Estimated 440,000 Roma live in Slovakia, and up to 200,000 people live in excluded communities.

The Pustaj family is one of them. They live in a small village called Šumiac located in the centre of the country. Up to three generations of the family share a small living space, sleep together on one mattress in a single room and cook on a small wood-stove in the corner of their house. Their self-constructed hut has no access to running water.

Romani people have a long track record of oppression due to their ethnic origin and sadly, discrimination against minorities remains highly tolerated in Slovak society. Stuck in poverty for generations, it seems impossible for Roma to step out of the vicious circle.