by Aleksandar Mitanoski, social worker at Association Centre for Educational Support of Roma Children – Dendo vas, in Skopje, Macedonia

I have heard about REYN for the first time by the director of my organization, Zaklina Durmis. She has attended REYN workshop in Skopje, Macedonia, and after that workshop, she shared with the staff the benefits of being part of the REYN community. That’s why I applied for membership and I have been a REYN member for almost one year.

I consider REYN as a young network of professionals and paraprofessionals with different skills, knowledge, experience and education. In REYN you can find many people who actively work with Romani and Travelers in the different organizations and countries. I am very happy to be part of this great group of workers who are directly involved in development of communities where Roma people live.

Thanks to REYN, I gained new skills and techniques which I am able to use in my daily work with children and parents. As educator of children from primary school, through the participation in REYN training I learned new modern, creative and innovative methods to work with children. Also, during REYN trainings, I was able to share my positive experience, ways of working, methods, and approaches which I use in my organization. The trainings organized by REYN represent very good opportunities to exchange experiences and practices with other practitioners and to learn from each other. Moreover, it is a good opportunity to start new collaboration and partnership with other organizations and professionals who are active in the area.

In my point of view, REYN can DO and OFFER many useful trainings, tools, methods, study visits and other educational services for professional development of people who work with and in the Romani communities. I encourage and invite teachers, social workers, educators, youth workers, psychologists, leaders, students, volunteers… everybody who want to learn and to gain more experience and education in this field, to join and to contribute in development of REYN community.