, it is not possible to work without information.
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
I would like to show the broader public my independence, that I do not need them and that I am able to manage my own future the way I want to.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
We, Roma, are poor in assets, but at the same time we are rich. We shall never stop hoping that we will achieve our goals!
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Broadcaster, Producer, Moderator
Richard Samko is a media wonder. Today, he is simply part of the media structure in the Czech Republic, not thought first as Romani. He is portrayed here with his crew, seven days after 9-11, in a real interview situation. Mr Samko has elevated from beat reporter for Czech Television, to producer. Universally respected in CZ. My assistant Jiří Urban, now a PhD forensic accountant with a world-class firm, struggled mightily to move our lights, as Mr Samko and his crew navigated the stage where we found them.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Law Enforcement
At 21, Officer Magdalena Slepčíková straddled an interesting divide within Czech life. Both member of a minority sequestered by its majority counterpart, and law enforcement official, she occupied a stratum that few in society achieve. Finding a way for the Roma to accept the police requires their own representatives within the force. Women as police officers often have a less coercive demeanour.
Date of birth:
August 12, 1941
Place of birth:
Košice, Slovakia
Where you now live:
Jindřichův Hradec
Current occupation:
Editor-in-Chief – Romano Kurko magazine, Brno
Life and work successes:
1991 – 2002 Director of Romany press publishing house
1993 - Director of International Romany festival Strážnice
1985 – 1990 Technician – Shift Manager, Zetor Brno
1984 – 1985 Production dispatcher, Škoda Plzeň
1972 – 1984 Restaurant and hotel Manager
1969 – 1972 West Bohemia district Romany Secretary
Do you live the way you wanted?
Yes, in fact.
What are your future plans?
At the moment I am now retired, I would like to focus myself on the education of my grandchildren.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
To help to improve status of Roma people in the Czech Republic.
Chad Evans Wyatt
We found the students of the Romská Střední Škola Sociální to be intellectually engaged and responsive to conversation. All spoke English, two of them idiomatically. Quite inspiring. This is the school that Dr Emil Ščuka founded - later moving it to Prague - and where Dr Gejza Orlet was on the faculty.
Born:
30 November 1964
Place of birth:
Levoča, Slovakia
Now living:
Česká lípa, Praha
Education:
Secondary school (without leaving certificate)
Current occupation:
Chairman of a civic association, Activist
Life and work successes:
Since 1990 I am active in Roma movement and this is my biggest life success. I participate in civic activities, activities to increase the level of education of Roma people in the Czech Republic, humanitarian activities for children from children's homes and socially weak localities (Chánov).
Do you live as you wished?
No, but I am trying to live my life in such way that I would not have to be ashamed for my life, and I was useful to the other people as well.
What are your future plans?
I can say I don't have any plans. I do not plan anything because reality is always different.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Try to be fair, well-spoken to all people, polite and perceptive, and whatever you give to others, you will receive back twice.
Born:
9 March 1959
Place of birth:
Jablonov, Spišská Nová Ves district, Slovakia
Now living:
Valašské Meziříčí
Education:
Philosophical faculty in Trnava (Slovakia)
Current occupation:
Entrepreneur
Demokratická aliance Romů ČR - Chairman
Life and work successes:
Development of apartments for Roma community – as a part of "House at Halfway" project.
Publishing of the "Kereko" magazine for Romany children and youth.
Completion of a Romany educational project – "Romprojekt".
Do you live as you wished?
Yes, I succeed in achievement of the goals I set up in my life.
What are your future plans?
To establish a Romany culture department at the Palacky University in Olomouc.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
To create conditions and environment for increase of Romany intelligence in the Czech Republic. To participate on integration and mutual understanding in majority and minority cultures of the Czech society.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Law Enforcement
Štefan Vašek. Big guy. Nearly 2m. I photographed him in 2002, in my hotel room in Prague. Unsure he would come by. Rather celebrated veteran of the World Bank skirmishes the previous year, much-admired within the Romani community. My own regard began with his participation in GED-equivalent classes, which he subsequently finished. He had been recommended to me by his brother Alojz, a journalist in Brno. He agreed. I have long advocated the presence of Romani men and women on police forces, in order to do effective neighborhood service. He's still there.
Born:
April 18, 1966
Place of birth:
Skalica, Slovakia
Now living:
Holíč (Slovakia), Břeclav
Education:
Secondary – mechanical engineering
Current occupation:
pedagogical assistant at special school
Life and work successes:
private business, civic organisation
Do you live as you wished?
No, of course. But what can I do about it?
What are your future plans?
to live
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Nothing in our life is for free, we have to pay for everything.
