Special Section: Summer Fun
Today We Learn, Tomorrow We Lead
Roma Youth Leadership Program By Jessica Mangskau
S
kinny siblings in well-worn slippers or naked from the
waist up, inexpert at waiting, bounce and skip in irregular patterns. Bewildered bystanders on their way to buy bread, stop.
They stare skeptically at our buses, which have lumbered
awkwardly to the side of Topaana’s tiny street and now idle
there, wholly blocking the steady gaze of loitering men. We
disembark to the beginnings of a beat, nimble fingers skimming the taut surface of an omnipresent drum. It perforates
my travel-lulled trance, and I am still in awe that only a boy’s
hands and his instrument engender that rich rhythmical sound.
We are home. We all know the words. We yell loud for Topaana.
????? ?? ????????!
?? ????-????!
?? ???? ???? ?? ??????!
???? ??? ???????!
?? ???? ???? ???!
???? ?? ??????? ???????!
???? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ??????!
??? ? ?????? ?? ??????????!
????? ?????? ?? ?????????!
??????? ?????? ???????????!
???? ??????!
???? ??????!
???? ??????!
I
t’s July. I’m mildly perturbed, but mostly perplexed as
I slowly explain to Raso, for the fourth time, that when calling
parents and students to recruit he needs to describe this as a “leadership program”, not “going to Krusevo.” When I ask my Director Fatma later that day, she confirms my suspicions, “Jessica,
they don’t know what that is, they can’t even think about going
somewhere for leadership.” She throws her hands up in the air,
“Leadership for Romani kids? No. They don’t know what it is.”
I’m scared. We are a strong team of seven intelligent and insightful Peace Corps Volunteers. But we have five days to prepare 15 leaders, who may or may not understand the concept of
a leadership program, to implement an intensive six-day curriculum, including teaching 27 different educational sessions, ten
different electives, various team-building games, several sports
activities, and leading daily small-group discussions, all for 64
participants who may likely think they are just “going to Krusevo” to walk around. I attempt to assuage my anxiety by asking
my counterpart Elez the same questions again and again- Have
you talked to all the Leaders? What about Ersej? Did Sejhan get
my e-mail? Are you sure? How do you know? Did Aleksandar
confirm? Should we call Emir again? You’re sure he’ll be here?
12 - pauza
S
ejhan looks pleasantly puzzled. “Why do we have
to take our shoes off?” I peer out at him and the other Leaders from behind the cracked door of the Shula-Mina cafeteria,
where six PCVs wait in the darkness, unlit candles in hand.
Five full days of instruction, activities, meetings and he knows
my “just do it” look. I use it. “Okay we’ll take our shoes off.”
Moments later, when all is silent, they file into the darkness.
We are giants. We tower above our leaders, standing in bare
feet on the chairs that encircle them, lit candles in our hands. I gaze
down at anticipant faces of fifteen individuals awaiting my words.
“…Now we are stepping down.” Silently, solemnly, we use
our candles to light theirs. “And each of you are stepping up.”
They are giants. They tower above white faces, tears flowing openly. My skin prickles into tiny bumps and I have the surreal feeling that the history of the Roma people has seeped into
the room in delicate tendrils, through door cracks and fractures
in aged window panes. Centuries of oppression, the slavery,
pogroms, slurs of ha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t`4/?4/t.4-4/?f4-4/?,?`?-HB?,?/?4*4`?.?, t'4.4/t,B?'t,4/?,?/?f4.?,4/4/?4-?,4.?.4-4-t`4.B?(?`?.?,4`t`?-H4-4/?f4-4-t/t.B?`t/?4`t,4/4/?4-t-4/t,4a?-t.?B?&?,4.?/?4-4,4`t`?,4/t,4`?-H4`?`t/?-tb4/t.B?'t-t.?,4-?/t,4-H4`t,?-t`?/?`?4.?/?f4`t/4-H4(4/?/4.4`?-HB?(?/?,4-H4/t,4a?.4f4,4/t,4/t,4f4-4/?,t`4.4`?-HB?'?-4.4/4-H4/t,4/?`4-t-4`t/?4-t-4`?.?,4a?.4f4,B?)?-t.?/?`t/t,4(4/?/4`t.?,4.4/t`?-t,?`4,4a?.4f4,B??[X?]?H [?H ?[? ?] [?H]\? ?Y? \???x?'H ?8?'[?H?[???Y? \??[?[X?]?HY? [?H ?[? ?\??\?H?? ? [?\? ???K??'B???X[? ?XX?\? ??Y?H? \?\?? ?]?\?[ ? Y[? ? ??X?^B?[???[?^H] [?[?8?'?\??YHHH?QQSx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t`4.B?(4/?/4.4.?.4-4-t`4.B?(4/?/4.4.?.4-4-t`4.B?Y?\?H ?][\[??Y?[??[?? ? H??XH[?]XY\??\ ???[H ? H ?X[ \??Y?[??H?[[??\? ?B??X?Y ?\?H?X] ??Y?Y[?XY\??Y?Y M?L?? ?]] H ??? ?]?[?\?^ \?Y[??K[\[Y[?[??H X??Y ??Y [B???
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