Call for donations for "ROMNI" during the festival events

We, the team of the Festival Theaterformen, look with concern and horror at the devastating Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. We stand in solidarity with the people in Ukraine and with all those who are working for peace.

Theaterformen artist Nicoleta Esinencu and her collective teatru-spălătorie, together with the self-organisation "ROMNI", support refugee Romnja from Ukraine who are seeking refuge in the Republic of Moldova. Rom*nja are affected by discrimination in the Republic of Moldova as well as everywhere in Europe and even more so by the consequences of the war.

For this reason, we are collecting donations at this year's festival for the platform "ROMNI", which will benefit concrete help for refugee women and children from Ukraine. All donations received during the festival will be collected and handed over to "ROMNI" at the end of the festival. 

The Roma Women's Platform "ROMNI" is a non-governmental organization established to support and promote the rights of Roma women and their children from Moldova. The platform was established in 2016 and registered with the Ministry of Justice on September 16, 2016. Currently "ROMNI" has over 150 members from all over the country.

The aims of the Platform are to contribute to:

* Helping and supporting Roma women;

* Integration of Roma women in society;

* Psychological, legal, empowerment and rehabilitation assistance for Roma women;

* Training staff for work in support programs in various fields;

* Organizing and financing information, training and educational programs;

* Raising the awareness of civil society regarding Roma women.

The group of beneficiaries and potential beneficiaries of the Platform consists of Roma women and their children. The president of „ROMNI“ is Elena Sîrbu, a Romnja.

The Republic of Moldova is currently hosting many refugee Ukrainian Romnja. In addition to the Ukrainian Romnja housed in Chișinău (currently over 300 people), there are Romnja living in former summer camps about 30 km from the capital (up to 400 people) and around 1,000 people housed in private accommodation in the villages of Moldova. Many of them are not officially documented. These Romnja need various support, such as registration with offices, medical care, support for children, assistance with rent/bills or support with the search for a job.

The Romnja who have fled are housed in separate reception camps whose facilities are often very sparse, often there are no showers or bed sheets. Even for those who could rent and pay for a flat, it is difficult to find suitable accommodation. There are Ukrainian Romnja who have managed to find housing in the villages, but they still get little support and have difficulty paying bills for gas, and electricity, or buying food.

Similarly, there is a large group of refugee Romnja from Ukraine who live in former summer camps about 30 km from the capital in the forests. These people also receive hardly any help, many of them are not even officially registered.

"ROMNI" hardly receives any humanitarian aid. All relief goods go to a central sorting centre and stay there for at least a month. This puts "ROMNI" in a complicated situation. Funds are also limited, only occasionally ROMNI does receive donations from individuals. Elena Sîrbu and the members of "ROMNI" partly use their own food and medicine to support the refugee Romnja.

Please click here to go to the official Facebook page of ROMNI