In November 2016 the Nacional Roma Centrum gave out school supply and school bags to the first graders and called them to participate in a competition. Children who made drawings and submitted them to the NRC and the partner organizations were awarded with a school package. This package had chocolate, cockies, candy and snacks but also felt tip pens, play-doh, colouring pencils,crayons andnote books. The purpose of it was to encourage them to try hard in school and be responsible.

Mevljana likes to do Mevre’s hair

Mevljana is a lovely 7-year-old girl that goes to “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” school in Kocani , in teacher Gordana’s class. She has a 3-year-old sister Mevre of which she likes to take care of with a huge sisterly love. When she grows up she wants to be a hair dresser because she loves streightening hair. She enjoys colouring and playing with her sister who is her number one customer in her “ hair salon”. When we talked to her, she sang a few songs and she told us that in the drawing she submited she drew her school, her house, the friend she goes to school with and her school bag.  In Romano Vilo’s children’s nest she likes to draw and play. She plans to share the package she received for her drawing with Mevre.

Emer is going to be a pigeon flying champion

Emer Dzeladinov goes to “Malina Pop Arsova” primary school  in Kocani, in teacher Marija’s class. He knows everything about pigeons. He likes to play ball and jurija with his friends but his main passion are pigeons-he trains them, feeds them and teaches them to stand on his shoulder and to him not all are the same. The drawing he submited is rich in colour and shapes, with many smiling children’s faces. It is the perfect representation of how a smart little child is supposed to draw.

Gizem loves to play with her dad

Gizem Shainova is 6 years old and goes to first grade in teacher Jule’s class. When she’s not at school  she plays with her dolls and kitchen the most with her friend Dilara. She has a 2-year-old sister Semra. However, she likes to play with her dad the most, who pampers her, brushes her hair, dresses her up, but she also gives him paracetamol when he’s sick. Her drawing is simple- a house, a tree, sun and clouds, but it is very neat such as the little Gizem.

Mevre has the most beautiful eyes

Mevre Adilovska drew a big fat Santa Clause with a full sack from who she expects a gift. The quiet and silent Mevre with the most beautiful eyes, told us about the games she plays with her friend Sula and her 15-year-old sister Sonka that looks after her the most. She really liked the school package that has everything.

Bushra and the Chrismas tree made from pencils

Bushra Azirova is 8 years old and in the attempt to help her brother, she drew a wonderful tree and made the decorations from a pencil rubber. She loves to play teacher, and her students are her 2 younger brothers. When she grows up she wants to be a teacher. She likes to play board games with her dad and daddy always wins. She plays hair dresser, doctor and teacher with her friend Eleonora. Her favourite food is  stuffed cabbage leaves.

When Ismail becomes a policemen he will arrest all the thieves

Ismail Jasharov drew a cherry tree and a school, but he forgot to draw the teacher and the children. He loves drawing cars and guns, but for this topic he couldn’t draw what he really wanted.

He always plays cups and thieves with his dad  and always arrests his dad and takes him to prison because he stole. He’s absolutelly sure that he wants to be a police man. Even when he plays with other kids he plays cops and thieves. His favourite food is lentil but also chocolate and cake.

Gulfidan is going to be a doctor

Gulfidan Durmishova goes to “Dimitar Vlahov” school in teacher Gorinka’s class whom she drew in the drawing she brought at the Open Children’s nest at the Roma integration center in Stip. She loves drawing with her dad who helped her finish the drawing. She wants to receive a doll and lego from Santa. She’s going to be doctor when she grows up. She’s going to share the package she received with her dad, mum and her grandparents.

The quiet Amela loves to draw

Amela Demirova is a quiet first grader in teacher Jovanka’s class in “ Vanco Prke”. At home, she loves to watch cartoons and to draw. For the competition she drew a school and two children with a “compulsory” tree and clouds.

