EVS Express

A class of 8-9 year old children telling you that they already worked as volunteers. Blue eyed primary school boy speaking about wind turbines importance for future environment friendly power supply while you are helping him to make a pinwheel. The children always amaze me. Not only their intelligence, but also differences between them are striking. Here, in Romania, ethnicity is very important while speaking about differences between children. I’m working in one secondary school with Romanian children and in another kids center where mostly Roma children are coming.

First day at school I started in a German speaking class. “A class for preparing future emigrants?” – was my first thought. But it was just first impression of a Lithuanian, who is used to her ethnically monolithic country. It’s Romania, moreover, Arad – a city close to boarder, which experienced a lot of invasions of different ethnic groups throughout the history. So a foreign speaking class is nothing new in here. Children in all the classes were behaving perfectly – listening accurately, kept silent while watching the instructions, raised hands if they had a question, and, most surprisingly, were extremely patient which is hard to expect from a 8-10 year old child. The politeness between them and seriousness while completing a task made me feel that I’m working with adults. I felt a relief after hearing their laugh while holding new toys in the hands and planning how they will play after school. 

First time I came to the children center, half a dozen of them hug me. Touching, hugging or taking your hand is very important for Roma children. They need to feel that you belong to him/her, maybe because they have lack of attention in their families. Children are expressive and loud in everything: playing, fighting with each other (don’t pretend that you never fought with your sister/brother) or working. In one theatrical activity a group of 9-10 years old kids made a spontaneous concert just with a help of tables, chairs and their hands, which amazed me. They really feel the music, it is part of them and kids are enjoying doing it. No rules, no masks just pure feelings and emotions are filling these children.

A nine years old girl drawing a snail on my hand asks me if I will be her friend. A boy with a tiny pinwheel on his eraser wants to know if I will come back. Of course I will, because children are like me, just smaller.