Szénási Szilvia

Who am I?

I joined the team of Uccu Roma Informal Educational Founation in 2013, as a volunteer, and since 2016 I am working as the CEO of the organization. I believe that it is important for us Roma people to get our voice heard, show our way of thinking and speak about Roma society, culture and about our identity.  The walks can be a primary tool for supporting the social dialogue between Roma and non-Roma people, as with the Uccu Budapest Roma City Walks enterpreneurshipeverybody can have the opportunity for meeting and discussion with us.  I like to lead Uccu Walks, because it is a special experience for me to meet and get to know new people, new groups, tell the story of the 8th district, and because during the walk my identity and way of thinking becomes important part of the guiding.  This is why I still guide groups, because I learn at least as much as the group during the walks, as I am guiding them.

Ignácz Judit

Who am I?

I am an Uccu volunteer in Budapest since 2014. I consider Uccu’s work very important. The educational moduls in schools and also the walks are a challenge for me, because I experience that students have very little real knowledge about Roma.  I think, that the personal meetings between Roma and non-Roma can bring a change, and its primary platform is the school.  I also like to guide walks, because in case of the students, stepping out of the safe walls of the schools they can win over their own fears and think about their deeply rooted prejudices, stereotypes and can experience different lifestyles and views.  Besides all these, I can get to know a lot of very interesting people, viewpoints and opinions during the walks, which are highly useful and constructive.

Pocsai Bettina

Who am I?

Uccu volunteer in Budapest since 3 years. I grew up in a small village in Pest county, called Csobánka, and now I am student in a master program of sociology and social anthropology. I like to be an Uccu volunteer, as I can be thankful for Uccu in a lot of things. Uccu helped me to get to know myself and the world we are living in better.  It emerges all of the things I like to do, and still I know it is not only for my use.  I meet with awesome people every day, and I think it is great to be a member of such community.   Uccu gives an opportunity in everyday life to help creating a better and more liveable future. I like the walks that much also because of this, I have the chance to get to know new people and through them also develop myself.

Kékesi “Mandarin” Alexandra

kekesi

Who am I?

I am Mandarin, part of  UCCU Roma Informal Educational Foundation for 4 years. Uccu helped me to live my identity, to get to know our history, culture and to dare to say it out loud: I am Roma.  During the educational moduls I undertake and tell my story, eventhough I know that some of those sitting in front of me judge me only because I am different.  In my opinion, our activities are authentic because we dare to open up our souls and give all of what we are.  I like the fact that in Uccu we work together as a team and try to do something every day for tolerance.  Uccu walks provide a great opportunity for Roma and non-Roma to get to know each other.

Duka Andrea Annamária

duka

Who am I?

I started my volunteer work at Uccu Foundation in 2011 and then, from 2014 besides being educational coordinator I also joined the Come with us to the 8th district! program too.  I work as a Roma Ethnography teacher in a school in Budapest, but Uccu is still part of my life.I believe that the social conflicts and different prejudices can be best healed by discussions without taboos. I consider the professional efficiency very important during the educational moduls and also the walks, and we have got all preparations through trainings in Uccu for this. It is important for me to be self-confident when standing in front of our participants, either they are young students or professionals from different countries of the world. The prejudices, stereotypes and social exclusion means the same in every context, this is why I think it is important for me, as a walk tour guide too to enhance the social discussion between Roma and non-Roma.

Weinemer Ádám Zénó

Who am I?

I am 26 years old, professional dancer and choreographer. I have Roma blood too in my veins, so the “Roma question” applies to me too.

I think life is too short to rely on stereotypes. Lets experience, lets see, not only bad, but also good things! The walk gives exactly this experience, as you can get an insight to that reality where prejudices don’t have a broth, as the truth burnes up everything. So this from what Uccu walk becomes a really exciting city tour.

Ignácz Andi

Who am Ik?

I work as Uccu volunteer since 2013, till 2017 in Budapest, currently in Pécs.  From 2018 September I am working as a coordinator of Uccu Pécs City Walks at the Foundation.
I lead two types of city walk in Pécs: one in downtown of Pécs and the other one in the Eastern part of the city, in the so called ghetto, both in Hungarian and English.
I think that the different groups can ive together successfully only if both the minority and majority will be sensitized, incentivized for more openness and competent.  It is important to focus not only on the integration of the Roma who live in minority, but also on the openness of the majority, thus the integrational efforts can be more efficient this way. Uccu is doing exactly this: makes the non-Roma people think, and makes them more sensitive within the topic.

Vidák Gábor

setavezeto_5_

Who am I?

I am Gábor Vidák, I have a BA in social work, but studied also public policy and human resources management.  Currently I am working at the Educational Authority in an EU project, dealing with the support of disadvantaged youngsters, and besides this I am the professional manager of a program for supporting the people of segregated residential areas.  I am Uccu volunteer for more than 3 years now, currently coordinating the Uccu Pécs team.  I guided several walks in Budapest and Pécs too. I consider it important, the people to get to know the Roma history, culture and traditions, all this in the framework of an interactive walk. 

Farkas Kata

Who am I?

I am Klaudia Kata Farkas, I finished in 2018 at University of Pécs in faculty for social sciences, and I am also working for years in different areas of catering industry.  I was a student in the Wlislocki Henrik Special College, when through my friends, regarding a project I joined the Uccu volunteer team. In this project we recorded many small videos with students of Tanoda programs in Pécs, and also uploaded them to YouTube. Since then, I participated in many exciting programs as Uccu volunteer, and I love every minutes of it! I especially like our Pécs-Meszes (Never Seen Pécs) walk, because as a local, I can guide the perticipants in a very authentic way, but I also get to know more about the history of this part of the city.

Rostás Józsi

Who am I?

As a “First generation” UCCU volunteer I started to hold sensitization moduls in 2012, mostly in secondary schools in Roma and migration topics.  From 2014 I took part also in guiding the 8th district walks.  In 2016 I got my political science degree at ELTE University’s faculty of law, and I have lived in the US and in Belgium too. Currently I am doing a research on early childhood developments at EPHA as a trusted adviser. In Pécs I am guiding the Never Seen Pécs walk in English or in German.

Walks with me:

Orsós Zsolt

Wo am I?

My name is Zsolt Orsós, and I have a degree in social work. I am coming from a small village from Tolna county, I was raised in Iregszemcse. Currently I am living in Pécs, and work at a company in Mohács, as “weghing”. I got to know UCCU in 2018 February, through a volunteer of Uccu.  I liked the mission and the goals set in the organization. As a Roma youngster I consider it important to deal with the question of identity and to tackle prejudices and stereotypes. I think it is important to give back the already experienced feelings in order to create a “bridge” regarding the clarification of information and misbeliefs about Roma people. 

Végh Zoltán

Who am I?

I am Zoltán Végh, 25 years old, studying social work at University of Pécs, Faculty of Humanities. I am member of the Uccu volunteer team since 2014, where I hold identity workshops and lead the Downtown Pécs Walk. I consider the workof Uccu to be important, because we create the opportunity for putting the light on the Roma-related prejudices and generalizations from another point of view. Therefore we support the betterment of Roma and non-Roma society’s connection.

Walks with me: