Description
The project "Education - the key to Cojasca's development" aims to contribute to the social and economic development of the Cojasca community. The proposal will also improve the situation of the roma community and will broaden the perspectives of the children and youth of the community. As direct results of this project, 50 children will gain IT and English language skills, 20 young men and women will receive vocational counselling, 10 teachers will learn nonformal educational methods to implement in their current activity,20 people will be trained in project management, 25 men and women will attend a round table to discuss the challenges and priorities of the Cojasca commune, one local NGO will be officially registered and the premises for the intercultural dialogue and public participation will be established.
Summary of project results
The poverty rate in Cojasca, Dambovita County is 58%, one of the highest in the country. 8,100 people are living in Cojasca, out of which 73% are Roma ethnics with 1,370 children between 6 and 18 years. 300 families live out of social assistance and other 350 families benefit from supportive family allowances. Most children quit school after the 8th grade. The most important cause is the existence of an unfavourable family model and the fact that families do not support children's educational efforts. The Project "Education - the key to Cojasca's development", implemented by Edusfera Association, contributed at the educational and social development of Cojasca through the nonformal educational activities implemented, through professional development courses for local teachers and through career counselling, IT and English courses for 50 students (because these two classes are considered to be very important in building skills useful on the labour market, along with entrepreneurship). The project also facilitated a workshop with 25 stakeholders/informal leaders from Cojasca in order to discuss the challenges and priorities of the Cojasca commune (the topics were education, health and infrastructure). A local NGO was developed in the framework of the project, in order to create a partner for the school and the local authority in the process of solving community problems. 2 workshops for members of the new local NGO and different stakeholders were organised, touching subjects like project management and ways to attract financial resources. At the end of the project, an improved perception of the Roma community towards education can be observed. Children in Cojasca now have increased chances to further continue their education. Also, a new teaching curriculum, which will be used by teachers in order to make the teaching process more attractive for students, was developed within the project. The project also left the community with a model of cooperation between different stakeholders in order to analyse the local problems and find solutions. In the same time, the new local organisation will be capable to contribute, on a medium and long term, at the development of the community.
Summary of bilateral results