A little part of my soul dies every time I hear the nasty adjectives "ugly," "stupid," "dishonest," and "worthless" associated with Roma. I've worked with these kids for two years now, and have found absolutely nothing different about these kids than any other child I've ever met. Sure, they may not be the most academically inclined students, or have the biggest dreams or aspirations, but if you came up in a society or system that didn't care whether you failed or succeeded, I'm pretty sure the same thing could be said about you.

The most reassuring aspect of working in international Youth Development is this:

KIDS ARE KIDS.

Period.

No matter where you are, or what color their skin is, or how clean their clothes are, or if an overwhelming representation of an entire culture thinks of them as a nuisance.

Need proof???