Project: “Integrated Complex of Services for Roma Inclusion and Authorization in Lom Municipality”
Implemented in: Lom Municipalty
Program: “Local development, poverty reduction and enhanced inclusion of vulnerable groups”
Implementation period: 11.04.2022 – 11.04.2024
Lead organisation: Lom Municipality, Republic of Bulgaria
Partners: Roma – Lom Foundation; SAVE A CHILD (Norway)
Project summary:
The project is developed based on an analysis of the needs of the Roma population living in 4 separate neighborhoods of the town of Lom. The main target group is 7,516 Roma living in segregated communities in the Humata, Momin Brod, Mladenovo and Stadiona neighborhoods, with difficult or unequal access to services, socially excluded or marginalized. The overall goal of the project is to pilot an “Integrated complex for services to vulnerable groups”, which will improve the condition and opportunities of people living in the 4 neighborhoods, based on effective integrated approaches, sustainable impact mechanisms, active participation of the Roma community and cooperation between local institutions.
The project has three specific objectives: 1) To increase the access of Roma and other vulnerable groups from the 4 municipality neighborhoods to better quality services for social assistance, education, employment and health; 2) To empower the Roma communities in the 4 neighborhoods, incl. Roma women and youth, for their active participation in decision-making processes affecting their lives, both collectively and individually; 3) To create a sustainable mechanism for counteracting all forms of discrimination and negative attitudes against the Roma population in Lom municipality.
The objectives of the project will be achieved through: 1) Development of “Integrated complex for services for vulnerable groups” in the building of the former city bath; 2) Setting up a qualified multidisciplinary team for the implementation of integrated services; 3) Provision of integrated services in the field of education, healthcare, employment, social assistance; 4) Expanding the capacity of the institutions in Lom Municipality, providing various primary services and increasing the access and quality of sectoral or integrated services for the Roma; 5) Participation of Roma in the development and implementation of policies and services affecting the development of the community (coordination mechanism with the active presence of the target group); 6) Participation of Roma in the preparation of a strategy for the development of the complex of integrated services in the 5 years after the completion of the project; 7) Communication and information within the community, as well as the general population in the municipality; 8) Activities to increase the level of acceptance between Roma and the main population and to counteract discrimination and negative attitudes towards the Roma population.
Grant amount: 704 172 EUR
Contact: Alyona Arsenova Alyosheva
email: al.arsenova@abv.bg
phone: +359 884 069127; +359 971 69101
address: 3600 Lom, Bulgaria, 12 Dunavska Str.
The goals and expected results were presented at an introductory conference by the project manager Alyona Arsenova, director of the “Social Activities and Employment Programs” Directorate in the Municipality of Lom (25.07.2022).
