His pictures are part of a series to come out of a 2010 collaboration between Germany’s Robert Bosch Stiftung and World Press Photo who teamed up to help 15 talented young photographers from south eastern Europe. All of the essays are here . We are showcasing some of photographs on Eastern Approaches. The first are pictures by Eugenia Maximova about the life of Taybe Yusein, a young Bulgarian wrestler. The second are about Albania’s cruel past by Jetmir Idrizi. The third set, by Vesselina Nikolaeva, is about a controversial mining project in Transylvania. The fourth set by Nemanja Pancic is about the Dervish Tekke of Tetovo in Macedonia.

STORIES about Roma in the Balkans or Central Europe tend to be depressing and quite dull. They tell the same story of discrimination against Roma, who respond by setting off to beg in western countries, in which they encounter further hostility (and often get send home again). So, Octav Ganea ’s story about Bulgarian Roma striving to break the mould is a welcome break from the norm.

This is Octav Ganea’s introduction:

Across Europe, only one Roma child in every four enrolls in elementary school, according to recent UNICEF research. Of those who do go to school, less than one in fifteen complete any secondary school and only 0.24% of the Roma population completes tertiary education. So what motivates that tiny percentage? What drives them to break the cultural barrier and complete their education?

I followed some of their stories in an attempt to understand and depict why they left their communities. I wanted to know how they integrated into a society that usually regards them with distrust and almost always keeps them at arm’s length.

As children we learn from our parents that anybody can become anything they desire. At the same time we learn from the media that “Gypsies” are usually happy-go-lucky people with an appetite for other people’s belongings and a master’s degree in begging.

The struggle of young Roma to succeed is met with opposition from every side. Parents oppose them by citing their cultural roots in an attempt to keep them close; the social environment constantly reminds them that they’re not wanted; employers continue to discriminate against them and the government fails to provide the education that would eliminate segregation and facilitate social inclusion.

Now more and more Roma are following the example set by Nasko, Stefka, Maryana, Desi, Miglena and Krasi, setting their sights higher and offering a new perspective for the other young Roma who are sure to follow in their footsteps.