Ezel in the role of Santa Clause

Remzie and Ezel are brother and sister who like to play together. Ezel is in first grade and asked for help from his sister to make the drawing together for the package they received. His favourite game to play with his mom is “ringe ringe raja”. When we talked to Remzie he was preparing for the New Year school play in which he is playing Santa Clause and he even honoured us with a special live performance.

IIajda is going to share the package with her brother

Ilajda Agusheva is 6 years old and goes to “Goce Delcev” primary school in teacher Lidija’s class. Melek is her sister who’s almost one year old and her brother Sebajdin is 10 years old. When she grows up she’s going to be a doctor and she’s going to treat everyone. She’s sharing the package only with her brother because her little sister can’t eat chocolate yet. She drew her school, herself and her brother as students. In her free time she really likes to play.

Islam is going to be a soldier and he’s going to protect his sisters

Islam Mamudoski goes to second grade in “Sande Sterjoski” primary school in Kicevo. He lives with his 6 sisters and his grandmother. His dad died and his mom left. His oldest sister Almira, who’s 13, looks after them.  She came with him in the “White Tower” service center union. He doesn’t have many toys but his most important toy is a gun. He wants to be a soldier so that he could look after his sisters. He regularly goes to school and his favourite subject is English so he honoured us with an english song. His sister Almira helped him with the drawing because they really wanted to participate in the competition and win a prize.

Despite the poverty, Amela regularly goes to school so that she could be a teacher

Amela Mamudoska is a year older than Islam. They go to school together, without skipping a day. She knows that she has to study hard if she’s going to be a teacher one day. Her bigger sister Almira helps her when she doesn’t understand something. She left school after 5th grade so that she could look after her siblings. Amela brought her younger sister Sara who wants to be a grown up.  They really like their sister Almira’s potato stew. These children live alone and any help from kind people is welcomed.

Bajram helps his mom with the baby every day

Bajram Huseinovski goes to first grade in “Sande Sterjoski” primary school in Stip in teacher Jagoda’s class. When we talked to him he wanted a car and a plain from Santa. He loves to draw and he drew a Christmas tree and a child. For the competition he drew his favourite animals. His father is on a temporary employment in Switzerland making windows and Bajram is going to join him when he grows up. With his dad is absent, he helps his mom when his brother Damir needs changing diapers.

Aisha loves to wear make-up

Aisha Husoska is 6 years old and goes to “Sande Sterjoski” primary school in Kicevo. She has a younger brother Muhamed who’s 5 years old. Aisha loves to wear make- up and wants to work in make-up retail or to sell dolls.  She drew a very beautiful drawing and she drew herself with a very special hairdo. She drew the house very neat and coloured it in even more beautifully.

Adela is going to take us on a ride in a blue BMW

Adela Redzeposka is 6 years old and when she’s sure that when she grows up she’s going to be a doctor and she will treat anyone that’s ill, but she’s also sure that she’ll drive a blue BMW. As the youngest in her family she is the center of attention. She gets most attention from her older sisters. When it’s bedtime she cuddles with Olaf and goes to her beautiful innocent dreams.

Medine in the role of a snowflake

Medine Ademoska drew a beautiful drawing in which she drew herself and her school pal. It’s raining and they are carrying umbrellas. When we talked to Medine she was ready to take part in the “Dobre Jovanovski”  New Year school play where she plays a snowflake. She wanted a phone and toys from Santa. She has two older sisters Rabija who’s 11 and Amieta who’s 14. She’s going to share the package with them.

Muhamed with the blue Mercedes

Muhamed Uzeiroski knows all car brands and wants to be a car mechanic when he grows up.  He really wants to grow up so that he can drive them.  He likes to play with cars with his 10-year-old brother Nure. Out of all the cars he’s familiar with he would like to drive a blue Mercedes the most. He drew a school, a tree, himself and his teacher to win the package.

