Supporting Roma Families
The Roma are one of the most marginalized groups of people in Serbia and across Europe. Roma children are often born into a cycle of poverty and inequality that can follow them for their whole lives. It’s hard for their families to access services like medical care and education. Legal and systemic obstacles – and the weight of prejudice and stereotype – stand in their way.
Alongside partners in Belgrade, we’re working to give Roma children more opportunities. Children visiting a drop-in shelter can eat a meal, take a shower, change their clothes and have a safe place to relax, play and study. Staff also help parents enroll their children in school and access medical care and other services.
Meanwhile, we're helping Roma women finish school and join the workforce. When a woman learns to read, she accesses a whole new world of possibilities. And when she can start a business, it means valuable income for her family.
With your support, Roma families are breaking the cycle of poverty for good.
Hana’s Story
“I’m living in a settlement without electricity or running water.” Roma children like Hana face a steep, uphill climb out of the poverty that has often claimed their families for generations. With your help, Hana and her friends have a safe place to get the support they need to thrive.
Latest Updates
A mental health victory in Belgrade
Jovana and her sisters used to wash car windows in a few intersections in Belgrade, Serbia. Like all children who work on the street, they faced a lot of risks. At home, they were still up against the extra expectation placed on them for being girls: caring for younger siblings and housework. Jovana comes from a Roma family; families like …
Nothing can stop Suada
As a Roma woman in Belgrade, Suada has faced a lot of challenges in her life. She grew up in an informal settlement in the city. She had to help her mom with chores in the house and care for her siblings, so she didn’t have time to go to school. Suada also has challenges hearing and speaking. Being a …
It’s never too late to learn to read and write
Anita was born and raised in Macedonia. Two years ago, she escaped her abusive husband–who was also a drug addict–and fled to neighboring Serbia with her children. After she arrived in Belgrade, Anita went to enroll her two daughters in school. That’s when she learned about a CWS program that helps women learn to read and finish their education. That …