Region Sliven

After a prolonged public-procurement process, investment planning and negotiations for the locating of a new comprehensive childcare facility in Nadezhda neighbourhood, in September 2016 the local government of Sliven launched the construction works. Apart from a nursery and kindergarten, the facility will host a Health Consulting Centre and Culture Educational Centre. In this way, the Roma will be provided with access to education and healthcare, and a place for the organizing of meetings and a diversity of other events, all in a single spot.

The building is of total area 2326 sq.m. and is in immediate proximity to the Administrative Service Centre in Nadezhda. The construction works are implemented by Stroy Group and will cost 1 249 564,08 BGN. The contractor has been selected through a bid of tenders organized under the Public Procurement Act. The nursery section of the United Childcare Facility will cover 32 children organized in two groups while the kindergarten will educate 120 children organized in four groups. The facility will have classrooms, a music room and a gym.

The Health Consultancy Unit will have three medical consulting rooms: gynaecological, paediatric and GP’s. This facility will provide healthcare for the neighbourhood residents.

The Culture Educational Centre will be organized in two rooms: an information centre for work with the Roma community in Nadezhda and a multi-purpose room for group events.

The team of Association “Roma Academy for Culture and Education” (RACO) – ZOV local partner in Sliven – works every day with the families in Nadezhda: the team members talk with them, provide information on various matters and motivate the parents to enrol their children in the new kindergarten once it is finished and inaugurated. The visits are from street to street and from door to door. Information about the social and economic standing of the families is gathered through questionnaires, the purpose being to specify families’ needs.

According to the 250 questionnaires filled-in so far, 92% of the interviewed mothers are above 18 years old; of them, 45% are over 23 years old. It was established that 51% of the interviewed parents have one child and 38% have two children. Only 2% (five families) have more than three children.

Many parents share that they live in hard times and prefer to have one or two children, so that they can provide them with quality care and good education. Some of the parents share that they have difficulties in finding employment because they are undereducated and under-qualified (58% of the mothers have elementary education and 36% have primary education); that is why they want to provide better education for their children.
 

On the 1st of April 2016 in Sliven, over 1000 participants joined the Happening for the benefits of education in the Roma community organized by “Roma Academy for Culture and Education”.

The happening was organized in Nadezhda neighbourhood of predominantly Roma population with the participation of Roma artists and musicians, dance group RACO with choreographer Atanas Atanasov and dance group Veselie, the Young Virtuosi orchestra with leader Radka Kuseva and Karandila Junior Band with leader Angel Tichaliev.

The participants were greeted by RACO President Stela Kostova, Deputy-mayor Stoyan Markov and District governor Tatyana Petkova. Attendants in the event were the Head of the Regional Education Inspectorate Dr. Biserka Mihaleva, administrators from the local government of Sliven, representatives from the Governor’s office, partner NGOs and the team of “Integrated project for social inclusion of Roma and other vulnerable groups in Sliven”.
This has been the first event of its type organized in Nadezhda. The Roma living in the neighbourhood highly approved this RACO initiative.
 

The construction of the multifunctional building in the Nadezhda Roma neighbourhood – a new nursery, kindergarten, medical and culture centers – has been completed and will officially inaugurated on 22 November 2018. The Municipality of Sliven started the process of registering children aged 0-6 to be placed in the new groups.

In the period January – June 2018, 120 children and parents took part in motivational and informational sessions on the importance of early childhood development and enrollment in the newly built kindergarten in Nadezhda organized by RACO, the ZOV local partner.

230 children were engaged in arts classes – dances and singing clubs. 320 Roma participated in celebrating 2 Roma holidays within the reporting period, organized by RACO.

Number of children in kindergartens (3-6) in newly established groups under ZOV, including groups for Bulgarian lessons – 1 080

Number of participants (children and parents) in events - theatre, cinema and other culture & sport events – 6 589

Number of children in extracurricular activities  – 318

Number of parents in campaigns and consultations on education – 914

Note: Data covers the period 2015 – 2018

On 15 April 2016, a round table on the healthcare issues of Roma living in Nadezhda neighbourhood was organized with the participation of ten religious leaders from the community. This meeting was intended to explain basic matters concerning the reproductive health and contraception, maternal health and prevention. Since the pastors in Nadezhda are leaders in the community and can easily mobilize the participation of its residents, “Medics of the World” invited pastors, Roma women and mothers to join the discussions on these significant topics for the Roma women.

