Several Roma women learned how to relate to the local authorities and how to get more involved in community life. Within the Project "Facilitating access to integrated education, health, employment and empowerment services for vulnerable people in Sector 1", 10 Roma women from the Chitila, Străulești and Giulești communities participated, on September 15, 2023, at the City Hall Sector 1, to an exchange of experience with 10 representatives of other Roma communities in the country.

During this activity, the women from the initiative groups with which the E-Romnja Association has been working for over 10 years shared with the women from the newly established group within this project about the challenges, successes, but also the countless obstacles they encountered in all their activity, about the SORA method (Study, Organization, Claim, Advocacy), a method aimed at involving Roma women so that projects/measures for communities reflect their needs and experiences.

The women in the newly established project group were impressed by the presentations they attended during this exchange of experience and stated that they were of real help in planning their future activities. The City Hall of Sector 1 has developed an integrated and innovative system of quality services to ensure the increase of inclusion and the empowerment of Roma people in the Roma communities identified in Sector 1. To this end, it is implementing, starting on May 1, 2022, the "Access Facilitation" Project to integrated education, health, employment and empowerment services for vulnerable people in Sector 1", code PN1044. This project is financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through EEA Grants within the Program "Local development, poverty reduction and increased inclusion of Roma".

Several partners are involved in this project: Viața si Lumină Foundation, E-Romnja Association and the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection Sector 1.

Additional Information here.

Photo source – City Hall Sector 1