Project: “Strengthening the network of active local Roma groups for the empowerment of Roma communities in North Western Bulgaria”
Implemented in: Lom, Montana and Vidin districts
Program: Active Citizens Fund Bulgaria
Implementation period: 01.09.2021 – 31.08.2023
Project Promoter: Roma-Lom Foundation
Partner: No
Project summary:
The project will be implemented by Roma-Lom Foundation (RLF) in the two districts of Vidin and Montana for 24 months. The project addresses the issues related to the exclusion of the Roma from social life and the development of integration policies, including lack of faith among the Roma neighbourhoods that it is also up to them to make a difference. The project aims at empowering vulnerable groups such as the Roma and the goal will be achieved in the following way: • building civic capacity within the Roma community for self-organization and advocacy; • setting up and consolidating 10 local citizen groups in the Roma neighbourhoods, hands-on training of 70 Roma activists and 4 community facilitators; • advocacy campaigns (at least 10), organized by the groups, about topical and capable-of-solution issues for the benefit of the citizens of the Roma neighbourhoods. An integral component of our strategy is to set up local active Roma groups to have a critical mass of active citizens among the Roma community. Our team has worked for years towards having an open forum for reaching consensus solutions and taking the Roma community to a better negotiation position to uphold efficient integration policies through consolidation of the Roma leadership, mobilization of direct citizen involvement in the neighbourhoods and re-establishment of the broken links between experts/leaders and the Roma communities. Key expected project outcomes are: • 10 sustainable local groups with about 70 activists with developed practical skills for community work as Roma catalysts for setting of groups and advocacy; • 15.000 more Roma involved to support the proposed solutions submitted to the institutions through 10 advocacy campaigns and local activities. The project will help empower the Roma as active citizens and participants in the steps to overcome the social isolation of the Roma community.
Grant amount: 73 135 EUR
Contact: Vitka Nikolova
email: roma-lom@roma-lom.org
phone: +359 892321458
address: 3600 Lom, Bozveli str. 4
Facebook: fondacia roma lom