Through the period February – July 2016, the partner NGO “Medics of the World” organized 794 individual meetings with Nadezhda residents who were in need of healthcare and medical attention. Out of those, 385 were first-time visitors and in the organization’s consultancy rooms and received the mediators’ assistance for the gynaecological examinations and other explanatory consultancies. During their field work, the project team talked with another 227 individuals. 46 women were accompanied for their visits to the gynaecologist. 478 individuals visited the “Medics of the World” Information Centre. Those were predominantly women and mothers in need of medical examinations and assistance with contraceptive aids. Some of those visitors did not have medical insurances. During these individual information sessions, the visitors were consulted by the mediators working for the programme.
 

In 2016, the “Roma Health” organization interviewed 416 residents of Nadezhda to obtain information about AIDS, tapeworm and sexually transmitted diseases.

Out of these, 351 individuals aged between 18 and 35 were examined for AIDS, another ten are scheduled to pass additional examinations.

The results from the research provided information about the health state of Roma living in Nadezhda.

In the period January – June 2018, the Roma Health partner conducted gynecological exams for 259 Roma women. 221 Roma were screened for tapeworm and 2 of these were positively diagnosed and further treated. 35 patients at risk to be sick of Hepatitis B, and C, syphilis, and AIDS were screened and 2 were diagnosed with syphilis and hepatitis B. 79 insured pregnant women were screened as well.

143 Roma took part in sessions on family planning and reproductive health carried out by the partner Doctors of the World. 683 individual consultations on any health problem were conducted, whereas half of these people came to the offices for the 1st time. Doctors of the World work with pastors in order to deal with early marriages and births. 10 pastors take part in 3 round tables on these issues. 122 women were consulted on contraception measures and 80 of them decided to have the IUDs placed.

Number of general medical exams carried out by GPs/paediatricians and screenings – 3 468

Number of specialised medical examinations, incl. gynaecological examinations – 2 071

Number of medical tests - incl. HIV, syphilis, PAP smear tests, blood tests for dog tapeworms – 2 386

Number of health consultations (health mediators)– 5 893

Number of intrauterine devices – 285

Number of beneficiaries of information campaigns and events, women and health support groups  - 5 278

Note: Data covers the period 2015 – 2018.

On 7 Pril 2016, the exhibition of posters "8 April - International Romani Day" was opened in the municipal gallery "May" in Sliven. Tashko Popov, teacher in “Dimitar Dombrovich” National High School for Arts in Sliven presented the exhibition.

The exhibition included 13 thematic posters dedicated to the International Roma Day. Amongst the participants were Sliven-born artist Aleksandar Zahariev, Nikolay Stoychev, Diyan Dankov, Orlin Orlinov and Plamen Kovachev. The Sliven Quartet performed in the official ceremony for the opening of the exhibition.

On the 8th of April, in the esteemed presence of His Eminence Yoanikiy, Bishop of Sliven, a ceremony of flower giving was organized on the banks of Asenovska River to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust.

Karandila Band had an open-air concert performed in front of the Military Club in Sliven. These events made part of the two-day programme of Association “Roma Academy for Culture and Education” (RACO), to celebrate the International Roma Day.

On the 7th of May, ethnic Roma from Sliven gathered in Hrani Pole vicinity in the area of Sliven Spas to celebrate Hederlezi (St. George’s Day). The event was organized by Association “Roma Academy for Culture and Education,” a local partner of ZOV.

Deputy-mayor Stoyan Markov greeted the attendants and extended his good wishes to the Roma community to keep their traditions.

The celebrations continued with a concert of Karandila Band, wrestling contest, rope jumping and running, contest for most beautiful horse-driven cart and horse, and dancing contest. The winning contestants received prizes.

ZOV Programme works with extra zeal to support Roma initiatives that enhance Roma culture and identity. Association “Roma Academy for Culture and Education” is organizer of the festive events on the occasion of Roma holidays (the 8th of April, Hederlezi), sports and dance events, exhibitions and ethnic-collection corner – a gallery showcasing Roma artefacts.

Over 1500 Roma took part in these events, the greater number of which has been organized in Nadezhda neighbourhood for the first time.

The positive contribution of these initiatives for the improved self-confidence and dignity of Roma is indisputable. This positive effect, in its turn, motivates Roma to participate in the social life in Sliven and contributes for their more successful integration.