Description
The project "Your voice - the voice of the community" proposed by Solidarity and Hope Foundation Iasi, Săvineşti branch seeks to improve the social integration of 30 children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Săvineşti village, of which at least 15 Roma, and to increase the involvement in the community of 20 persons from disadvantaged social groups, of which at least 10 Roma, and to thus contribute to improving living conditions of a group of persons, of which a majority are Roma, who face extreme situations of poverty and exclusion from the community. The actions taken to achieve these objectives are the establishment of a Community center and clubs for all ages: music and radio journalism clubs for children and youth, gastronomy and crafts clubs for adults, combined with fundraising activities for social cases identified by the participants themselves. These actions are intended to stimulate the active participation in the community of the target group and raising the community awareness towards the problems faced by this group, in order to find solutions for them on the long term.
Summary of project results
The project met the needs of a group of Roma and Romanian children and adults from Săvineşti, facing extreme situations of poverty, lack of decent housing spaces and limited access to social services, a group which benefits from the services of the Solidarity and Hope Foundation consisting of social canteen, after-school services and emergency material aid. Project objectives were to improve the social integration of 30 children and young adults (out of which 15 Roma ethnics) and to increase the engagement inside the community of 20 adults (out of which 10 Roma ethnics), by involving them in activities such as music, drama and radio for children and youth, and handwork and gastronomy for adults. The project ended with setting up a Community Centre where all these activities continue after the end of the project. The children and youth from the music and drama clubs were involved in preparing Romanian and Roma songs, as well as a play which reflected their daily life, and in the end they offered a show on the stage of the local cultural centre. Youth from the radio club conducted interviews with community members and other participants in the project, they presented various events of the village, recorded meaningful stories that covered topics such as compassion, solidarity, non-discrimination, struggle with one’s own weaknesses etc. The adults made decorative objects in the handcraft club or prepared bread and pastry products for the social canteen of the Foundation at the culinary club. Their products were sold at local fairs or events, and the money collected was used, after consulting the beneficiaries, to purchase hygiene products and non-perishable food for all club members. One of the main results was setting up the community centre - a framework that facilitates the access of the community members to information and specific services needed; also an important result was the efficient involvement of volunteers in coordinating the thematic activities - they managed to attract participants and offered them the possibility to attend meaningful activities. Through the project, all children improved their school performance. Also, the adults became more actively involved in their community's life, interacting, working together and developing knowledge and skills, all of this contributing to the development of their community.
Summary of bilateral results