Second chance for Roma children in Poljice

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA-At age 11, Enis Tahirović left school and never enrolled again. This 14-year-old boy now spends his days collecting waste materials with his father. It is difficult work and Enis’ hands are already hands of a grown man. He wishes he could go to school sometimes.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) where many Roma children are subjected to child labour, from collecting waste materials to street begging and even prostitution, World Vision is striving to bring these children back to where they belong – in school.

Through a two-year project called “Back to School: Second Chance for Roma Children in Poljice Community” conducted at the Poljice Primary school in Ozren Area Development Programme (ADP) in northeast Bosnia, World Vision is empowering Roma children to integrate into school and wider community life. 

In school, World Vision organises weekly educational and creative workshops for Roma children in order to bring these children back into the fold of schooling. “Currently, we have 18 Roma children who participate in our weekly workshops where we try to teach them new things and bring them to school,” says Edin Suljagic, World Vision BiH Community Development Coordinator.

The Roma community in Poljice, where Enis lives, is remote and isolated from the wider community. People here live in small improvised houses without running water and with shared community water taps outside their homes.  Sadly even this water is sub-standard because of the pollution omitted from the nearby waste dump.

In this community, children are often the main breadwinners in their families and are exposed to three of four vulnerability factors as per World Vision’s definition: abusive or exploitative relationships, extreme deprivation and serious discrimination. Out of 53 children in this village, only 15 are attending preschool or primary and high school. On a national level, only one third of Roma children are enrolled in primary school.

World Vision’s “Back to school” project, supported by World Vision Korea and partners from the Primary School Poljice, Roma Association Poljice, Youth Association Poljice and Pinkland Banovici is trying to change this.

Workshops kicked off in October this year and children are keen to attend every session. Enis has missed only one. During the workshops children sing, paint and learn.

The youngest among the children are five years old and they are helped by the older children.

“It is important to start while the children are young so that they get used to going to school from an early age,” says Suljagic.

When asked about the future, Enis says that he would like to learn English and computers. He misses school and would like to attend it sometimes. But, he also often mentions his cousins in Western Europe. His wish is to go to Europe to work- Sweden particularly.

He already has a passport.

Watch the video here.