But enthusiasm soon got the better of her. People working here are so dedicated and give so much of themselves. Radio is a medium suited for the Roma, who often rely on word of mouth to relay news. But as Jaroka says, Radio C is more than just an information tool. It uplifts one of the most disadvantaged ethnic groups on the globe.
People dare to call themselves gypsies.
Some 10 million Roma make Central and Eastern Europe their home. As in much of Livia Jaroka in the Radio C office. In the eastern Hungary town of Hajduhadhaz, the European Roma Rights Center reported that police routinely beat and verbally abuse Roma residents, and search their apartments without cause. In some ways, race relations between Hungarians and the Roma community have worsened since the collapse of Communism. Democracy pried the lid off pent-up prejudices and biases bottled up under the former regime.