Destination: Budapest, Hungary

“If people don’t ask questions, I can’t change the world.”

When Judit Gubcsi adopted a son and daughter of Roma descent, there were no resources to help her teach her children about the richness of their heritage and the prejudice they might face as part of Hungarian society. So Judit founded Romadopt, bringing together the adoptive parents of Roma children to share experiences, support one another, and offer advice. The community of more than 50 families influenced the government to expand its pre-adoption training to include modules on adopting ethnic children and how to best support their needs. On this visit to Budapest, Judit emphasizes that the Roma heritage of her now 11-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter doesn’t define them but is something for them to be proud of. “Gypsy is just one of their 1 million special characteristics,” she says, using the ethnic term still more commonly used among Roma people in Hungary. “My kids are truly a gift.”