Hedina Sijerčić
Hedina Sijerčić was born in 1960 in present-day Bosnia-Herzegovina. She is a graduate journalist and teacher. She organized and hosted Romani programs for the Radio-TV station in Sarajevo and worked as an activist for the International Romani Union. In Canada, she was the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian-Romani newsletter, Romano Lil and is an accomplished writer with several publications including poetry to her credit. More details are available here.
The English-language translation follows the original text below.
CV
Me bijandilem ande Rusija.
Me djelem ande skola ande Poska.
Me cherdem buchi sar sikado ande Romania.
Me djelem Rromehte ande Serbija.
Me cherdem buchi ande Bosna.
Angluno chavo bijandem ande Kroacija.
Dujto chavo ande Francuska, trinto ande Spanija, shtarto ande Germanija,
Thaj pandzto ande Belgija.
Me boldinajvdem ande Serbija.
Me bijandem shovto chavo ande Serbija.
Musaj te nashavav ande Italija, thaj kote bijandem mrno eftato chavo.
Me bijandem kote dujorre chave jekhethane.
Seha-man bari tragedija: Mo chavo mula thaj von phende sar vov tasavda
ande pajeste. Von trade amen, von phabarde amen, thaj von mangen amare
najendar vurma. Thaj e chavorendar.
Me sem daravni. Von cherde gova jekhvaratar ando nakhlo vakto. Daravni sem.
Me peklem nashipe ande Holandija.
Me bijandem deshto chavo.
Me bijandem deshojekhtato chavo ande Shvedska.
Me sem saranda bersh phuri.
Me vacharav Rromani (mrni dejaki chib), Rusicki, Slovaciski, Rumunski, Serbski, Bosnaki, Hrvatski, Talijanski, Francuski, Spanski, Germanski, Holandski thaj cira Engleski.
Mrni familija mangel thaj trubuj shajipe pala lachi edukacija.
Amen phenas pe hamisardino Evropsko chib. Odolese, amen das vorba pe Evropsko chib.
Mo cher si jekh „ Evropa ande ciknipeste“.
Phurilem.
Ako si mrno cher „Evropa ande ciknipeste“ athoska si Evropa „ Evropa ande baripeste“.
Angluno uladipe mashkare amende: Evropa ande ciknipeste si bilivarni
Evropa ande baripeste si livarni.
Dujto uladipe mashkare amende: Evropa ande ciknipeste naj-la love pala dzuvdipe, numaj von san jekhethane.
Evropa ande baripeste hi-la but love pala dzuvdipe numaj...
Trito uladipe...
Phendem kaj phurilem. Me paruvdem mrni vorba. E vorbasa musaj te dzav ando mrno trajo.
Astardem shovto chavoresko chavo.
Cherdem jekh turvinjipe e „Evropese ande ciknipeste“ te dzas ande Kanada.
Kote si shajipe pala amen pala skola thaj shaj te sikavas Englecki chib, amen phure tu.
Me dijem alav e chavorende pala avindipe.
Achen Devleha!
CV
I was born in Russia.
I went to school in Poland.
I worked as an apprentice in Romania.
I married in Serbia.
I got my job in Bosnia.
The first child I got in Croatia.
The second child in France, the third in Spain, the fourth in Germany,
The fifth in Belgium.
I returned to Serbia.
I got the sixth child in Serbia.
I had to escape to Italy, after the birth of my seventh child.
I got twins.
I endured the biggest tragedy: My child was found dead and they said he drowned in
the sea. They drove me away, they burned my roof, and they liked to take my
fingerprints. And from my children too.
I am scared. They did it once with the fingerprints not so long time ago. I am scared.
I escaped to Holland.
I got the tenth child.
I got the eleventh child in Sweden.
I am forty.
I speak Romani (my mother tounge), Russian, Slovakian, Romanian, Serbian, Bosnian,
Croatian, Italian, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and a little bit English.
What my family needs is literacy and a fair chance for good education.
We speak mix-European language. Then, we speak European languge.
My house then is „Europe in small“.
I am getting old.
If my house is „Europe in small“ then Europe is „Europe in big“.
The first difference between us: Europe in small is illiterate
Europe in big is literate.
The second difference between us: Europe in small doesn't even have money for its mere existence but she keeps a communal spirit.
Europe in big has more than enough money for its existence but ...
The third difference ...
I told you I am getting old. I switch my theme. I have to follow my CV.
I got the sixth grandchild.
I proposed „Europe in small“ to move to Canada.
I found out there we could go to school and study English, regardless of how old we are.
I promised my children and grandchildren a future.
Stay with God!