“Bahtalo Ker”: empowering Roma community through education and opportunity

For Alexei Preda, founder and director of the Bahtalo Ker Centre in Otaci, the country’s northernmost city, the 2025 UN Human Rights Award is a hard-earned recognition of years spent building a Roma-led organization that often faced exclusion. This distinction strengthens his determination and inspires him to keep working toward the change he hopes to see in the years ahead.

"I want to be walking down the street one day when I am old," he says "and someone to point at me and tell their child, 'Do you see that old man? He helped me when I needed it the most.'” as he speaks his eyes filled with tears. “That would be the highest reward I could ever achieve,” he finished quietly.

Alexei believes the UN Moldova Human Rights Award brings the recognition and trust needed for Bahtalo Ker to grow. The name of the centre, which means “Happy Home” in Romani language, reflects its mission to support the Roma community by providing education, vocational training, and social services, especially to the most vulnerable families. “It shows that this is not just a temporary, one-day organization. It is a place that truly works, truly helps, and can be trusted,” he explains.

Everything began in 2012, when he decided to establish an organization to support Roma children in his community, inspired by the way his father had stood up for him. The first years were a struggle, marked by many closed doors. “Being a Roma-led organization, we received one refusal after another,” he recalls. A turning point came ten years later, in 2022, with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The organization welcomed many refugee families in need of help and support. During that period, it was also able to access new resources, which made it possible to build a permanent community centre at Bahtalo Ker.

Five rooms of the centre are already completed. Each has four sleeping places and is equipped with the necessary furniture and supplies for women and children survivors of domestic violence. To make the building easier to navigate for children and parents who cannot yet read or write, the rooms were painted in bright, distinct colours. Work is still in progress in another five rooms. “To complete the refurbishment, we need additional resources,” says Alexei. His dream is to finalize the construction of the centre, which would represent the culmination of all the efforts invested over the years.

The organization’s mission is grounded in the belief that education is key to a better future. Working closely with local public authorities and schools, the team helps Roma children return to and remain in the classroom. 

“Today, without literacy, we risk losing our culture and identity. I want our children to graduate from school so they can lead our community, not just survive in it,” he says. Alexei recalls his own experience: “I was able to finish my education because my father never let me quit. He knew that, for a Roma child, education is the only way to have a voice.”

Education is not only needed for children, but also for adults who are ready to work yet never had the opportunity to attend school. In this regard, Bahtalo Ker provides training programmes that help Roma community members gain practical skills. Some participants have already graduated with certificates in fields such as tailoring and hairdressing, increasing their chances of finding stable jobs.

“At Bahtalo Ker, we want Roma people to stand on their own, so they don’t have to depend on anyone else,” says Alexei. “I want them to be able to say they achieved this themselves,” he adds, wiping away a tear. “And I will be grateful to have contributed to it.”

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The story was written by Carolina Ceban, intern at UN Moldova within the UN Diversity Internship Program 2025-2026.