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Published: November 28th 2009
When we got on that bus to Dobra Voda, I really was not sure of what to expect. To be honest, I wasn’t so happy about waking up at 6:00am on a day off from classes. However, I can say that I got off that bus feeling like I had experienced something very fulfilling and enriching. I feel in order to truly understand the Romani people; you need to spend at least a day in their community.
I worked with ages eight to twelve. We had originally planned a whole program of games and rules, etc. However, we didn’t end up doing even half of the games on our list. We were not prepared for their short attention span and hyperactivity! However, we still had a lot of fun teaching them games that we as Americans grew up playing. The boys were very competitive with one another, especially the youngest boy. It seemed like he was trying to prove himself in game we played. When we played soccer, I was the only girl playing. No one wanted me on their team because I was a girl! But, once they had seen fifteen years of soccer experience at the club,
Trouble maker
This little guy may look pretty cute.. but boy was he a handful!!high school and college level, they changed their minds and they fought over having me on their team!
I was especially impressed by the Romani dances that the children performed. It was really interesting to see their culture through the dances. It is clear that dancing and performing are key parts to the Roma culture. And they were so young! It almost seemed that they were just born to dance, that it just comes naturally! I was also glad to see the Roma weaving. I even purchased a bag and a rug. They are great souvenirs to remember Dobra Voda and the enriching experience I had there!
In Dobra Voda, a small rural village near Touim is a Roma community. The community consists of all age groups, but comprises of mostly children. This area was artificially repopulated after the World War II by new inhabitants. Out of the total of 95 inhabitants of Dobra Voda 78 are members of the Romani community.
The Romas in this community were mostly sent to special schools and are thus undereducated. In fact, most of the Romas in Dobra Voda have merely a primary school education. Only one person in the
community has actually attained a middle school education. For this reason, Romas from this community as well as from other communities in Czech and other European countries are excluded from mainstream society. A close knit rural community is the most efficient way of life for these people.
These Romani people are very vulnerable because of their financial situation as well as their social standing, so they are often taken advantage of. They are often forced into signing contracts in order to stay afloat financially, however because they cannot read, they are often tricked and as a result, their few possessions are repossessed. Although the lives of the Romani people in this village is hard, Cesky zapad, a non-governmental organization has worked to improve the lives of these people and include them in society.
The NGO Český západ is active in aiding the socially excluded, primarily the Romani
community in Dobra Voda and Touzimi. Cesky Zapad encourages the members
of this community to take their life into their own hands and not to depend on help from
outside. Český západ strives not only to support individual members of the community but
also the local community as a whole. It
Mathias Explaining the Rules
This was hard since we don't speak Czech! is active not only in Dobra Voda but also in other
localities - Nová Farma, Sluetín and Bezděkov, where it offers in field social services.
“ Our mission is to develop civil society in the area of Touzim. According to the members of our association, civil society means such a society where social exclusion is curtailed, manifestations of xenophobia and ethnic intolerance limited and in which citizens show interest in resolving public issues.”
The organization was started in 2001 by a monastery from Novy Dvur. Brothers from the monastery noticed the hardships of the Romani community and wanted to reach out to them. From this effort came Cesky zapad which was established in 2002. However, the brothers still offer financial, material and spiritual support to the association up to this day.
The organization has grown slowly since 2001. New employees have gradually been hired and the civil association has begun to offer new activities for women and children. These activities consist of mostly serve educational purposes and free time occupation. In 2003, Cesky Zapad added a textile program for the women of the Romani community. This program was created to embrace an important part of the Romani
culture, but also to create an industry which would lead the way for self sufficiency.
Cesky Zapad bought a panel house for some of the community members to live in. The house’s purpose is mostly for the children of the community, so it is inhabited by mostly young families. The house is located next to the community center where there is a community kitchen, the textile room, and a couple classrooms. At this community center, the Romani people embrace their culture by cooking traditional meals, weaving, and learning their traditional dances
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