Volunteers bring English & Literacy to the Roma families

In partnership with Luton Adult Learning, 14 volunteers have trained how to deliver English Language and Literacy to our Roma families.  Each volunteer is carefully matched to each family and several are now up and running.  As you can see below, we have a wide range of people who have volunteered.  Funding has come from Bedfordshire & Luton Community Foundation.   The needs of the Roma community are hugely diverse, even within the same family.   We hope over a generation to break the cycle of illeracy leading to unemployability, poverty and dependancy.  Above all, if the families start to believe "English is cool," then anything is possible.  School teachers constantly beg us to do anything we can to help their Roma pupils keep pace with the class, Roma parents often ask for help too.  If more funding is forthcoming, then we can train up more volunteers...   Keen to come on board?  Email me here!

A word from the Lord for the Roma

Ezekiel 34:20-31

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

²⁰ Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.²¹ Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, ²² I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
²³ I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. ²⁴ And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, theLord, have spoken.
²⁵ I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild animals from the land, so that they may live in the wild and sleep in the woods securely. ²⁶ I will make them and the region around my hill a blessing; and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. ²⁷ The trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase. They shall be secure on their soil; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and save them from the hands of those who enslaved them. ²⁸ They shall no more be plunder for the nations, nor shall the animals of the land devour them; they shall live in safety, and no one shall make them afraid. ²⁹ I will provide for them a splendid vegetation so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the insults of the nations. ³⁰ They shall know that I, theLord their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord God. ³¹ You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture^[a] and I am your God, says the Lord God.

Live Mock Trial - The verdict

The UK Government was put on trial at our live, mock trial.  The charge: failure to comply with European Regulations with regard to the treatment of Roma economic migrants seeking to establish themselves in the country.   The audience of c.40 was the jury.  The verdict:  UK Government found guilty.  See the full court line up below... And a great new song capturing the plight of the Roma...

"Wherever I am I am home

wherever I stand I don't stand alone

when I look inside myself

I'm aware of who I be

I belong to the world

the land of the free

we try to fit in society

but we don't want to play 

with their fraternity

I'm on a different radio frequency

and far more deeper than A-Z

my story is a mystery

and the guys who don't know me

Me som Romano shavo (I'm a Romani lad)

hai chi som korkorro (and I'm not alone)

hai me birav sim khere (I have a right to be at home)

av putiera pe tele[?]  

Hai dikh murro traiio (just look at my life)

We have travelled the world 

on the darkest night

looking for a friend

in the candlelight

we do our best to understand

and learn the language of the land

we try not to judge

the lion's in the sand

pointed fingers in my face

so I'm moving on to a different stage

I'm rejected by society 

'cos I'm living my life and I am free

Sostar si Romani bax ka savi [?] (why is Roma luck as it is?)

murri historia si parni (my story is white)

Me som Romano shavo 

hai chi som korkorro

hai me birav sim khere

av putiera pe tele[?]

Hai dikh murro traiio

Somebody help my wife and my baby

it's cold we have no place to stay

the drummers are drumming 

the footsteps are coming closer

and we're running away..."

http://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/218015?programid=2122&play=4615200&playtype=sändning

This link takes you to a RadioRomano Broadcast. Scroll to last 4 minutes to hear this great new song capturing the plight of the Roma people.  Above are the English-Romani words... If you can help with words email me:

email me