Description
Studies now show an increase in the number of young Roma women who get pregnant and have children without an evaluation from a family doctor or undergoing the necessary tests during pregnancy. This often leads to women giving birth to children with malformations, most of them being abandoned in maternity hospitals, as the family does not have the necessary income to raise a child with such problems. In other circumstances, the mothers-to-be do not have identity documents, the child will not be taken into evidence and so he/she will not receive monthly state financial aid, will not be vaccinated and will not be taken into evidence by a family doctor. Through this project we plan to train 13 health mediators, and the team of the project, together with the trained health mediators will offer 26 information sessions for 150 Roma women and from other ethnic groups, who are pregnant or have children of up to 2 years old. Also part of this project is to sign up 25 Roma (local experts, school mediators, health mediators) from the targeted villages, for IT courses. They will then use the gathered skills at their working places, to help the local community and their colleagues.
Summary of project results
The project aimed at helping Roma communities in 13 villages from Galati County. The purpose of this project was to find a solution to Roma's difficulties in successfully integrating into the medical health insurance system. Through this project, 13 health mediators from the targeted villages were trained. The training was focused on stringent health issues, such as: birth control methods, how to prevent certain types of cancer that occur often, sexual education, pregnancy evolution and the necessary tests women need to undergo during this period, child feeding in the first year of life, mother and children rights. The team leading this project, together with the trained health mediators, offered 23 information sessions for 170 women (122 Roma and 48 non-Roma) who are pregnant or have children up to 2 years old. Also, 25 Roma (local experts for Roma issues, sanitary mediators, school mediators, local Roma counsellors - working with and for Roma people) from the targeted villages were trained in IT (professional training in the profession of “Computer and network operator”). They now use the newly acquired skills at their working places, to help the local community and their colleagues. The indirect project beneficiaries are 13 Local Public Authorities from the targeted villages, as well as health organisations, maternity hospitals from Galati County and the other members from the Roma communities.
Summary of bilateral results