24.08.2011A meeting with community moderators from the Centers for development of the community took place
Under the slogan “A step forward, every one of us can do it!” between 19th to 21st August 2011 in Mezdra a collaborative meeting with Roma moderators from the Centers for development of the community in the municipalities of Pavlikeni, Novi Pazar, Kameno, Peshtera, Etropole and Byala Slatina took place. The meeting was organized in the framework of the project for encouragement of the work on terrain in vulnerable groups of the Roma community, which is implemented by Center “Amalipe” and financed by the European Commission via program Dafne.
The activists from the 6 municipalities analyzed the first work month of the activity of the Centers for development of the community. During the 3 consecutive days the moderators shared experience, discussed the achieved results of the implementation of the current annexation of the method “Door to door” in the populated places of the project, which is about the motivation of the children, the youth and the families to attend school and to increase the educational status, the entrance to health care. Also they discussed different technics and skills for leading of discussions in the community, organization of groups of activists in the community and they planned together the activities for the next two months.
During the first month of the functioning of the Centers the moderators started a detailed mapping of the Roma groups in their populated places and they visited every family to write down information about the educational, social and health status. Despite the fact that the activities are still in the beginning, the moderators in Byala Slatina and Novi Pazar, using the basis of the questionnaires, managed to motivate two families to enroll their children again in school. In Peshtera the Roma moderators together with members of the Regional Health inspection organized discussions with young people from 14 to 16 years old on the topic “Family planning”. In the six pilot municipalities good working conditions and attitudes towards the different local institutions such as Directorate General “Employment bureau”, Directorate General “Social support”, doctors and schools are being built.
The nice weather and the beautiful nature supplemented to the fresh atmosphere and working tone of the participants and they managed to present daily round cases as together they were searching for solutions of specific problems, which they face in their work in the community. Together they planned the activities for the next 2 months – a campaign for non-admission of not a single not enrolled Roma students “Let’s get in class”, organization of clubs of activists in the villages and other activities.
During the discussions the moderators were led and supported by members of NGO in the face of Gancho Iliev from Association “World without borders” Stara Zagora, Spaska Mihailova from Association “New way” Hairedin, Jelio Jelev from Association “The true guardian” Burgas and Silviya Boyanova from CMEDT Amalipe, Veliko Turnovo.
“Let’s work for development of the Roma community and the support the development of its capacity! Together we make a step forward to the modernization of the community! We crave it and we can do it!” – the participants ended the meeting with these words.
