My Czech colleagues from Reflex magazine want to be polite. So they brought some sweets and oranges to the Gypsy village Patoracke in Rudňany – one of the poorest Roma settlement in Slovakia. It was shortly after adopting euro for an official currency in Slovakia and they wanted do find out if Gypsy people understand the new situation. They intended to give fruit and sweets to the children and to speak with their parents. But immediately after entering to Patoracke they were attacked by group of people of all ages who wanted to plunder their piece. Hands of shocked Czech reporters were empty in three seconds. Several people ended in mud so they were rising themselves from the ground. Well, who wouldn´t run for his life for a candy? Mainly in this misery with only low social money (because hardly any adult man or woman has a job) from which they have to pay high loan – interest to leechs. They come for their money to the post directly, where people get their social money. The old Gypsy lady didn´t even have her money in her hands when well dressed Gypsy came and took his portion. He counted twenty euro for living costs of her and her family, gave it to poor woman and the rest put into his pocket. Crying, screaming, begging, nothing helped. People from the poorest huts in Patoracke are in debts for many years after they took loans for 200 – 400 % loan – interest. „Leechs?“ Gypsy women turn their heads several hours later. „They were here long time ago. But since a preacher came, all of them turned to faith and quit doing bad things.“ The only one work for unemployed people in Patoracke is stealing wood in forest and chop it into logs, for heating in stove. Women, hang with several children, wash clothers or cook sometimes. But – they have no time. „ Kindergarten? It´s so far from here! I don´t have any time to go there with my children!“ the young missis Horváth told me when I was asking why her three children sit in a hut. Journey to the kindergarten takes about five minutes and kindergarten is free for Gypsies from Patoracke. Town Rudňany pays for it just to prepare children from settlement for basic school. They teach them Slovak language but also how to use flush toilet or turn a tap and wash in warm water. „It´s really very, very far,“ another missis Horvath, mother of seven children, agrees. To be closer to kindergarten, Gypsies from Patoracke have very bright idea: Build new flats for us, right next to the kindergarten! Several social block of flats of lower standard is already there. They look worn out after two years of using. But some people are still living here in Patoracke, in huts without running water and with „open air“ toilet – in places of actual need – feel as a big injustice that they didn´t get any new flat. „We don´t have any money or land for building another social flats,“ says Miroslav Blišťan, mayor of Rudňany. He is in mayor´s post for 18 years and knows „his“ Gypsies very good. „I was working in a coal mine with many of them.“ Rudňany was famous mine town during socialism time. Under Patoracke there are old schafts. People in Patoracke invite us into their small huts. Outside there is garbage everywhere. Inside there live families with more than seven children. They have hardly any furniture. Just TV is in every one hut. It´s unbelievable how natural for this people is just to receive things. Mayor should take away garbage from Patoracke. Mayor should build showers for them. Mayor should send them more social money. Also little kids repeat this after their parents with the same hate. „How can we live in this hut with four children? I went to ask mayor for some land where I would build a new house with my own hands. But he didn´t give me any land,“ mister Horvath frowns. It´s vicious circle. „Did you want so many children?“ I ask to 28 years old missis Horvath whose husband is in prison. „No,“ she smiles and lits another cigarette. But what she could do? She became pregnant every time her husband went home from prison. Woman has no right to decide about this things in this community. Social worker Danka is waiting for Gypsies who should come to community center in Patoracke for family care lesson. But nobody came. „If you want to work with this community you have to adapt to it,“ resigns Danka. I think that the opposite would make more benefits sometimes.

More photos on Facebook gallery:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=2029673&id=1475550431