The latest attempt to lift the Roma community out of abject poverty

An article in today’s Magyar Nemzet stated that “The Tiszabura model may provide the key to closing the gap between Gypsies and non-Gypsies.” I must admit that I had never heard of the “Tiszabura model.” Instead, I had read only horror stories about this poverty-stricken village, inhabited mostly by Gypsies.

For instance, during the last national election, the citizens of Tiszabura were told for whom they should vote. The Fidesz leaders of the village even accompanied the citizens into the voting booth to make sure that they cast their votes for the right party. The result was predictable. More than 90% of the votes went to Fidesz.

Another article reported that the sister of the mayor bought up, on the cheap, the firewood that the government had provided for the needy. A third report described the experiences of the only psychologist in the whole district who is trying to help rape victims, but her meeting with her patients has to take place at the bank of a creek for lack of a proper facility. Another article explained how despair in Tiszabura drives young girls to become mothers at the age of 15 or even younger.

The first account of what has been going on to improve the lives of people in the villages of Tiszabő and Tiszabura appeared last week in Portfolio. The article was titled “The Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta received more than 10 billion-forints worth of EU money in the last few years.” Among its projects were the villages of Tiszabő and Tiszabura. The Orbán government, which has been eager to get rid of the “Gypsy problem” for years, on September 1, 2016 passed the grammar schools of these two villages on to the School Foundation of the Maltese Charity Service. The money the charity recently received is earmarked for the enlargement of the schools because here there is no problem of too few births. In each of these villages approximately 80 children are born every year, and more than half of the population is under the age of 18.

From what we have learned about the “Tiszabura model” the Maltese Charity Service seems to be doing a good job in these two villages. In fact, in recognition of its general success, the government brought one of its executives into the government to run its Roma program.

Past government appointees were disasters. First, the government named Flórián Farkas, a Roma member of parliament, as government commissioner for Roma affairs. He turned out to be a crook who stole billions of EU subsidies intended for the Roma community. He therefore had to be removed from his job, although he doesn’t have to fear legal consequences for his crimes because he is being shielded by the Orbán government, which is grateful for Farkas’s delivery of the Roma vote.

Once Farkas was let go, the job was taken over by Zoltán Balog, former minister of human resources, who for some strange reason is regarded by Fidesz as an expert on Roma affairs even though he firmly believes in educational segregation, which, as the majority of authorities agree, is a sure way of keeping the Roma children in a disadvantaged position for good.

In April Magyar Nemzet learned that Zoltán Balog had been relieved of his duties as government commissioner in charge of Roma affairs. The real story behind his departure is somewhat murky, but it seems that Balog’s departure was not exactly voluntary. A year earlier he had asked for more time to work out his program, but this February, after a five-hour discussion at the cabinet meeting, his proposals weren’t approved.

A few days later Sándor Pintér, minister of the interior, announced that Miklós Vecsei, vice-president of the Maltese Charity Service, will replace Balog as government commissioner with the rank of undersecretary. Moreover, the whole secretariat will be placed under the ministry of interior as opposed to being part of the ministry of human resources. He also announced that the “Tiszabura model” (not explained) will be expanded to cover the country’s 300 poorest villages, inhabited mostly by the Roma minority. It is not clear why the secretariat had to move to the ministry of interior, but evidently the government was impressed by what they saw in Tiszabő and Tiszabura.

Tiszabura’s sewing shop

What do we know about the “Tiszabura model” in action? The only description of the improvements is available in the article that appeared in today’s Magyar Nemzet. If that description of the situation is accurate, the project sounds promising. Although the Maltese Charity Service took over the schools only in 2016, they have evidently done a great deal more than run the two schools. First of all, the Maltese Education Foundation is convinced that the future of children is determined by the education they receive from the very first day of their lives. The very young, inexperienced mothers receive a lot of help from social workers who are specially trained to deal with babies and their mothers. The charity follows the Finnish practice of providing each newborn with a box full of necessities. The box can also be used as a crib. Children under the age of three spend most of their day in a nursery school where teachers take care of them while their mothers are being taught useful skills. The villages’ kindergartens were taken over by the Maltese Charity Service, and both the buildings and the care have been greatly improved. Until the regular school buildings are expanded, the lack of an adequate number of classrooms is being temporarily solved with rented air-conditioned containers.

Tiszabura’s carpenter shop

The Maltese even ventured into creating employment opportunities. They found a good carpenter in one of the villages who organized a shop that by now has nine employees and a long waiting list. They organized a group of women who sew items for large events. Apparently, they have a lot of orders. In Tiszabő they set up a plant that makes pickles. A laundry run by public workers accommodates those who have no washing machines.

All this may sound too good to be true, but the philosophy behind Miklós Vecsei’s activities is realistic. Instead of imposing thoughtless uniformity on communities, those who want to see change must adjust to local needs and local possibilities.

Unfortunately, no one from the government bothered to discuss these plans with the representatives of the Roma minority. They are happy with Miklós Vecsei’s appointment, since he has a very good reputation, but they still want to sit down and discuss the program with the new undersecretary. Another big question mark is how much money will be available for this very ambitious project. From media reports it is not at all clear how much the accomplishments in these two villages have cost in the past three years. Most likely a great deal of money. And now the plan is to make similar changes in 300 villages with similar problems.

I am doubtful that Vecsei will be able to implement his vision due to financial restraints, the shortage of trained personnel, and a general lack of resolve. But whatever gets implemented has to be an improvement over the government’s non-performance in the past nine years.

July 18, 2019