Shanel is a hard-working girl

Shanel Bajramovska goes to “Dobre Jovanovski” primary school in Prilep and she really tried hard when she applied in the competition. She drew herself standing in front of the school as it was demanded in the competition.  The girl with the beautiful smile likes going to school, to hang out with her friends and helping the elders with their work.

All sick head to Turkijana’s for shots

Turkijana Dervishoska had just returned from the school celebration where she played a snowflake, so we continue with the performance and she beautifully recited a poem.  She told us that she’s going to be a nurse when she grows up and she will give everyone shots. She drew her “big” teacher whom she probably likes very much, desks, chairs, blackboard and a few class mates and these are the things that create a classroom.

Sanel is a hard-working son and grandson

Sanel Salioski is a very talkative and interesting child and most importantly very hard-working. He helps everyone at home, when he’s not at school he carries lodge with his grandfather and brings merchandise in his father’s shop.  He also helps his mom with the housework and looks after his 1-year-old-brother. He also has a 10-year-old sister with whom he’ll share the package.

Dean Armend is saving up to buy a Lamborghini

We received a very interesting drawing from Dean Armend in which he had drawn our corespondent from Roma Perspective union delivering the school bags and supply. It probably left an impression on him. Dean has an older sister Angela and brother Arkan whom he’s going to take for a ride in his red Lamborghini which he’ll buy after he saves up working as a car mechanic.  He doesn’t have a car currently because his father can’t afford to buy one although he would really like to have one.

Severin prescribes only syrup for the sick

Severin is a serious little lady who drew us the most interesting big flowers and kids in PE class. She’s going to grow up and become a doctor but she won’t give shots only syrup to the ill children. When she’s not at school she likes to play with her dolls and lego.

Zakir made a beautiful drawing

Zakir Dzafer goes to first grade in “11 Octomvri” primary school. His teacher is Nikolina. In the competition he had a beautiful drawing, with many colours, representing how he imagines the school, which is full with children. His drawing was beautiful, cheerful and playful. Even though he’s very young, he understands that he has to go to school for a very long time if he wants to be a teacher. While we were talking with him in the children’s nest in NRC, he drew a child and a house and gladly gave it to us as a present. He liked the package a lot and told us that he will share it with his 3 brothers and sister.

Musa knows a ton of songs

Musa goes to “Braka Miladinovci” primary school in teacher Goko’s class. He is a very talkative and a cheerful child. He recited a few songs which he knew by heart and could say them flawlessly. Through our conversation we found out that he’s also very hard working, that he helps his brother when he’s feeling ill and that he knows how to clean and sweep so that he could help his mom.  He is convinced that he will be a policeman when he grows up.

Erol, Fabiola and the two lovely smiles

Erol and Fabiola are brother and sister out of the 5 children in the Demirovski family. They are returnees and have only recently got involved in the social processes of the country. Both children are shy and modest with lovely smiles. When Erol grows up he wants to work in the ER and help people. They will devour the packages they received with the other siblings waiting for them at home.

Nada and Almira are Schwestern

Nada is 8 years old and Almira 7. They came back from Germany this year and both of them go to 1 grade together in „Braka Miladinovci“. They barely speak Macedonian, so they recited a few songs in German because they went to school there. They are going to need some time to adjust and learn but Nada and Almira are smart girls.

Fernando is a football fan

Fernando loves to watch and play football. He watches football with his brother Bajram and they cheer for the opposite teams  which causes them to argue. They came very well dressed to receive the package and they were ready for the New Year school play and to take a photo with Santa. Fernando and Bajram study together, watch football together and they are going to share the package together.

The friendly Amela is constantly surounded by friends

Amela came  with her friends to the children’s nest and they recited many songs. She loves to go to school because she has friends there and she likes to play with Maca the most. Her teacher Zorica is her role model  and she wants to be a teacher when she grows up. She drew her and her mom returning from school. Amela has an older sister Ajsela and brother Alen with whom she’ll share the pachage.