Roma children in Eastern Slovakia

In the heart of Europe - At the end of the world
Project Type: 
Development Project
Education
Country: 
Slovakia
Region: 
Jarovnice
Project Duration: 
01/04/2014 to 01/04/2016
Status: 
Completed
Donor(s): 
Foundation UNESCO - Education for Children in Need, HOPE'87
Project Description: 

The overall objective of the project was to encourage the inclusion of children, youth and young adults within the framework of the national strategy for the Integration of Roma communities. The target groups of this project were children at pre-school age, young people and young adults as well as volunteers that wanted to support the numerous activities of the project.The special objective of the project was to offer school preparation for children at pre-school age and to support the personal development and the talents of young people by offering workshops and leisure activities. Furthermore, the project aimed at the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse, as well as of criminality or human trafficking. It included activities for health and sex education, as well as support of the young people and young adults that volunteer in the Roma community.

Project Background: 

Jarovnice, a town in Eastern Slovakia, is the home to a Roma community, that is still confronted with exclusion, relocation, persecution and disrepect.

There are about 300 slums in Slovakia.The largest slum in Central Europe is that of Jarovnice that is inhabited by 5,570 people of which 4,500 are members of the Roma minority. The majority of the Roma face poverty and unemployment and have to live without electricity, sanitary facilities or a functioning canalisation system.

The relationship between the Roma people and the other citizens of Jarovnice is characterized by mistrust and intolerance. The vicious cycle of poverty, unemployment and discrimination is aggravated by an alarming rate of criminality, alcohol and drug abuse. The level of education among the Roma minority in Jarovnice is extremely low, because children – often stemming from illiterate families - face difficulties in following regular education and drop out of the school system after the 4th class. There are schools for children with special needs that are visited exclusively by Roma children. However, these schools do not offer the children any prospects and contribute to a system of exclusion. This leads to a certain resignation both among parents and children of the Roma community.