Valentyna Halaichuk

I used to be an ordinary Roma girl with no plans or dreams for the future. I lived like everyone around me and had no idea that I could aspire to a different life. I grew up in a large family in the Odesa region, helped my mother with housework, and took care of my younger siblings.
 

One day, I was invited to a retreat organized by the Roma Human Rights Center for the development of Roma girls. My conservative family didn’t want to let me go, but I was determined — I felt like I needed to be there. To gain their approval, respected community members stepped in and vouched for me. When I arrived, it felt like I had entered a different world. I had no idea that life could be like this.
 

At the retreat, we learned many new and inspiring things — about leadership, about our place in the world, and about women’s rights. We were encouraged to grow and shown that we’re capable of more than we think. We were then offered scholarships to attend courses of our choice, and that became the start of a new life for me. I met amazing people who supported me, and for the first time, I realized: I could have a better future.
 

On the final day of the retreat, I didn’t want to go home. That day was a turning point — I decided I couldn’t go back to my old life and would do everything I could to change it.

Today, I work as an assistant coordinator and Roma mediator at the very organization that once helped me and continues to support me. My greatest wish is for more retreats like this to be available for Roma girls because I know how important they are. I’ve walked this path myself, and I want every Roma girl to find her own identity and strength.
 

Now, I have goals, plans, and belief in myself. I’m starting law school this year — something I couldn’t even dream of a few years ago. Now I know: anything is possible if you believe in yourself and work for it.
 

My story is proof that change is possible — you have to believe in yourself.