WHAT WE DO IN RUSE
EDUCATION
1. Comprehensive inclusion of Roma children in the educational process in kindergartens, preschool classes and elementary schools. We work with two kindergartens and six primary schools. Under ZOV, 30 children are expected to start kindergarten classes and 1171 are expected to go to school.
- Organizing of half-day classes for children aged between three and five years. The classes will be held according to specially developed teacher guide for working with children and their mothers. The classes will be held in the renovated rooms of full-day kindergarten “Ralitsa” in Ruse and its affiliated unit “Chervenata Shapchitsa” in village Bazan.
- Opening of a cash fund in Ruse and Ivanovo municipalities, assigned to annually provide assistance for up to 50 socially disadvantaged families whose children do not attend mandatory classes in kindergarten and school.
- Improvement the efficiency of early language training for Roma children aged between three and five years. Twenty teachers will be trained to apply new methods of teaching Bulgarian to children for whom it is not mother tongue.
- Throughout the three project years, each year will offer four half-day and full-day excursions as a minimum, as well as visits to theatres, museums and the cinema.
- A Roma mediator will start work in full-day kindergarten “Ralitsa” in Ruse.
- Full-day kindergarten “Ralitsa” in Ruse and its affiliated unit “Chervenata Shapchitsa” in Bazan will have renovated and furnished rooms.
2. Conducting of consultancies with Roma parents to motivate them for sending their children to kindergarten and school. Opening of consulting offices in the six schools included in the project and mobile work on site. Educational mediators will identify the children in risk from dropping out from school through specially organized campaigns of the “Door to door” type. It is expected that the parents will start to visit the consulting office in the nearby schools where they’ll be given advice and assistance.
- Weekly events for parents and children teamed in clubs by interests, conducted under the guidance of experienced professionals. Three permanent groups will be organized (two in Primary School “Aleko Konstantinov” and one in Primary School “Bratya Miladinovi”).
- Organizing of summer schools and summer camps for at least 100 Roma children in risk of dropping out from school.
- “Second chance” programme that will cover at least 20 Roma children who have dropped out from school.
- Introducing of classes on healthcare and sexual education in schools and educating of 660 pupils by the “peer to peer” method in Ruse Municipality and in the territories of the partnering local governments.
- Covering of at least 500 children in the information campaigns for the prevention of human trafficking.
- Engaging of teacher assistant of Roma origin in Primary School “Aleko Konstantinov” in Ruse and of seven school mediators of Roma origin.
- Refurbishment and equipping of two classrooms in Primary School “Bratya Miladinovi” and Primary School “Aleko Konstantinov” in Ruse.
3. Raising the professional capacity of the teachers for work in multicultural and multiethnic environment:
- Multi-modular education for 170 teaching specialists from the educational institutions in the partner municipalities;
- Trained 30 pedagogical specialists for the introduction of health and sexual awareness classes in schools.
HEALTHCARE
We work to assure better accessibility for the Roma and other groups in risk through the providing of information, consultancies, accompanying of patients for their preventive medical examinations and improvement of health awareness:
Extension the capacity of Nursery No. 6 in Ruse through the organizing of two new nursery groups for 30 children who will be brought up in the refurbished environment of the Mother and Child Home in Ruse. The conditions for admission in the Nursery will be explained in a specially organized campaign and the parents will be assisted with the submission of enrolment documents for their children.
A total of 25 first-aid and emergency medics will be trained for work with Roma and socially vulnerable groups.
Mobile work for consulting and explaining the necessity for family planning; working with a total of 1300 representatives from the Roma community.
One-week annual information campaigns on the topic of reproductive health.
Providing of outpatient and specialized aid for 2700 individuals without health insurances.
Four consulting rooms for medical care deployed in the partner municipalities.
Six health mediators of Roma origin – selected, trained and appointed in the partner municipalities.
EMPOWERMENT AND CULTURE
Strengthening the cultural integration and identity of the Roma community:
- Organizing of annual “Stage under the Sky” festival dedicated to the 8th of April – The International Roma Day – in the four municipalities where ZOV works.
- Annual festival “Ethnic Rhythms without Borders.”
- Annual exhibition and bazaar with the traditional meals of the various ethnic groups.
2. Improved social acceptance of Roma and more intensive Roma participation at a local level:
- Municipal employees from the local governments in Ivanovo, Vetovo and Borovo will pass training for work in multicultural and multiethnic environment.
- Public Consultancy Councils on Roma Matters will be organized in the municipalities Ivanovo, Vetovo and Borovo.
