Filip Trajković did not grow up in one place. His family moved frequently, living in different communities and, on several occasions, in Germany. These constant changes also meant interruptions to his education and childhood. At one point, Filip fell behind his peers, and it was only this year, at the age of 19, that he completed secondary school.

But perhaps the hardest part of growing up was the feeling that he never truly belonged anywhere.

“As a Roma boy, I didn’t really feel welcome, and I often withdrew into myself. It was difficult for me to fit in because I didn’t believe in my own worth. The frequent moves and constant changes were hard on our whole family. Then I joined Muzika nade, and for the first time, I felt that I belonged — that I had a place of my own where I could simply be myself and grow.”

As Filip explains, the programme gave him something he had been missing for a long time: friends and mentors he sees week after week, a space where his presence matters, and an ensemble in which everyone has a role and where his contribution is heard and valued. Before long, he found his place among the percussionists.

 

“In the percussion ensemble, I discovered that each of us has our own unique rhythm. And when those rhythms come together, they create something none of us could create alone.”

HOW CAN MUSIC CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE?

Years of rehearsals and performances gradually changed the way Filip saw himself. He did not become more confident overnight. His confidence grew each time he accomplished something he had once thought was beyond his reach. Every performance was a new opportunity to step in front of an audience, take responsibility for his part, and discover that he was capable of more than he had imagined. Then came the experience of performing on a major stage:

“When you can stand on a big stage and open EXIT, you start thinking — ‘Wow, I can do so much more than I ever thought!’”

These are the moments that change your perspective. Not because a single performance can change someone’s life, but because, for the first time, a child or young person can begin to see themselves differently – as someone who can learn, persevere, matter to others, stand in front of thousands of people, and tell themselves: “I can do this, too.”

Meanwhile, Filip continued to grow beyond the music room, despite the obstacles and challenges life kept bringing his way. Last year, the family lost their father, who had been raising the children on his own. The four siblings – Aca, the eldest, aged 21; Filip, 19; Valentina, 18; and the youngest, Viktor (10) were left to rely on one another, supporting each other while finding the motivation to build the kind of life their father had always wished for them.

And their hard work is beginning to pay off. This year, Filip and Aca both completed secondary school, becoming the first in their family to do so. Together, we helped Filip find his first job. He has also begun taking on responsibility for his youngest brother, Viktor, alongside Aca and Valentina.

And then, together, we achieved something that had long seemed out of reach for their family. After years of frequent moves and living in accommodation that was never their own, they opened the door to their very first home. For Filip, this was especially meaningful because his father had always wanted his children to have a home of their own one day.

Over the past few years, Filip has learned that some things cannot be changed overnight. But you can take the next step, and then another – and, with people who believe in you by your side, you can go much further than you ever imagined at the beginning.

Today, Filip speaks not only about how much his life has changed, but also about what he hopes to prove and how he wants to inspire others who may be facing similar challenges:

“My dream is to prove that anyone can change their perspective on life through hard work, encouraged by music and support.”

That is why the camera in Filip’s hands is not a prediction that photography will become his career. It is a symbol of his story. Sometimes, life changes not because everything around us suddenly becomes different, but because we begin to see ourselves differently — and rethink what we believe is possible for us. That takes time, effort, and support.

Filip was given the opportunity to build that path and follow it thanks to the support he received. Now, we want other young people to have the same opportunity. Because opening the door for one child is not enough. What matters is that someone stays by their side long enough for that opportunity to grow into skills, self-confidence, and the freedom to make their own choices.

We cannot know for certain where life will take Filip. But we can help him believe that he can become whoever he chooses to be and achieve what he sets out to do.

If you would like to support Filip, as well as other children and young people who want to change their perspective on life and are already working hard to do so, discover our new Independence and Life Skills Support Programme. Through this programme, we help young people develop the life skills everyone needs to approach the challenges of adulthood with growing confidence.

You can support their journey with a donation or by volunteering as a mentor in our mentoring programme.