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The Family Starts With The Children

The project activities are performed in five multiethnic villages where live social excluded Roma communities. In these villages, due to the territorial remoteness and the lack of specialized organizations and institutions, Roma children are in the most risky groups. The project introduced an innovative approach to prevent the criminal behaviour of children of Roma origin:

  • Art clubs were created. Teachers, librarians, highly-educated people volunteered and worked with the groups of children. Each group has an individual program based on the interests of the children and on their abilities. An additional program for Social Abilities was also included in the project. It consisted of three major points: “Nurturing program” (daily breakfasts in the clubs), where the children take part in the cooking process; “Program for friendship”, different interactive games were used in order to build up common human values and to remove the aggressiveness and violence of children; “Shoulder Educational Program”, giving the children information and knowledge about their traditional ethno-cultural customs and habits
  • A Mobile Centre for Public Support was created. Its main purpose was to talk with Roma families and give Roma children useful suggestions and advice. The members of this Center are a policeman, a teacher, a pedagogue and a psychologist. They effectively help Roma children in overcoming their problems, such as illegal actions, cases of leaving school prematurely, etc.
  • School for Parents. Experts of the problems of the target groups have regular meetings and talk with the relatives or the parents of the children, in accordance with the problems and needs of Roma families
  • The 4th is addressed to the local communities in these villages. Non-Roma people are made familiar with Roma problems. They overcome their prejudices and ethnical intolerance. Public Councils have been formed in every village. The regional leaders, such as mayors, school teachers and Principals have been involved in the work of these centres. They have organised charity campaigns and given the children space to expose the products of their work. The Public Centres also were engaged in the distribution of books, clothes and foods that were given to Roma families in charity campaigns

 

Contact:
Community Fund “Library and Cultural Club”
Pleven and Regional Police Department –Ministry of Interior

 

The project started in 2010 and is still running.
Last review: January 2020.

 

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