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Description
This project aims to increase the social inclusion and empowerment of the roma population in three locations: Polovragi (Gorj country), Hamcearca and Ciucurova (Tulcea county) in response to the needs identified by the project team following consultations with the local community.
Objectives: the provision of services through 3 community service centers to minimum 900 beneficiaries, offering a minimum of 450 beneficiaries empowerment skills, and implementing an antidiscrimination program which also promotes interculturality addressed to a minimum of 900 people. In the short-term, the project will increase the quality of integrated services, the increase the knowledge and skills of Roma regarding advocacy and participation in the decision-making process and will strengthen operational processes by training a specific number of specialists in providing services. In the long term, the project will impact significantly to the reduction in socioeconomic disparities at local level and the empowerment of local Roma to participate in the decision-making process. Furthermore, the proposed model of intervention will help catalyze positive change, contributing to the promotion of social inclusion, fighting poverty and any discrimination, increasing the access of Roma to services and increasing the quality of services.
The partners will implement specific activities based on their expertise. The Institute for Public Policy (P1) will train the target group and will contribute to the formulation of public policy, Active Watch (P2) will develop the antidiscrimination tools and will implement awareness campaigns and cultural events and the partners on behalf of the public authorities, the municipalities of Polovragi, Hamcearca and Ciucurova (P3, P4, and P5), will support the activity of Integrated Service Community Centers, will contribute to monitoring and evaluation of the project and will participate in the activities organized throughout the project.
Summary of project results
This project strengthened the social inclusion and empowerment of the Roma population in three implementation locations: Polovragi (Gorj county), Hamcearca and Ciucurova (Tulcea county), in response to the project team''s findings from community consultations regarding economic and social disparities among the Roma population.
The project provided integrated services by setting up three integrated service community centers, implemented a programme for local Roma empowerment and carried out a public awareness campaign, fighting discrimination and promoting intercultural dialogue.
965 individuals received educational, employment, health, housing, and identity document-related assistance from the three Integrated Service Community Centers that were established as part of the project; 532 people participated in the Roma awareness campaign on how to assert their rights, access services, and participate in the decision-making process at the local level; the awareness campaign in the field of anti-discrimination at the level of the majority population, to inform non-Roma citizens about the history, culture, and particularities of the Roma communities in Romania reached over 2000 people; 60 young Roma benefited from a comprehensive community development training program; 60 Roma specialists and leaders were trained to defend Roma rights and 70 professionals were trained to work with the Roma population.
The project''s activities helped to improve the quality of integrated services, the Roma''s knowledge and skills regarding the advocacy component and participation in decision-making, and the operational processes by training a specific number of specialists in service delivery.
In the long term, there is a major influence on reducing socioeconomic disparities at the local level and empowering local Roma to participate in decision-making.
Furthermore, the proposed intervention model helps to catalyze positive change by promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and discrimination, increasing Roma access to services, and improving service quality through the three Integrated Service Community Centers built in modular structures in the three localities.