Prešov - Return to Svinia

Ashley and I made our way into Svinia again today to visit our host families and bring them some of the items that we promised.

It was clear that, though they weren't expecting us and it was a bit chaotic when we arrived, they were still welcoming and happy to see us. I spent time with my host-mother perfecting my kinship chart and Ashley ended up making flat-bread at her families house.

There were a few interesting differences our first and second visits to Svinia...

Having a field study student paired with your family is apparently a highly sought after status symbol within the Roma community. There is an implied exchange of goods that comes from having relatively nice young people from a nation of wealth interact with a settlement of people who are terribly disadvantaged; we as well-meaning and compassionate Canadians want to give what we can to to the Roma, and the Roma know this.

As such Ashley and I were taken to the local store where we each spent about $20 Canadian on food and supplies for each of our families. There was a moment where Ashley and I mused at the notion that we were possibly being used, but ultimately we both thought, "you know what? It's twenty bucks. Even if that's all we are to them, what kind of jerks would we be if we gave two shits about $20."

Secondly, the pictures we take with them might be the only family photos they will ever get. Every family member took turns in front of one of our cameras having their portraits taken, some of them several times. Ashley and I happily complied.

I think there is a notion that a lot of young people have that when they spend time in places like Svinia: they're going to form some sort of bond with the people, or their life will be forever changed of they'll learn some kind of big life lesson that they can attribute to "all that time they spent with the gypsies in Slovakia". I don't think that's realistic, and I certainly don't think it's very cool to expect that kind of experience from anywhere you go. Poor people don't exist to enhance your privilege, and I think it's important to respect that it's not our duty (as privileged Westerners) to save poor people from themselves. Offer them help, yes. Change the systems that marginalize them, of course. But you can't swoop into a place and solve all the world's problems with money and good intentions.

Jen's host family in Svinia.

I think the big take-away from our time here was that there is real poverty in the world, and in places that you might not expect it. Svinia is essentially a Third World community living in a First World country, and there is no easy fix to bridge that divide.