About us
The people, purpose and mission behind Voices Unheard – and our commitment to amplifying young Roma voices across Europe.
Who we are
European initiative
We are a European initiative united by one shared goal: strengthening meaningful participation of Roma children and young people.
Co-funded by the European Union, Voices Unheard brings together partners across five countries to build sustainable participation structures, creating spaces where children and young people can become active participants in shaping their communities.
20+
Partner team members
5
Countries across Europe
50+
Young people empowered
Voices of young Roma in Europe
Our Mission
What drives us
Roma children in Europe are still too often excluded from decisions that shape their lives. They continue to face structural barriers in education, housing and healthcare, while their voices are rarely heard in the policies and programmes that affect them.
Our mission is simple: Roma children are not planned for, but with.
Amplify voices
Every young person has something to say. We create spaces where Roma children are heard — by parents, schools, authorities, and Europe.
Know your rights
Children’s rights apply to everyone. We make them accessible through workshops, simple language, and mother-tongue explanations.
Shape the future
Participation is not just a theory — it happens when young people learn to express their ideas and bring them to the right tables.
What we do
Our services
Establishing Civic Labs
We establish local Civic Labs where Roma children and young people meet regularly to dicuss issues affecting their communities, develop ideas, and turn them into collective action.
Learning & capacity building
Interactive workshops strengthen knowledge of democratic participation, advocacy, media literacy, and community leadership through age-appropriate learning.
Building bridges
We connect Roma children and young people with local autorithies, schools, CSOs, and decision-makers, creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue and participation.
Developing shadow reports
Children and young people document their experiences, identify challenges, and contribute to shadow reports that reflect their perspectives.
Cross-country collaboration
Partners from five countries exchange knowledge, pilot innovative approaches, and adapt successful practices to strengthen participation across Europe.
Advocacy & awareness
We amplify young voices through advocacy campaigns, public events, and digital communications that promote inclusion, and meaningful participation.
Team
Meet our team
We are a team of more than 20 educators, activists, and community leaders working across six countries. Many of our colleagues are members of the Roma community themselves, and participation is at the heart of everything we do.
Marko Tošić
Project Coordinator
Mina Medić
Social Development Professional
Neda Marjanović
PR & Communications
Jasna Bratičević
Program Coordinator
Aleksandra Šijan
Program Coordinator
Vanja Sovilj
Project Lead
Saša Risojević
Advocacy Expert
Sofija Krehovski
Local Roma Expert
Tatjana Makrić
Social Inclusion and Participation Expert
Boris Makarić
Social Inclusion and Participation Expert
Milica Okiljević
Communications and PR Officer
Nevena Stanić
Support Staff
Athina Abatzidi
Project Coordinator
Raina Melissinou
Project Manager and Educator
Maria Diakou
Project Manager
Adi Sinani
Project Coordinator
Sara Pašić
Communications and Visibility Officer
Sara Dragićević
Project and M&E Officer
Anzhelika Bielova
Advocacy Expert
Zinaida Prokopenko
Project Manager
Olga Cherenkova
Financial Manager
Maria Mendzul
Social Inclusion Expert
Octavia Adam
Local Roma Mentor
Alina Khalimova
Support Staff
Adriana Kurta
Communications Manager
English