Helping Others

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Year 2003 without intending it, I just got an application form from a girl, which was working in the Roma movement (I didn’t know anything about this movement). The application has to be filled and sent to the organizers right after 3 days. There was not much time to fill and send it. The application requires essay, worked experience in a NGO, Basic English knowledge and many other things. But when looked deeply I sow that the organizers (PAKIV European Roma Fund – www.pakivnet.org) are looking for young Roma who has time to travel and spend it over the next 9-12 months. In the back of the application was written that the applicants may study abroad, therefore the applicants must be aware that no parent visits. It sounded as a school. There were listed so many objectives that an applicant will get knowledge on them. It was exactly for me and exactly on the right time. I did all my best to fill the application and get in contact with the office, which was located in Sofia. (In that time I hated Sofia, too noise and chaos traffic). So I filled in and sent, they just reply to my e-mail that I will be notice soon. It passed one week, second week…nothing, no notice. I called the office, the answer was – you should wait we will notice. Passed a month and I have already forget about it, but suddenly I got call and I was asked for interview in Sofia. It has been summer and I was going to the interview. Entered the office and I sow a bunch of people. Big office and no place where to stay. I was shocked, people well educated and looking very intelligent. I got disappointed and ready to go home, thinking that I don’t have any chance to be accepted. Although I was the last on the list and then got information that only 6 person would be in this program. 120 people and just six would be accepted, unbelievable – no chance. Very disappointed and went out to the near coffee bar. By the end of the day it came my turn to be interviewed. There were four people who were asking me question by question starting why I’m having a different color of my hair. I didn’t want to go out of the room. They told me I could be one of the accepted and I had to wait their decision. Going back home I was thinking about this program and I was sure I would be in it. But it passed 2 weeks I didn’t have information if I was accepted or not. Then by the last week of the month I already stopped thinking about it… I started thinking about the other stuff, like pubs, bars etc.After a month I was invited as a member of the Program. I was not expected it. The program was designed: 4 months study English with other NGOs subjects, like project proposal, communication skills etc; 2 months in International People’s College Denmark studying other subjects useful for working in a NGO, then again in Sofia. This program changed my life so much, when I turned back home I was asking my self how could these young people to think only for pubs and bars, for marriages…how could they don’t have any further aim. How dare they don’t want to finish their schools year. That’s how I began to work in CEGA Foundation, I wanted to change the situation, I wanted the youth to have chance to go out of their communities and not to be so closed, segregated.