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Description
The main goal of the Association is to improve the quality of life of members of the Roma national minority of all ages, to promote the participation of volunteers, cooperation with other associations, communities, individuals and legal entities. The Roma Humanitarian Aid Association has implemented projects to promote Roma culture and music programs. Implemented projects are: Roma Day, Roma Heart, and the project Strengthening the professional and implementation capacity of the Association for Humanitarian Aid Roma Kutina.
Through this project, the Association wants to improve its own capacities in the field of providing social services with the aim of training staff in their own knowledge and capabilities and providing assistance to them.
The project would indirectly improve the position of the Roma national minority in the City of Kutina, and the Association itself would through raising its own professional and technical capacity through training activities for volunteers, which they will apply in their further work. It is also important to note that the Association is the only active civil society organization operating in the local Roma community.
Summary of project results
Members of the Roma community in the City of Kutina face a range of challenges, including low integration into the city''s social life, a lack of proficiency in the language necessary for effective communication, limited education, and poor economic conditions. Living in an outlying settlement of the city, which is distant from the city center, exacerbates the situation for the Roma population. The majority of residents in the Roma settlement rely on social welfare assistance as their sole source of income. According to the 2011 census in Croatia, there were 16,975 people who identified as Roma, with 1,463 living in the Sisak-Moslavina County. Official data indicates that there are 340 members of the Roma national minority in the City of Kutina, but actual figures suggest that there are more than 750 Roma living in the city. According to estimates from the Social Welfare Center and professional services in the City of Kutina, approximately 20% of the Roma population in the city is over 50 years old.
The Association for Humanitarian Aid to the Roma began its activities in 2015. The main goal of the association is to improve the quality of life for members of the Roma national minority of all age groups, promote volunteer participation, collaborate with other associations, communities, individuals, and legal entities. The Association for Humanitarian Aid to the Roma has implemented projects promoting Roma culture and musical programs.
Through direct observation of the living conditions of the Roma community in the City, it was determined that a large number of Roma families, especially those with older populations, are in a difficult economic and social situation due to marginalization, high unemployment, and inadequate healthcare. Through this project, the association aims to enhance its own professional capacity in the field of providing social services to the elderly and vulnerable by developing volunteerism in the relevant area and providing assistance to these individuals. The President of the Association for Humanitarian Aid to the Roma identified this problem through coexistence with other members of the settlement.
Activities carried out:
- Employed two individuals for the project (project manager and project coordinator).
- Held three project team meetings.
- Conducted three two-day workshops:
- Providing Social Services in the Community.
- Writing and Implementing EU Projects.
- Engaging in Volunteer Work.
- Organized the World Roma Day event.
- Designed and printed flyers.
- Designed and printed t-shirts.
- Procured equipment necessary for project work and implementation.
- Involved the target group (10 individuals)
The implementation of the above-mentioned activities has contributed to improving the quality and enhancing the work of the Association for Humanitarian Aid to the Roma by introducing new knowledge and opportunities. It has also provided the opportunity to educate the national minority in the area of the City of Kutina. In this way, it was possible to better recognize the needs and challenges faced by members of the Roma national minority. Through the project''s implementation, the position of the Roma national minority in the City of Kutina has indirectly improved, and the visibility of the association''s work and participation in civil society organizations'' activities has increased. This has been achieved through the project''s activities and by raising the association''s own professional capacities through educational activities, which they will then apply in their work.
The key project results include three educational workshops and the celebration of International Roma Day:
Education of 10 members/volunteers from national minorities to strengthen their knowledge in providing social services to society as a whole through the workshop titled "Education on Providing Social Services in the Community."
Education of 10 members/volunteers from national minorities to strengthen their knowledge in providing social services to society as a whole through the workshop titled "Engage and Volunteer."
Education of 10 members/volunteers from national minorities in "Education on Writing and Implementing EU Projects," providing expert assistance in acquiring knowledge on how to utilize European Union funds in the most effective way.
Celebration of "Roma Culture Day" in the City of Kutina.
The targeted group in the project consisted of volunteers from the Association for Humanitarian Aid to the Roma, aged between 18 and 50 years, including both women and men.