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Description
Roma people from disadvantaged communities in the town of Balș (Macului Street, Cuza Vodă Street and Nicolae Titulescu Street) are confronted with problems related to poor living conditions, lack of property and/or identity documents, high level of school dropout, as well as reduced access to social and medical services. The project aims to improve the access to services and education conditions by implementing integrated measures oriented to the needs of these people. The specific objectives of the project are:
- Increasing the capacity of 15 specialists and volunteers from the fields of education, health, employment, social services, public administration, the NGO sector, etc. involved in the provision of services to Roma people;
- Increasing the access and quality of services for 155 Roma people in situations of vulnerability, at risk or facing various forms of social exclusion.
The target groups are made up of: 205 Roma people (of which 30 children, 50 parents) and 15 specialists and volunteers who will be trained in working with Roma people.
Activities include: training of 15 volunteers/specialists as social mediators; assisting 10 Roma people in obtaining identity documents; supporting 30 primary school children at risk of dropping out of school through an after school program (remedial education, extracurricular and recreational activities); counselling and parenting education for 50 parents; providing medical services for 115 Roma people (screening and medical analyses, organization of 6 information campaigns on health education).
Summary of project results
The Roma community is severely impacted by poverty in Bals, a small town from poor county in south-west region (Olt). It struggled with improper living conditions, low employment, limited educational opportunities, high rate of school drop-out, restricted access to social, medical, and socio-medical services. The increasing number of people living in marginalized and disadvantaged communities undermine the capacity of local authorities to address pressing issues.
The project developed actions meant to tackle school drop-out, to improve the access to health services and promote a healthy life style, to develop new skills for local professional in working with Roma.
Addressing these challenges PP enhanced the chances for social integration of Roma individuals and reducing discrimination, but also for a better functioning of public services.
The project reached its target groups, and all the indicators were duly fulfilled:
- 15 specialists and volunteers from local public and private services participated in the specialization course for social mediator.
- 10 Roma people obtained their identity documents following the support received within the project.
- 30 children in risk of dropping out of school participated in a remedial school programme; the curriculum has been completed with informal activities; they also benefited from packages with clothes and shoes facilitating their presence to school.
- 50 parents benefited from a counselling and parenting education program.
- 115 Roma people were informed regarding the prevention and combating of diseases like tuberculosis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, HIV, hepatitis, family planning and sex education, elementary rules of hygiene etc.; they benefited from a minimum package of medical tests and received packages with hygiene products.
The project increased the chances of social inclusion of Roma children and their families and ensured access to education and medical services. Children and parents acquired knowledge and skills that help them combat school dropout.
In 2024, the "Healthy Meal" National Program was extended to the secondary school attended by Roma children.
The 10 Roma people who obtained their identity documents have now access to benefits and services to which they are legally entitled (social, medical etc.).
The professionals who acquired new skills to work with the Roma following the social mediator course will continue to work in these communities in support of the beneficiaries.
In order to ensure the sustainability of the initiative, PP created a second health mediator post within the organizational chart, which is funded locally.
In order to improve local authorities'' ability to create and carry out inclusive public policies for local development and plans for the social inclusion of Roma communities, the town of Balș was included in the ROMACT Program, in April 2023.