Description
The municipality of Tarlungeni has a large Roma community. Roma represents 39% (3250 people). In Zizin Village where the project will be implemented, the number of school-aged children is 434, all of them Roma. The dropout rate is high. The main objective of the project is improving the situation of Roma children and young people at risk by involving them in integrated and innovative services, focusing on their multilateral development. 230 Roma people will be involved in integrated activities: educational, formative and social activities focused on personal development. The objectives will be achieved through the establishment of an integrated center to host activities for self-development and social integration for 80 preschool-aged children, 100 school-aged children and 50 young Roma. Under the same umbrella, the project focuses on organizing a school for parents consisting of 50 parents and in addition it will also facilitate a training of 30 teachers.
Summary of project results
Tărlungeni Commune (Brașov County) has 39% Roma population, grouped mainly in villages of Zizin and Tărlungeni. The Roma community faces multiple challenges: poor living conditions, numerous family members, lack of jobs, low school participantion and performance among children, with a high illiteracy and school abandonment rate. Parents do not have interest in supporting the education of their children, even teachers and the other specialists working with children do not involve enough to adapt teaching methods so that Roma children and youth keep their motivation to stay in school. The project aimed to facilitate the access of children and youth at risk from Zizin village (Tărlungeni Commune) to formal and non-formal education, by involving them in various integrated activities, educational, formative and social, centered on their personal development and improvement of their situation in community. A number of 180 children, out of which 162 Roma, have benefitted, according to each age group, from kindergarted type activities (personal development and practical abilities, non-formal activities, games etc) for children between 3-6 years old; after school centre for children aged 7-14 years old (home work support, vocational guidance, development of creativity and artistic spirit, social and civic responsibility). A number of 50 youth aged 15-18 years old, all Roma, have attended the resource centre activities: vocational counselling and guidance, financial education, development of social and civic competencies, IT&C courses. 50 parents, all of them Roma, have been part of “School of Parents” and have discussed about the importance of education of their children, have acquired abilities of vocational guidance etc. 22 specialists, out of which 7 Roma, have been trained on topics such as interculturalism and multiculturalism, access of Roma children to educational and social activities. The project contributed to improving the access to education of Roma children and youth from Zizin village (Tărlungeni Commune) and improvement of cooperation of local stakeholders to this purpose.
Summary of bilateral results