Subproject: Role Models
In the ‘Chance Project’, ‘Subproject: Role Models’ aims to introduce role models who with their talent, diligence, work and life-long learning represent the ways to success. This could help the students in Project to find motivation to discover their talents and encouragement for studying and self-improvement.
The Subproject: Role Models plays a double role from the aspect of trainings: first, it helps to make the trainings more efficient, and second, it helps to deepen the students’ knowledge in Roma culture and tradition. From this angle the students need support during their primary school studies to take it seriously and motivation to achieve better results.
The students’ preparation for the adult life in this Subproject aims no assimilation, but to preserve and confirm their identity by emphasizing that their culture represents an important value.
The Subproject’s guidelines are the following:
- education (social learning, identity-building, future plans),
- tuition (catching up, integration, success-centered learning),
- understanding Roma culture and tradition,
- supporting to form a healthy self-image.
Goals:
- learning methodical, precise and disciplined study and work,
- preventing and minimizing the chance of drop-outs,
- understanding the sense of duty,
- raising awareness for the need of mental health and understanding its importance.
The topics, speeches, games and artworks, the backgrounds of these, the valuable and cozy conversations in the Subproject can make a huge impact on the students. Thankfully to this Subproject, the students could find their own way which goes to success. The Foundation is committed to provide any necessary help to the students to find their life goals which can be achieved by hard work and study. We believe that every student can find their life path where they can use their talent the best.
Tiszaroff, October, 2015
Role Models – 1.
Factory visit
The students in the Project got the privilege to visit the Béres Pharmacy Factory in Szolnok in October, 2015. The Factory’s manager guided the group personally and gave a full lecture on the different departments and even the production line where the medicines are made. The group visited Senior Dr. Béres József’s memorial room and learned a lot of interesting facts about his life. The manager, in his guide, emphasized the value of life-long learning and continuous development. At the end of visit, every student received a valuable vitamin package for which everybody was grateful. The manager was pleased with the group’s attention. This visit was an extraordinary and uplifting event.
Research Biologist’s Guest Speak
In the same month, in October, 2015, József Horváth, a Roma background research biologist from Debrecen, visited the students in Tiszaroff. His personality and experiences made a great impact on the students, because he was familiar with the students’ everyday struggles based on his own life-experiences: he also had come from deep poverty and became a well-known representative of the scientific community. In his speech, Mr. Horváth gave a full presentation of the situation of Roma communities and his life and by doing this, he also emphasized the will-power as a key factor in the study progress. After his speech, many conversations started about it and the students could ask their personal questions as well.
Tiszaroff, October, 2015
Role Models – 2.
A day with a Painter [1]
The Role Model Day in Tiszaroff provided a good opportunity for the Roma children who participate in the Project to find their talent and confirm their identity.
To set the mood, we watched the tale of The Devil and the Gipsy Woman. The reason why I chose this tale was that I felt, regarding the the students’ age, this tale could shape their motivation and interest very well. In addition, this tale visually represents the elements of Roma culture. This video – based on Magda Szécsi’s tale and using Teréz Orsós’ pictures – proved a really good thought provoking open for the day, so the students could start to express their feelings and opinions.
The students’ introduction happened in a controlled way, because I wanted to map what they do and what kind of future plans they have.
I also found extremely important to introduce my teachers, István Szentandrássy and Tamás Péli, because their contribution to the Roma and universal art is outstanding. To introduce myself, I used my own works to paint the picture of my identity. With this impromptu exhibition my goal was also that the children could learn and differentiate among the colors, themes and forms.
After everybody picked up a picture, we practiced how to do artwork analysis and communication. The real goal of this task was to build trust with the children to strengthen the cooperation for the following tasks. In the next exercise we discussed questions like ‘Who am I?’, ‘Where do I go?’ and ‘What would I do?’.
After it, we continued our work in groups. We formed groups in a playful mode; after the groups picked up one-one Roma tale, the students dramatized certain parts of their tale. This task helped to improve the students’ creative and cooperative skills in order to broaden their knowledge. I also found extremely important to provide space and time for their reactions, how they felt themselves in this exercise and what they found positive in the process.
With the task of ‘Brave, new world’ I meant to support the students’ imagination about their future. The groups presented their imagined future in visual forms. The goal was to increase their cooperation, tolerance, fantasy and communication.
Finally, we evaluated the previous tasks with the students, the specialists and the guest doctors as well.
I was very pleased to experience these students’ activity and interest; it was really positive. I am so glad that there are more and more places in the country where Roma children are treated with open and helpful attitude in real talent projects.
I find the Foundation’s work exemplary which is worth to follow.
Kiskőrös, April 17, 2016
| Ferenc Kunhegyesi |
| painter artist |
[1] As the report on this day, we publish the Painter’s summary without changes in English translation. We are grateful for his visit at the Talent Project.
Role Models – 3.
Roma actresses’ and actors’ guest speak
Emília Lovas and her colleagues visited the Talent Project in Tiszaroff, in May, 2016. In the morning session the guests organized drama games for the students. After this exercise, the actresses and actors led discussions about the student’s future, plans and goals. To encourage the students, the guests shared their own experiences, difficulties and struggles which they faced with during their career. These examples emphasized that it is worth to fight for their dreams and they should never give up their studies. They can not let the failures to discourage them, but the opposite, they need to fight for their goals.
Tiszaroff, May, 2016