Date of birth:
April 5, 1965
Place of birth:
Smižany, Spišska Nová Ves district, Slovakia
Where you now live:
Praha
Current occupation:
Director of the NGO Dzeno, a civic association
Founder of Internet Roma Radio (Radio Rota)
Life and work successes:
My biggest success is that I live an ordinary life. I do not starve and skinheads have not yet killed me. Sometimes I have good results at work.
Do you live the way you wanted?
I do not have any wishes, concerning my life. Therefore, I have nothing to lose. I have a healthy child and a nice family.
What are your future plans?
Roma do not have plans, I want survive.
As for plans – I plan only for partial tasks.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
For my whole life I am trying to find answers to questions:
Who am I? What do I want? Where am I heading to?
(Ko sal? So kames? Kaj džas?)
Born:
20 June 1983
Place of birth:
Valtice
Now living:
Mikulov
Education:
Secondary medical school, Znojmo
Current occupation:
Nurse
Life and work successes:
- successful completion of secondary school leaving examination
- study at the medical faculty
- participation at singing competitions – singing is my biggest hobby
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
I would like to complete my study at the medical faculty, major general nurse (Bc.).
Further I want to study law, psychology, as I need it for my work (care in prison and offenders in sanatorium).
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Whatever does not kill you, strengthens you.
I would like to help other people and perform my work well.
I believe in fight for fairness and tolerance.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Municipal Judge
Mgr Milan Virag was welcoming, but forbidden to allow photography of him in his court, even though he was Municipal Judge in Teplice. He appears here in chamber, a Romani judge, courageously presenting himself. Other such judges in the Czech Republic declined inclusion in RomaRising. During the Civil Rights Era in my own country, the concept of "standing to be counted" was a constant mantra. Judge Virag earns admiration.
Chad Evans Wyatt
In 1995, while I was creating the "101", a series on Czech artists, a recording by Vĕra Bílá a Kale suddenly was being played everywhere. "Rom-Pop" was a new sound, very contemporary, harmonies and accompaniments not heard in Romani music before. Close family harmonies from this group of cousins and family members. This swiftly became a musical impetus in the work I was doing, and I determined to photograph them one day. The image you see here was used as the CD cover for their 2001 release "Rovava", which we made together in Washington at the Czech Embassy years earlier. Hearing them in person in DC and in New York was a thrill like none other.
From RomArchive:
The group known as Věra Bílá and Kale was an entirely unique phenomenon that originated in Rokycany, a town in the western part of the Czech Republic. In 1995 a group of young men all related to one another (Emil "Bišu" Miko, Emil "Pupa" Miko, Jan Dužda, Deziderius Lučka and Milan Kroka, who e was later replaced by Marek Miko) joined forces with the vocalist Věra Bílá from the Giňa clan of musicians.
A GENRE IS BORN
From their parents, all the band members had learned traditional Romani songs, which they performed on stage and on recordings alongside their own original compositions (also sung mainly in Romani). The songs take social topics, love and everyday experiences as their themes.
Musically, Kale have defined the genre known as Rom-pop: sophisticated vocal harmonies with fierce dissonances in a mix of Romani folk music, pop and Latin jazz.
Examples of the band's reinterpretation of traditional songs include "E kapura" (The Gate) and "Rumuňika" (Romanian).
A Latin/Brazilian influence can be heard in the track "Sar me khere avava" (When I Come Home).
KALE AS A MAJOR CZECH EXPORT
The band's first album was entitled RomPop (1996). Their second recording, Kale Kalore (1998), paved the way for the group's international success. At the height of its fame, the band played in the US, Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland and Israel, among other countries.
The 1990s saw Kale and Věra Bílá profiled in newspapers such as The Guardian and The Washington Times; the latter considered Věra Bílá the queen of Romani music and compared her to Ella Fitzgerald. Another sign of international recognition was the inclusion of Bílá's album Queen of Romany in the UK's "100 Essential World Music CDs" chart.
SPLIT AND REUNION
Following ongoing disagreements, Kale parted ways with their vocalist in 2005 and continued performing without her. That decision, however, met with criticism from their fans, who now saw the band as incomplete. Guitarist Emil Miko commented on their reaction by saying, "We are like a car. Věra Bílá is the brand and Kale is the motor. It all depends on what's more important for the listener."
As its own project, Kale released an eponymous album in 2006 and Šun Kale in 2012, with Deziderius Lučka as the lead singer. Eventually, Kale decided it was worth giving joint performances with Věra Bílá another chance, and that decision led to several successful concerts.
INKA JURKOVÁ 2018
(Note: Sadly, Ms Bílá passed away in 2019.)
