Yaremchuk Anhelina Borysivna

Yaremchuk Anhelina Borysivna (16), from Ukraine grew up with her grandmother. At her own school, Anhelina saw little discrimination against Roma children—partly because her community has a large Roma diaspora. Her younger sister, however, encountered discrimination at a different school. That experience made Anhelina determined to speak up for Roma children.

In cases of bullying, she talked with school principals and teachers. She advocated for safer and more inclusive schools. Afterward, an anonymous survey among students showed a 38% decrease in bullying incidents.

Anhelina is also active in the Winds of Change Charitable Foundation. As one of the active leaders of an initiative group for Roma girls, she works on youth and women’s leadership. She led a youth group that carried out several small projects focused on inclusion and child protection. Together with her grandmother, she also organizes informal meetings for Roma families once or twice a week. Her grandmother was her first supporter and gave her the space to take part in trainings. In this way, Anhelina is making her community safer and stronger step by step.