Today, the project “Comprehensive approach to the inclusion of Roma and other vulnerable groups in Montana Municipality” was officially presented. The project is implemented with the financial support of the Bulgarian-Swiss Cooperation Programme and its total value is 2 600 000 BGN.

“The integration of Roma and other socially vulnerable groups is an integral part of the local government’s strategy,” said Montana Mayor Zlatko Zhivkov at the presentation event. The project is of total value 2 600 000 BGN and is implemented with the financial support of the Bulgarian-Swiss Cooperation Programme.

The project schedules the construction of a new building for full-day kindergarten No. 8 “Prolet” situated in Montana neighbourhood Kosharnik, which is inhabited by compact Roma population. The renewed and refurbished kindergarten will take over the children from the old building and will have an additional group for about 30 children. A Health Consultancy Centre co-funded by the local government will be built next to it, to cater for the needs of Kosharnik. The Medical Centre in Ogosta neighbourhood will be renovated to host additional offices for another general practitioner and a health mediator; the objective is to better cover the needs of the local Roma population. Yet another Health Centre situated in the Local Government's building in village Gabrovnitsa will provide prevention services and medical care for the two neighbouring villages Virove and Bezdenitsa.

Alongside with “Infrastructure,” “Education” and “Healthcare” are key components in the project. The activities in these directions will make up for the gaps in the education of Roma children through the organizing of additional classes and will aim to resolve the major issues related mainly to mother and child health.

The official presentation of the project, which took place in the Meeting Room of the Youth Centre, was attended by the partners in the project. In the implementation stage, the “Education” Component will rely on full-day kindergarten No. 8 “Prolet” and its branch in village Gabrovnitsa, Primary School “Georgi Benkovski” in Kosharnik, Primary School “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” in village Gabrovnitsa, full-day kindergarten No. 5 “Daga,” First Primary School “St. St. Cyril and Methodius,” Fourth Primary School “Lyuben Karavelov” and Community Centre “Zvezda 2007” in Montana. The “Healthcare” component – providing of medical services and work with the mediators – will be supported by the Municipal Medical Centre in Montana and the National Network of the Health Mediators.

The local government of Malko Tarnovo started the building and installation works intended for complete refurbishment of full-day kindergarten “Alen Mak” in village Zvezdets. The refurbishment is scheduled to finish before the new school year begins. The refurbishment is part of a project under ZOV Programme.

The existing facility is in a very poor condition: caved-in ceilings, broken and decayed flooring, cracked walls and peeling paint.
“I do not divide the children into Bulgarian and Roma. These are children who deserve to live and study in better environment,” said Mayor of Malko Tarnovo Iliyan Yanchev.

More children from 3 to 6 years old will be encompassed by the refurbished facility and the full capacity of 30 places in the kindergarten will be utilized. The facility will cover children who have dropped from the educational process and the future first-grade pupils will receive their mandatory preschool training.

“The building will have a new updated outlook once the refurbishment is finished,” said Deyan Yotov, project coordinator and director of Directorate “European funds and investment programmes” in Malko Tarnovo Municipality. The yard of the kindergarten will be renovated, too. It will have lanes, benches, swings and playground areas for the children.

Yordanka Ananieva, Deputy-mayor of “Culture and Education” Directorate in Burgas Municipality and guest to the event, wished success to the initiative.
The full-day kindergarten “Alen Mak” in Zvezdets will be refurbished for nearly 280 000 BGN provided by the Bulgarian-Swiss Cooperation Programme, said Magdalena Yapadzhieva, senior expert in “Education and Demographic Matters” Directorate in Burgas and project manager for Burgas. The local government of Malko Tarnovo co-funds the construction with over 30 500 BGN. The project will procure the equipment to be contained in this building and in full-day kindergarten “Yuriy Gagarin” in Malko Tarnovo. The comprehensive project in Burgas Municipality is of total value 2 613 544 BGN.
 

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