First bit of news, I purchased my tickets and will be flying to Romania on Saturday, October 11th! The countdown has begun and I have less than 2 months to go!
Every time I tell someone I am moving to Romania to work in
an after school program for Roma or Gypsy children, I get asked the same
question. Who are the gypsies?
Well first off, the term “gypsy” is not a politically
correct term to use. It is very derogatory. We actually get our phrase “I got gyped!”
from the word gypsy, meaning we were cheated somehow. The correct word would be Roma or Romani
people. So I am going to work in an
after school program for Roma children and teens.
The Roma are a completely separate ethnic group in
Romania. They are actually the second
largest ethnic minority there. Although
it is difficult to say the exact number of Roma in Romania because many do not
have an identity card or even a birth certificate. The Roma have their own language and their
own flag, although they do speak Romanian.
The majority of the Roma, including those that I will be working with are socially and economically disadvantaged and have high illiteracy levels. Specifically with the group that I will be working with, most do no attend school and those who do, do not go on to high school and often marry very young.
Genetic and linguistic connections tell us that the Roma people actually originated from India and present day Pakistan, and came or were brought over to Europe as slaves. The first mention of a Romani slave was in present day Romania in 1385.
The Roma people have been segregated and persecuted
throughout their hundreds of years in Europe.
They have been subjected to ethnic cleansing, forced labor and during
WWII were sent to concentration camps or killed on sight by the Nazis.
Today in Romania, the Roma people are often segregated and
there is a large prejudice against them.
My hope with the after school program is not only to help educate the
Roma children we will be working with and encourage them to continue their
education through at least high school, but to share with them the Word of God
so that their hearts, lives and community can be transformed from the inside
out.
Only the Lord can truly transform a life and cause such great change and that is my desire for the kids and teens I will be working with.
Only the Lord can truly transform a life and cause such great change and that is my desire for the kids and teens I will be working with.
Grace and Peace,
Rachel
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