Snezana, 23, a Roma woman with her two young children. CARE has facilitated people from her village to put in pipes for clean water. Ajefi Demilse escaped to Bujanovac in southern Serbia from war torn Kosovo 11 years ago. Having run from war Ajefi now lives with her family – isolated, scorned, disdained. Because Ajefi is Roma.
Across Europe the Roma live on the edge of society. A study by the European Commission found that a quarter of all Europeans don’t want a Roma family living in the neighbourhood.
However in the Balkans this discrimination is particularly apparent.
Together with 55 Roma families Ajefi lives in Salvatore – a place without running water, dilapidated and grey with mud tracks. Ajefi lives with her husband and two children in one room. The mouldy ceiling is bowed. Bugs and cockroaches live under the mattress.
“It’s horrible here”, the 49 year old women says. She wants to move away. “But where shall we go?” she asks. “No one wants us.”
Ajefi is not alone. In northern Serbia the purely Roma village of Gorni Rit is just a few hundred meters from another village, Adorjan, but looks like another country.
In Adorjan the streets are lined by well-kept gardens and renovated houses. In Gorni Rit the houses have holes. Huge heaps of garbage pile up. Snezana, a young mother of 23, lives here in two rooms overrun with damp, rats and flies.
"Right to a dignified life."
Dr. Anton Markmiller, National Director of CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg, has been visiting Roma settlements in the Balkans. He is shocked by the discrimination against people like Ajefi and Snezana.
“Like any other citizens the Roma have the right to a dignified life, including work, school education and medical care.”
Despite having given birth to five children Ajefi has never visited a doctor. CARE enabled her to have a medical examination for the first time.
She is also now able to access information about female health. Seminars are led by voluntary health trainers. To appeal to younger Roma women part of the program is lively, with theatre and films.
“Roma girls generally grow up in very traditional way. Discussing these topics is usually a taboo”, says Felix Wolff, Program Director of CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg.
“But they really want to talk about health issues, about roles of women and discrimination against Roma people - and this is the only place they can do it openly.”
“A little bit of recognition.”
Snezana smiles “Now we have running water and don’t have to walk to the fountain”, she says.
New pipes were put in by villagers themselves, assisted by CARE, with funding from the European Commission. Now they do not have to drink dirty water Snezana’s children are healthier.
“We don’t need expensive gifts. We need tools, a paved road and a little bit of recognition. Then we can handle life on our own.” She looks at her newborn son Wladimir. “For him life should be better.”