Zajda, Rudolph
Born:
23 June1960
Place of birth:
Brno
Now living:
Brno
Education:
Secondary school
Current occupation:
Director of a Romany job agency – Ostrava and Brno
Life and work successes:
At an international congress I was elected as a representative for Romany union
Do you live as you wished?
No, but I do not complain
What are your future plans?
I think of future in the Indian philosophical point of view: what should happen, happens.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
I would like to live in such way that I did not have to be ashamed of myself.
Zajda, Miroslav
Born:
September 16, 1951
Place of birth:
Brno
Now living:
Brno
Education:
University – legal faculty
Current occupation:
Legal advisor for a non-profit organization
Life and work successes:
Completion of my university studies.
Do you live as you wished?
I could say, yes, even though I still have some dreams.
What are your future plans?
I would like to take a special course for pedagogical specialists that can focus on elementary school teaching motivation. Based on this course, I would be able to work as an elementary school lecturer/specialist who aims to motivate children to study.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
To be helpful to the others. Not to live for myself.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Former Police Academy Instructor
Mr Zima is without question the prime objective of RomaRising. Not only does he teach young policemen in Brno about the manner and language with which to approach their Romani constituents, he also is father to Miroslav, who clearly took his lessons to a higher ground. Family and education. The lifeblood of RomaRising.
This was posted by the Muzeum romské kultury, Brno, on the occasion of Mr Zima's 83rd birthday:
Today we commemorate the 83rd anniversary of the birth of Ignác Zima. Who was he?
Ignác Zima was born on February 23, 1938, into a family of blacksmiths, in the West Slovak Roma settlement in Kopčany. This was the difficult period of the Second World War, when local Roma were bullied by the Hlinka Guard. After the War and a two-year military service, Ignác went to Bohemian Hodonín, in search of work. There, starting in 1956, he worked as a railwayman, and graduated high school during his employment. In Hodonín he started a family with his wife Angela. Gradually, he became involved in the Roma-Gypsy Union, thanks to which he moved to Brno with his family in 1971 and started working as an employee in the Union. When the Union was dissolved in 1973, Mr. Zima returned to work at the Czechoslovak Railways, until 1990. In the 90's he renewed his active interest in Roma matters as an intermediary at the Brno Labour Office.
Following his retirement in 1998, he remained active, offering training courses for police officers and teaching Romanes at Masaryk University. At a time when there was no textbook of Romanes, he created his own Workbook for teaching. In addition to grammar and words, he explains the social habits of the Roma. He also excelled in handicrafts, mainly at basket weaving, in traditional and modern approaches. He created original theater props - horse heads - for theater performance of the fairytale, Smart, Silly Rom. Mr Zima's handicraft products, as well as a model of a nomadic wagon, are also included in the collections of the Museum of Roma Culture, Brno.
Ignác Zima is the winner of the MRK 2015 prize precisely because of his active interest in the deeper cultural-social context of Roma life. During his activity with the Museum, he willingly participated in many events, whether by showing basket weaving, teaching Romanes, and by offering consultations and commemorations.
Mr Zima died on April 6th, 2017.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Leader, the DROM Group of Brno
Former Army Major Miroslav Zima was among the very first photographed for the Project. His shop could be described generously as "rundown." In a matter of a few years, he took DROM to a level of world-class provider of education, healthcare, trade skill, shelter. DROM is a facility in Brno that is home to some of the best Roma representatives for future. Moreover, important to RomaRising, his father Ignác was springboard to Mgr Zima's success. The Zima family embody all the essentials of RomaRising: family, education, accomplished industry.
Born:
19 April 1981
Place of birth:
Sokolov
Now living:
Duchcov
Current occupation:
Social street worker employed by the City Hall Duchcov
Life and work successes:
Chairman of a civic initiative
Participation in the children's ensemble Čhavorengero luma
Cultural, advisory and educational children's center
Do you live as you wished?
Yes
What are your future plans?
I do not know yet, it depends on the situation.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Tolerance, Roma law, respect, love.
The language, which ebbs away.
Born:
23 October 1981
Place of birth:
Praha
Now living:
Vlašim
Education:
Secondary grammar school
Current occupation:
Charles University student – Medical faculty
Life and work successes:
I am happy for life successes achieved even though they are for me not so important. I am getting ready for new successes, because new goals are always ahead of us.
Do you live as you wished?
Nearly.
What are your future plans?
To complete my university studies.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Nothing is a problem, if you really have desire for it.
Date of birth:
July 3, 1961
Place of birth:
Praha
Where you now live:
Praha
Education:
At the moment I am a student of Jan Amos Komensky university, subject andragogics
Current occupation:
Taxi driver, University student
Life and work successes:
I am a university student – I started my studies at the Secondary School of Social and Legal issues (5 years), at 35 years old, and currently I study at university.
