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Description
The project aims to implement a broad program for socio-economic inclusion of vulnerable groups from different ethnicity in the neighbourhood “Stolipinovo”, providing improved access to administrative, social, educational and health services by establishing a one stop shop centre. As the access to such services is limited both by the spatial segregation of the population of the neighbourhood and by the lack of trust of the community in public institutions, the Centre will give a new approach to providing basic services to the disadvantaged residents of “Stolipinovo” neighbourhood.The project proposal envisages to improve the housing conditions in the neighborhood “Stolipinovo” by starting a procedure for elaboration and approval of a regulation under the Spatial Development Act which will legalize the illegal areas and housing (where the most vulnerable members of the community live). The Centrе will offer consultations on social, educational and health issues, preventive medical examinations and free food, as well as leisure activities both for children and parents, which will help the Centre to become more than an administrative building, but a multifunctional space that meets the needs of the local community. The project proposal includes conducting of communication and awareness activities within the community and with the majority population aimed at achieving positive change in the attitudes, information campaigns on healthy lifestyle and nutrition, the problems of the Roma community, applying for and starting a job, basic digital skills, etc.
Summary of project results
One of the main problems among the population of the neighborhood is that there is a general distrust of official institutions - administrative, health and social services. Two-thirds of the neighborhood''s residents do not have health insurance. Few people from Roma minority have legal employment contracts, which limits access to the health system for a large number of residents of the ethnically segregated neighborhoods of Plovdiv. Another major problem in Stolipinovo district is poor educational integration due to insufficient proficiency in the Bulgarian language. The goal is to attract both the children (at an earlier age possible) and their parents to the educational system, thus creating opportunities to overcome the language problems of bilingual children. The poor proficiency in the Bulgarian language in the segregated districts of Plovdiv makes the educational integration of children from ethnic minorities difficult. Problems with the Bulgarian language lead to partial or complete demotivation and disinterest in the educational process, formal attendance at classes and subsequent early school leaving with all the negative consequences associated with it. The lack of education leads to problems finding work, disillusionment, and subsequently the problem develops into a desire or actual emigration. Roma are excluded from decision-making activities that concern their life and future. Their activity in social and political life is almost zero, except for the few activists who do not have the tools to motivate others. The lack of regulation and the presence of illegal buildings is one more problems in the Stolipinovo district. The refusal of legalization of the illegal buildings of the Roma leads to lack of well-developed streets, sewage and even running water, and access to various social, health and educational services is very difficult. The problem of legalization leads to even greater encapsulation of the ghettos. Especially in Stolipinovo district, local authorities refuse to issue address registrations to people who live in areas outside regulation and thus they find themselves excluded from almost the entire public system (electricity, water, social payments, benefits, pensions). The lack of a permanent (legal) address often leads to the impossibility of issuing identity documents.
The construction of the new building in the Stolipinovo district enabled the residents of the neighborhood to have access to one-stop-shop services provided by the municipality – social, health, educational, support for young mothers and job seekers. Trainings were held for the team of the community center who managed to build trust between the Roma community and the institutions. Youth and community activists were given the opportunity to participate in trainings on project planning, implementation, evaluation and reports, engagement and empowerment. Self-support groups were established to support victims of domestic violence, harassment and beatings, as well as to support Roma girls in continuing their education and avoiding early marriages.
Free medical examinations were provided to people who do not have health insurance rights, Bulgarian language training for children and adults for whom Bulgarian is not a mother tongue, trainings for acquiring professional competence, individual and group trainings and informational events were held.
Thanks to the active work of the partner - Foundation for Regional Development Roma-Plovdiv - numerous initiatives, activities and events have been implemented to increase acceptance and reduce discrimination against Roma.
Almost 2,000 people have received integrated services in the areas of social, health, educational, employment and administrative services.
A computer training cabin has been created, where there are daily courses for children, students and adults to acquire basic skills or develop skills for working in a digital environmen. Music and art trainings were held both in the partner''s offices and in kindergartens in the neighborhood. In order to support the social and educational development of the children, visits to various locations in the city of Plovdiv were also organized for educational purposes. A ''hot lunch'' was provided to people, selected on a social basis, in order to cover basic needs, as well as create healthy eating habits. An advisory council was established, public hearings and group discussions with the participation of representatives of the local city hall aroused great interest with over 2,000 participants.
Actions have been taken to update the regulatory plan of the Municipality of Plovdiv, but from the activities carried out - analysis, meetings, written opinions provided - it is clear that the problems are not only a commitment at the municipal level, but also at the national level and national policy. In 2022, the General Development Plan of the city of Plovdiv was changed, and the next step is a change to the Detailed Development Plan, which will also be implemented for the area of Druzhba (Stolipinovo) district.
A new building with an improved adjacent space has been built and equipped allowing residents of the Stolipinovo neighborhood to have better access to integrated social, educational and health services. А team of trained specialists has been created, which continues to work on the activities during the sustainability period and beyond. The center is well recognized as a place where children and families from the neighborhood can receive services in one place, can spend their free time, can learn new and interesting things, and can have help and support. Through the team''s numerous participation in television and radio broadcasts at the local and national level, issues regarding the problems of the Roma community and integration were raised. According to data from the study of the level of discrimination - positive results are also noted regarding the acceptance of Roma by the rest of the population. Sustainability of the activities is ensured, as the municipality guarantees not only the maintenance of the center, but through the Social Services Act, sustainability and continuation of the activities of the project are guaranteed.
Summary of bilateral results
Two visits of the project management and implementation teams to Norway and of the Norwegian partner to Bulgaria were carried out, as well as two (3 day) training sessions organized by the Norwegian pertner on the territory of the center and one two-day training session in Oslo. The parther helped in the adequate selection of equipment for the computer room, as well as selection of optimal placement of information boards, equipment and other objects in the computer room and the adjacent makerspace. The partner provided assistance in creating information resources for printing on cybersecurity and on useful electronic services, especially in selecting appropriate content and design of posters and information boards.