News / The First Week With the Interns

Wednesday:

The new group of international interns arrived this past Monday from Lehigh University. On Wednesday morning, they caught a train to Nymburk where they met with members of the organization called RSOP. Together they discussed the problems that the Roma face in the Czech Republic and then went into the town to meet with some of the Romani people who lived in this excluded locality.
The interns talked with a Roma family about their lives in Nymburk; what kind of facilities they had, what kinds of education their children were getting, and whether or not they had been able to find work. Their home in Nymburk was a step up from the place they had been staying before moving to Nymburk, and the man had gotten a job working at a bumper factory, but they were still looking for a school for their children.

Later that day, the interns returned to the city where they met up with Marie Homerova in the Wallenstein Gardens, where they began their tour of Prague. Marie knows all of Prague's history and gave the students very in depth explanations of the long history of the city of Prague as well as of the country of the Czech Republic, while touring around Prague Castle and many other areas of the Old Town.

Thursday:

On Thursday the interns met and discussed what they had learned and experienced the day before at Nymburk. They talked much about the disadvantages the Roma have had to face in life; the discrimination they face in the employment sector, the discrimination in housing and the discrimination they have faced when trying to find good education for their children. They watched a few videos on the struggles Roma throughout Europe have gone through, and researched more about their problems throughout history.

Later that day, the students went to the American Center, where Mr. Nate Webber gave a talk explaining what he does in his work with the Embassy and how they are working towards social inclusion. Representatives from Romea, Slovo 21 and Inclusio all gave talks as well about their efforts in working towards a more socially inclusive society, and the interns were told with which company they would be working with the next two weeks. Lauren with Romea, Morgan with Slovo 21, and Jon and Tuan were placed with Inclusio.

Friday:

The group of Lehigh students took the train to Brno, Friday, to visit the Museum of Romani Culture. The visit to the Museum was very helpful, the students learned a lot about the culture of the Roma, and their history as they dispersed throughout Europe, as well as the many problems they have constantly faced.

Saturday:

The students were split up and paired with a Czech volunteer on Saturday to complete a scavenger hunt throughout Prague. This was a good activity to ensure that the students were completely oriented to the city, and could travel around and do basic things, like travel to Wenceslas Square, or order a drink, without getting lost or messing up. The winner of the scavenger hunt was Lauren, who was the first one back to the hostel that completed every item on the list.

Sunday:

The group was again joined by Marie Homerova and they went off to Terezin where they toured the concentration camp that used to be housed there. Marie was a wonderful guide, as always, and taught the group a ton of information on the history of the city and its use during the Holocaust. Afterwards, they traveled to Lidice, a city that was completely destroyed by the Nazis following the assassination of Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich. It was a very powerful day, in which the students learned a lot of history.