Gusztáv Nagy

We were lucky to grow up in the village, not at the gypsy cell. I never lived in a gypsy cell. We were among the Hungarians. And we had a good relationship with the Hungarians. I could say that the fifties and the early sixties were much more solid than nowadays. [...] We were able to work and to laugh with the Hungarian people together. In the summer, the elderly sat outside the ditch and talked to midnight. And the work. In the co-operatives and factories people were able to work together. That was a huge change.

The school is a fantastic school. This is not a segregated school. Anyone who applies can learn there. And not just Gypsies go to this school. There are now eight to ten non-Gypsy children. They come from a very similar environment than the Romas. Or they get to school through friendship. There is a lot of success. Some of them have a university degree , many of them a high school diploma, and of course there are some we can not help. I have the opportunity at school to reinforce in theme the Gypsy identity and to give strength the Hungarians too.They believe both because they trust in me. It's a great luck it turned up that way. And the teachers also noticed there is a high need for that. Many times, it is more efficient to talk to the kids 10-15 min about things that are inspiring theme instead of start the class with feeling up the chalkboard with dry facts ,than finish the class and say goodby, without learning anything.

Lakatos Menyh, until he died, was an idol for me, as well as Choli Daróczi József, a writer and Pál Ruva Farkas, editor-in-chief of the Romano Nyevipe newspaper. It was fantastic to be amongst these people. They gave me something what my father could not give . The intellect. And that gave me strength. My past is over, my last thirty years. I turned in another direction, trying to be autodidact to learn. I saw the meaning of my life. Not because of financial reasons ,not to get rich. No! Since then, I always try to pass on the thirst of knowledge. Not knowledge, because not that i think i am loaded with it. But the thirst of knowledge that inspires man. You have to learn it! And live with people in good relationship.