About a thousand years ago, a group of people in the Indian sub-continent, decided to reject the ideas of empires and social segregation. Crossing through numerous kingdoms and cultures, these wanderers appeared in Europe at the dawn of the 15th century. The community is perhaps one of the earliest immigrants in Europe. Roma; now the biggest minority in Europe, brought skills of music, toolmaking, horse breeding, and a great wealth of culture & folklore, along with amazement and fear. The result of which was prejudice among Roma community towards other societies, and among other societies towards Roma. But, the story was not like that from the beginning. In Lithuania, Roma nomads were accepted, as well as appreciated for their contribution to the society. The duke of Lithuania, even granted special rights to Roma community for electing their own king (Baron), and follow their culture, in whichever way they wanted.
But, industrial revolution rendered their vocational skills outdated. Soon, Roma nomads were only associated with sorcery, fortune telling and thefts. The native Lithuanian society adopted proverbs and phrases putting a strong stereotypical image on the nomads. Looking at them with doubts, and even disgust. Times changed, and the segregation took the next level of atrocities during Nazi times, and later under the harsh dictatorship of Joseph Stalin, when Lithuania was part of Soviet USSR. The Roma community was persecuted, targeted in the name of ethnic cleansing, sent to concentration camps, killed, raped, and treated worse than slaves on many occasions. Now with new world political order, nomadic life is no longer supported. But, with this historical background, the social stereotypes continue to exist. In Lithuania, people doesn't want even a single Roma family in their neighbourhood, the employment agency send Roma individual for jobs, and the employer reject them for no proper reason, the children of Roma families suffer segregation in schools. Subject to harsh stereotypes and myths, the community struggles to be accepted as a part of European society. In such adverse circumstances, the next generation of Roma tries to seek a prosperous future. When societies on both sides cling to their prejudices, the next generation suffers. Lack of education leads to unemployment, and unemployment leads to crime, and, the merry-go-round starts.
This project is an attempt to shift the eyes from Roma culture, to Roma future. Focusing on younger generation of Roma nomads, their aspirations and obstacles posed by racism, and segregation. Based in Kirtimai; a slum next to Vilnius international airport, where roughly 400 Roma nomads (50% of which are children younger than 18 years old) live in harsh conditions. Absence of potable water, electricity, and other essential commodities is the story of daily struggle here. On top of that, the area is constantly under police vigilance, and often the municipality and police come over to destroy houses in the area in the name of municipal laws, forcing many families to live in the same house, for safety reasons. The houses which are made of wooden shackles, not at all fit for living in winters with temperature going as low as -25 degree celsius.
Such environment is destructive for children. As a child, watching police destroy their homes, and, as a teenager not being accepted at schools due to their appearance, culture, and native language leave a scar on their personalities. This scar reinforces segregation, not just in the minds of native Lithuanian society, but also in Roma community against the native Lithuanian people. Lithuania with a population of just 2,647,159, loses positive contribution of a few thousand young minds, which can be a significant number for such a small country. Furthermore, the children of Roma community are deprived of nourishment for their talents. The children in Kirtimai, are as smart and energetic as any other child in the world. A lot of potential doctors, engineers, singers, dancers, artists, politicians and whatever profession that one can imagine, are living without proper heating, during the winters of higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere.
The obstacles are on both sides for these kids. Living right next to the capital of Lithuania, they dream of living in an apartment in the metropolitan city, even though, the people in the city don't even want to have Roma people in their country. And, the history of living in a box of stereotypical image, harsh separation, and suspicious eyes, have made Roma community's older generation, very angry and doubtful towards anyone who comes from outside the community. Therefore, the younger generation of Roma nomads, find their future in uncertain grounds. And, all the psychological, mental, social, political, and academic challenges which comes with that.