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Description
The overall objective of the project is poverty reduction by creating a model for intervention developed in three regions (North - East Moldova - Iasi, South Muntenia - Ploiești and Bucharest Ilfov - Bucharest).
The target group consists of 1,600 beneficiaries selected mainly from Bucharest, Iași and Ploiești (of which 1,050 homeless people, 300 children at risk of school and family abandonment – including Roma, 150 parents, 100 low-educated people, unemployed people and possible victims of trafficking in human beings).
The services are provided through three community centers developed in Iași, Ploiești and Bucharest (including a mobile unit) and include: medical and social services for homeless people (i.e., emergency medical services, material support - clothing/shoes, hot meals, support for accessing the social benefits, finding a job and/or a home, issuing identity documents etc.); social and educational support for children and their parents (i.e., educational activities aiming at developing personal autonomy, socialization, life and artistic skills, psycho-social counselling services, access to basic services - meals for children, social shower for families who have no water in homes, support group for parents or children, camp for children and youth); awareness campaigns focused on the homeless, school and family abandonment as well as of human trafficking. The Norwegian Salvation Army will transfer to the Romanian team a new methodology and know-how (“Pathway of Hope”) and will collaborate for setting-up a bilateral strategy for social reintegration of Romanian citizens of Roma ethnicity returning from Norway.
Summary of project results
In recent years, Romania has consistently had the highest at-risk-of-poverty rate in the EU. In 2013 the situation looked dramatic for Romania: over 40% of employees lived on the verge of severe poverty and social exclusion. Job insecurity is one of the main factors that drives Romanians to emigrate to Western European countries, but the mirage of job advertisements exposes the most vulnerable to the risk of being victims of exploitation. Children face a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion compared to adults, and the effects of poverty can last a lifetime. Material deprivation leads to educational poverty. Once they become adults, they face greater challenges in becoming active members of society and finding stable, quality jobs. Homeless people are also a particularly vulnerable group, not only because they are without a home, but also because they have social, medical, family, economic problems. For example, in Bucharest, it is estimated that there are over 5,000 homeless people. The public and private services available covers a maximum of 10% of the accommodation need and there are few organizations that offer emergency identification and intervention services.
Through interventions aimed at improving the lives of disadvantaged groups in Bucharest, Ploiești (Prahova County), and Iași (Iași County), the project sought to address school dropout rates, labour exploitation, and premature illness and death of homeless people. In this respect, a social intervention method developed by the Salvation Army International (DPP) and transferred to the Romanian partner was adapted and implemented.
The project provided educational, medical and social services to a number of 2,668 beneficiaries, exceeding its target.
Four social services have been developed under the project: two day-centres for children and parents (in Iași and Ploiești), a counselling and information centre, in Bucharest, for poor families and homeless people and a mobile medico-social team to assist homeless adults in the street.
361 children at risk of school dropout received daily educational and social services (e.g. homework support, activities for developing life skills and preventing addictive behaviours; provision of school supplies and hot meal). 172 parents participated in educational activities and benefited from information and counselling services, including discussions about their relationship with the school, identifying strategies to improve the relationship with the teaching staff and recording the children''s educational progress, mediation on the jobs market. The mobile team provided social and medical emergency services for 2,135 homeless people (e.g. food, hygiene products, clothing, medical consultations, support for development of personal autonomy and life skills or for acquiring the identity card, support for finding a shelter and orientation towards body and clothing hygiene services). Due to the efforts of the Counselling Center, 7 Romanian citizens were repatriated from Norway.7 Romanian citizens were repatriated from Norway, with the support of the counselling centre. A number of 23 specialists from Romania and 24 from Norway benefited from exchanges activities.
Over a period of more than 40 months, the project assisted 2,668 beneficiaries (of which 444 were Roma ethnics), compared to 1,850 that were anticipated. Through the carried-out activities, the project contributed to the increase of the quality of life children at risk and their families, homeless people and potential victims of human trafficking.
The interest and motivation of children from poor families for school increased as a result of the support received as they have acquired new knowledge and skills. The parents improved their relationship with the school and are more involved in monitoring their children''s educational progress. The access to services for the homeless people increased and some of them took important steps for reintegration into the community.
Through the new methodology transferred from the Norwegian partner, increased the collaboration of social actors interested in the social well-being of vulnerable people (authorities, family, NGOs).
Summary of bilateral results
A key element of the project was the partnership with Salvation Army Norway, which contributed through the transfer of methodologies (eg., the "Pathway of Hope" method, methods regarding the prevention of human trafficking), offered expertise and training, advised the beneficiaries from Oslo who want to repatriate to Romania and informed about the services of the Counselling Centre in Bucharest. Over 10 bilateral meetings were held, involving 24 Norwegian citizens and 23 Romanian participants, to exchange best practices. Throughout the project''s sustainability phase, the Norwegian partner will continue to offer financial and technical support to the PP.