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Description
Located in the Tarnavelor Plateau, Valea Viilor commune is an old Saxon settlement in Sibiu County. According to the assessment of the formal and informal local leaders, 25% of the commune''s inhabitants belong to the Roma minority, which replaced the ethnic German who emigrated. At the 2011 census only 9.29% of citizens declared themselves Roma, belonging to this ethnic group, language and culture being stigmatized. According official records the other nationalities are represented by Romanians 84,3% and Hungarians 2,19%.
Although it has been almost 40 years since the large number of Roma settled in the community, their economic and social integration is far from being achieved. The Roma from Valea Viilor are not attracted and nor accepted in the activities of the dominant majority, they have limited access to resources, employment and income-generating activities and lower benefits from medical, social or educational services. In general Roma population is less employed, poorer and less educated.
The project aims to induce systemic changes bringing economic downturn and social integration for the benefit of the community of Roma, young and vulnerable people.
Openfields Foundation, the project solicitor, has seven projects dedicated to Roma in its portfolio. In order to motivate the community an innovative agricultural model will be used: planting fruit trees and garden plants. This lucrative agro-horticultural activity will attract the energy of the entire community around which social, economic, infrastructure and public policy issues are debated, studied and improved.
The project partner, Valea Viilor Town-Hall, will activate the community, promote the Romani culture, music and dance, include the results in its development strategy and disseminate them at local and national level.
At the end of the project, the gap between the Roma population and the other ethnic groups as well as the harmonious coexistence within the community will be achieved.