The Special Institution Demir Kapija is thanking Esma for her humanitarian donation

The official support
from the President
of Macedonia, Boris
Trajkovski, for Esma's
Nobel Prize for Peace
2003 nomination

KD - Kajira Djoumahna
E - Esma Redzepova

KD: What inspired you to adopt over forty-four children over twenty-five years?
E: Another correction. It is now forty-seven! Because I was adopted as a poor little girl, I later on wanted to continue this by helping other kids who's families couldn't afford for them to go to school or to take care of them. That's how our famous school got started, the School of Music by Esma and Stevo Teodosievski. We like to help people.

KD: Why did you choose to adopt only boys?
E: The children were adopted around age thirteen, right when their puberty starts. Stevo and I realized that it would be asking for trouble to put boys and girls together at that age. If I could have had babies of my own, but unfortunately I couldn't, then I would have boys and girls together, and I would treat them the same, because then they would be siblings.

But all my boys we adopted call me Mama. I have been able to help more kids through adoption than if I had been able to have children of my own. All of the proceeds from the tour of the Ensemble Teodosievski go to help fund and run the School of Music in Macedonia, and to help the children. Both Rom and non-Rom children benefit. I am also involved with a women's organization there that I helped get started. It's called the Romany Organization of Women (ESMA). Now that organization is fighting the fact that there are no women in the Parliment. They want women politicians to help represent them. They also help the women however they can, with whatever is needed.

KD: What would you like to talk about for our readers to know?
E: My message is to love and respect one another, it doesn't matter the race, skin color or gender. The person who has a little more should help the one who has nothing. One of the most important messages is to help the children.
 

PREVIOUS ACTIVITIES

1963

• 50 humanitarian concerts around Israel which incomes are given away in charity funds for the victims in the Skopje earthquake 26th of July, 1963;

• 5000 $ given as a donation for the perished in the Skopje earthquake;

1964

• On the 1st of May the Council for children’s Care and Education organises a concert whose incomes are for the children’s summer vacations;

• On the 15th of May in the factory “Ivo Lola Ribar”, Zeleznik Belgrade, Yugoslavia a concert is being organized, the incomes are for the Fund for fighting the cancer in Serbia;

• 25th of May charity concert for the club RVI Belgrade, Yugoslavia, the incomes are for the members of the fighters organisations;

• On the 25th of October in “Variaty” Zagreb, Croatia humanitarian concert, the income goes for the perished in the flood in Zagreb

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Tribute for numerous welfare concerts in Mexico

1969

• 90 minutes charity concert for our workers in Bombay, India;

• Charity concert for more than 20.000 workers “under open sky” in Bombay, India;

• In the hotel “International” on the 29th of December charity concert for the Diplomatic Corps, Bombay;

• Charity concert on the school boat “Stone Boat”, part of the Indian Marine;

1970

• ON the 24th of January the national ensemble Teodosievski and Esma ground a foundation “Memory of Consolidation” whose incomes are for humanitarian purposes;

• Part of the incomes from the concert held in Canada , are donated for the victims in the earthquake in Bosanska Kraina, Bosnia and Herzegovina;

• On the 11th of December in Skopje, Macedonia gives a humanitarian concert for the victims in Pakistan;

• On the 31st of December in Dedinje, Belgrade, Yugoslavia gives a humanitarian concert for the handicapped children;

1971

• On the 8th of March in Teheran, gives a charity concert for the Diplomatic Corps and Farra Dibah;

1978

• 32 free concerts in support to the youth brigades around Yugoslavia(during 1971-1978 they take part in all working activities giving free concerts);

1980/82

• 11th of May charity concert in the embassy of SFRY in Mexico;

1983

• 11 humanitarian concerts for the Red Cross, Belgrade, Yugoslavia during which time approximately 4000 people donated blood;