My life success is my family.
Do you live the way you wanted?
In fact, yes, it is understandable that I would like to live a little bit better, and therefore I am doing my best in order to achieve this in the future.
What are your future plans?
I would like to complete my university studies and use my knowledge in order to help the Roma community – this is the reason why I do all of this. My goal is to gain better living conditions for all Roma people.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Health for my whole family. I want my children to study in order to have better life than I do. I do not want them to achieve knowledge late in life, like me.
Date of birth:
October 20, 1955
Place of birth:
Holumnica, Poprad district, Slovakia
Where you now live:
Brno
Current occupation:
Documentarist – administrator of Roma Culture Museum collections (Chief Curator, Muzeum Romské Kultury, Brno)
Life and work successes:
Work – technical specialist, cargo train station Maloměřice
Happy and contented marriage
Do you live the way you wanted?
Yes
What are your future plans?
I want my children to achieve the highest possible education. I personally want to improve my own education in my profession.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Do correctly all that which you do.
Chad Evans Wyatt
Occupation: Attorney, Advocate
There simply is not enough space to speak about Emil Ščuka, LLD. Here was a Róm who responded to Václav Havel's call to human rights. Before that, he had accomplished his Law degree. He became President of the International Romany Union. He established the Romany Secondary School of Social Issues in Kolín. That Havel made little use of this unique man's abilities is not Ščuka's fault. He focused on children, and succeeded. He continues a succinct and valuable voice.
From the RomArchive:
Emil Ščuka was born into a family living in eastern Slovakia, the youngest of ten siblings. In 1977, he was accepted at the Faculty of Law in Brno. In 1982, he started working as a public prosecutor in Sokolov, where he also established the theatre company Romen.
In 1986, he directed Nane oda lavutaris ("There is no such violinist") for the International Festival Strážnice. Since 1988, he has been working as prosecutor at the Public Prosecutor's Office in Prague. He started a theatre and dance company Amare Roma (Our Roma) in Prague-Karlín. In March 1990, he was elected chairman of the Romani Civic Initiative at the constituent congress (600 delegates) in Prague. In April 1990, he was elected Secretary General at the International Romani Union Congress in Warsaw. His proposal to establish 8th April as the International Day of Roma was passed.
In July 1990, together with the art agency ROMART, he organized the first world festival, ROMFEST in Líšeň near Brno. 2,200 people performed on six stages and 25,000 spectators came to watch, including the president Václav Havel. In 1992, he began working as a defence counsellor and became the editor-in-chief of the Romani monthly, Amaroo lav (Our word).
In 1997, he began the first retraining workshops for Romani assistants, Romani counsellors and teaching assistants. In 2006 –2009, he founded branches of the original Kolin Romani High School school in Prague, Jihlava, Sokolov, Plzeň, Brno, Karviná, Jablonec nad Nisou, Liberec, and Hradec Králové. In 2007, he established the International Conservatory Prague (ICP). On 27 July 2000, at the Fifth International Romani Union Congress in Prague, Emil Ščuka was elected president of the IRU. The Congress adopted two key documents proposed by him – the Declaration of the Romani Nation and the IRU Charter.
JANA HORVÁTHOVÁ 2018
Born:
28 December 1970
Place of birth:
Brno
Now living:
Brno
Education:
Secondary school
Current occupation:
Owner and chairman of the board of a joint-stock company (Building trades)
Owner and legal representative of company with limited liability that has a branch of business in export and import from East-European countries
Life and work successes:
My life success is my happy family, that is, my wife and two children.
Work successes are never big enough to call them successes. There are always new
challenges in front of us.
Do you live as you wished?
Probably yes at the moment. But I think that the future will be more demanding of us, and we will have to work harder in order to keep our current standard of living.
What are your future plans?
I would like to become a professional landlord of my own properties and with my family I would like to enjoy a carefree way of life.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
Work and create as long as you are young. Later only try to maintain what you already developed.
Name:
Dana Žigová
Date of birth:
April 18, 1962
Place of birth:
Gelnica, Slovakia
Where you now live:
Brno
Education:
Elementary school
Current occupation:
Housewife
Life and work successes:
Work with people in the Salvation army.
Do you live the way you wanted?
Yes
What are your future plans?
To establish my own business.
Life motto, credo, wish ...
To open a hotel.
(Editor's Note: The Žiga's own a construction company near Brno, and live in a home they built themselves. Mrs Žigová is very much a part of her husband Ždenĕk's enterprise)
