“The most alive place I’ve ever lived”: among the Romani in North Macedonia

The examples set by my family and by my educational experiences helped solidify this outlook. As a university student, I traveled and studied in Europe, which cultivated a desire, at some point, to live and serve outside the U.S. Later opportunities to visit Japan and Jordan reinforced my interest.

I began with a career in law. While fulfilling, this life left me little time to enjoy my family or pursue other forms of giving back. After a few years in law, I returned to my family’s generational trade in optics and, for the next 30 years, served in the healthcare field.

Reconnecting with a dream

In my mid-50s, widowed and with my children grown, I turned my attention back to that long-ago goal of life and work overseas. I was born two months before Peace Corps was founded, so it had always sat in the back of my imagination. Now was the time to put my service ambitions to task. I applied to “serve where needed most” during COVID and, after a few delays, found my feet set on the path to the Balkans and North Macedonia!

The thrill has not worn off from the time I arrived. The first couple months of adjustment and Macedonian language training were challenging but not difficult. Living with a host family helped shorten the learning curve and having supportive staff and the camaraderie of fellow Volunteers eased any worries. North Macedonia is a beautiful country with a rich culture created by its position as a crossroads of peoples and history. It was not long before I knew that this was the work I sought and the perfect place to serve.

A Romani connection

My immigrant grandmother was of Romani ancestry, so I had stated my wish to the Peace Corps to serve within this community if possible. I was excited to be assigned to live and work in a large, self-governed Romani community. My apartment is above my host family, and they have been beautiful! We share time sitting outside on the street talking and watching the kids play. They even help me learn a bit of the Romani language. The Roma are a musical people and every day and night is filled with wonderful sounds. It is the most alive place I’ve ever lived.

A hub for learning

The Romani people are a historically marginalized minority, and the municipality has a 60% poverty rate. I work in a well-established NGO to deliver social services to the community. I support projects for vocational training, social integration, and youth education. The organization’s learning center serves Roma children as a hub for after-school instruction, support, and recreation, so much of my work is focused there.

Along with my counterpart, I created an environmental film club. The children learn about the causes and effects of air and water pollution, and the importance of conservation and recycling. They are also able to participate in eco-actions to clean up their neighborhood. Currently, I am working on a project to create a clearinghouse on information and aid available to the disabled.

A rewarding kindergarten project

One of my most rewarding projects has been working with the kindergarten. Roma children speak mainly Romani at home and often enter school deficient in the Macedonian language. This hinders their integration and advancement in the system, and may contribute to the fact that many never go beyond 9th or 10th grade. In addition to learning Macedonian, they also learned STEM concepts, celebrated International Women’s Day by delivering flowers and cards to mothers, and ended the year with a trip to the zoo.

At the end of the year, the 20 kindergartners proudly displayed their knowledge to their parents and schools. Parents beamed, the schools were delighted, and the children smiled broadly when receiving their diplomas! It was deeply satisfying to have helped make this day happen. That moment, and many more, is all I had hoped for when volunteering for the Peace Corps.

Take the leap

I would advise anyone who is thinking of service, at any stage of life, to consider the Peace Corps. It may seem daunting to leave the familiar but be willing to take that leap. I've not had a bad day since. Know that the smallest difference you make will be magnified through the lives you affect.

I am extending for another year here and then will return to the U.S. and work to fulfill the Peace Corps’ third goal, to bring back what I learned of North Macedonia to the people at home. And, in particular, to share the lives and culture of the Romani people.