Description
The project ”Interethnic community facilitators-solution for Rroma social inclusion” is addressed for the poorest, numerous, under-developed and social excluded Rroma rural communities from Satu Mare county. The project proposes to develop an interethnic facilitators group from six rural interethnic communities, by training 12 persons as community facilitators from the three ethnic groups (Romanian, Hungarian, Roma), practicing their skills in community facilitator activities: information and advice (social services, entrepreneurship opportunities), reduce school dropout, human trafficking prevention, empowering community members to be involved in local initiative groups. The project includes organizational development activities. Expected results: 200 informed people, 50 advised families, 120 participants in the human trafficking prevention actions, a published yearly report, a website.
Summary of project results
The problem addressed by the project is the low level of development in the Roma communities that deal with social exclusion (low educational level, high unemployment rate, poverty, bad infrastructure, low level of public involvement), from 6 rural interethnic localities. The project proposed and managed to build a team of 12 interethnic community facilitators (Romanian, Hungarian and Roma) which organised community facilitation activities in Roma communities: information and advice (social services, entrepreneurship opportunities), early school drop-out, human trafficking prevention, and empowerment for members to act in local initiative groups. Several aspects improved after this project’s implementation. For example, the voice of Roma was heard in the targeted communities, they gained trust and increased their confidence in their own capacity to solve their problems. At the same time, local authorities developed a respectful and understanding behaviour regarding the Roma people. The 12 trained community facilitators who worked during the project and continue to work after the project’s end, helped 200 individuals getting advice and information about different subjects. Also 50 families were visited in order to improve the early school drop-out figures, 265 pupils and 35 parents were informed on the human trafficking risk and two groups of local initiative were built. The beneficiaries were also involved in meetings with the local authorities, in individual and group counselling sessions, and in local initiative groups. The main benefit of the project is that the people living in these communities became aware that they can solve some of their problems by themselves.
Summary of bilateral results