Understanding the Spiritual Resilience of the Roma People in Ukraine
In the midst of the devastation of the war in Ukraine, the Roma people are finding spiritual guidance and support through TWR — and the program is bearing fruit.
Formerly known by the sometimes-disparaging term “Gypsy,” the Roma people are one of the most discriminated-against and disadvantaged groups in Europe, according to the human rights-focused Council of Europe. With a population of between 10 million and 12 million, they compose the largest minority group in Europe. More than half a million Roma died in Nazi concentration camps, according to the council.
It is believed that hundreds of thousands of Roma people, also known as Romani, live in Ukraine. Prior to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, between 250,000 and 400,000 Roma were thought to reside in Ukraine, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The Ukrainian Roma community was vulnerable and isolated before Russia’s invasion. The war has added hardships to the Romani, who continue to face systematic and individual discrimination.
Alex Chmut, director of TWR Ukraine, said, “In the midst of war, we continue to be called to serve families.” A TWR program, Roma Camp Moves On, provides biblical teaching for the Ukrainian Romani. These programs are about spiritual guidance and support, culture and the history of the Roma. An integral part of the broadcasts are songs and music written by Romani. Thematic programs are devoted to various aspects of the Christian life of the Roma, their history in different regions, interesting facts of their life and biblical themes.
In August 2022, a spiritual awakening among the Roma appeared to be occurring amid the horror of the war in Ukraine. Henrietta,* the coordinator for TWR in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, reported learning of several hundred Ukrainian Romani who were baptized in what appeared to be an outdoor service with a large number of people robed in white.
Listeners to Roma Camp Moves On continue to share their appreciation. “Thank you for the mind and hands of those who made this little radio, which brings great joy to all who use it,” a woman from Ukraine’s Khmelnitsky region wrote. “It is spiritual food with everything I need for life – promises, advice, wisdom, comfort and support.”
* A pseudonym for security purposes
Images: (top, banner) Roma women chat while sitting in the pews in their church during a TWR Women of Hope-led conference.
