American photojournalist Julie Denesha recounts her experiences with the Roma
Prague 2007: Common Ground
Julie Denesha, an American photojournalist, has lived and worked in some of the poorest Roma villages in the Slovak Republic. While living with the Roma families, she had a chance to explore their culture and habits.
Some 500,000 Roma live in Slovakia. About 25 percent of them are living in ghettos outside the majority society, without access to safe drinking water or basic sanitation.
Denesha explained how the Roma were mistrustful of her in the beginning. Their behavior wasn`t natural at first, but as they came to know her they became increasingly friendly. Because she helped them with small jobs such as home repairs and joined them in doing shopping and other work, Denesha began to win the trust of the Roma, who gradually came to accept her as part of their community. She wasn`t just some strange journalist any more, but a casual inhabitant of a Roma village.
Living with the Roma gave Denesha a better understanding about the economic problems of the families. She said the government payments many Roma receive are enough to live modestly, but problems persist in the poorer communities. For some, items like junk food, cigarettes or alcohol tend to take priority over food or paying utility bills.
“You can’t make any mistakes when you’re poor,” Denesha said.
Comments