I can achieve a lot more than I thought
Monika, a mother of five children, lives in a Roma settlement in Dobšiná. It is one of the least developed regions of eastern Slovakia, where there is an extreme lack of job opportunities. Monika could not find a job either, so she applied to the UPre Women programme, hoping that this would increase her chances of employment.
At first she was shy in training, spoke little and often felt awkward. However, as the programme progressed, Monika slowly gained confidence. She attended every session, consistently stayed until the end and actively participated in the workshops. Over time, she began to share her thoughts and even found the courage to speak up for the other women in the group.
Roma women's voice matters
Monika also spoke on behalf of women from disadvantaged backgrounds at the World of Women event. She surpassed herself, because talking about her life in front of a hall of known and unknown people is very difficult. But Monika sat in the guest seat anyway and thus inspired other women. She showed them that their voice matters. And that they must learn to use their voice.
Monica’s personal growth throughout the programme was remarkable. She overcame her fears and continually pushed her boundaries. During a trip organized by the programme, she decided to ride a horse, even though she was incredibly scared of doing so. Monika’s progress also motivated her husband, who was one of the few Roma men to participate in the programme activities.
"Thanks to the UPre Women programme, I have tried things I have never experienced before. Now I know I can achieve so much more than I thought. I have found a job and I have learned a lot. I'm glad that our children were able to come to the meetings. If I hadn't been able to take my son with me, I wouldn't be able to go to the lectures. I'm grateful for that and I'm proud of myself."
Immediately after the programme Monika went for a job interview at Tesco in a distant town. Due to difficulties with commuting to late shifts, Monika had to give up the job. But a little later she and her husband got a job in a car company in central Slovakia, where they still work today.
How can a woman progress if her surroundings prevent her from doing so?
In this story, we will not disclose the name and identity of the participant and will call her UPre woman. This UPre woman joined the programme at Luník IX from the very beginning with a clear motivation – to find a job. She has always been active in the training sessions and from the beginning we saw a huge potential and desire to work on herself, to move forward, to get out of Lukník IX and to experience something other than just taking care of the household.
She's learning to assert her point of view
But over time it became clear that she was limited in her self-development by a partner who disapproved of her working or moving off the estate. Despite this, she persuaded him to allow her to attend two interviews. Unfortunately, she eventually declined both job offers at her husband’s insistence. And here we could end the story. But our UPre woman was already so motivated by the programme and excited about the new opportunities that she attended a third interview and received a short-term job offer. Her husband disagreed again but changed his mind after he was able to do this work with this UPre woman. These seemingly small steps motivated our UPre woman to be determined to assert her opinion, not to give up, and to go for her goal, even though the circumstances were not at all easy. The UPre woman has even set up her own phone number and is trying to regain a job that her husband had previously not allowed her to pursue. Her dream is to get out of Luník IX and live her life more fully.
We’re keeping our fingers crossed for her.
