site.btaSeven Swiss Ambassadors Visit Roma Neighbourhood in Plovdiv, Share Integration Experiences
NW 15:03:01 14-03-2018
LN1501NW.117
117 - ECONOMY - ROMA INTEGRATION - SWITZERLAND - BULGARIA
Seven Swiss Ambassadors Visit
Roma Neighbourhood
in Plovdiv, Share Integration Experiences
Plovdiv, southern Bulgaria, March 14 (BTA) - Seven Swiss ambassadors were on a field visit to the Roma neighbourhood of Stolipinovo in the southern city of Plovdiv Wednesday to learn firsthand about Roma integration, said the Swiss Embassy in Sofia. Stolipinovo is the largest Roma neighbourhood in Bulgaria and in Europe.
In Plovdiv, the Bulgarian-Swiss Cooperation Programme co-finances a municipal project focusing on the social inclusion of Roma and other vulnerable groups through education and health.
The Swiss Ambassadors to Bulgaria, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Macedonia and Romania, as well as the board member of the Roma Education Fund (Budapest) are in Plovdiv for the 4th Roma Inclusion Regional Seminar of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) March 12 through 15. The Ambassadors will visit educational and health centers under construction there, meet teachers, parents and children in a kindergarten, and exchange experiences from a variety of countries.
For the first time, Bulgaria hosts a SDC regional seminar on Roma inclusion. It is dedicated to exchanging experience and views from the Swiss programmes in Southeastern Europe and drawing conclusions on how to draw and implement successful inclusion projects with a focus on sustainability and working with state and local institutions.
The Bulgarian participants will present their experience on working with public institutions and achievements and challenges in social inclusion of Roma and other vulnerable groups under the ZOV Programme (the acronym from the Bulgarian for "Health and Education for All"), implemented in six Bulgarian regional centers, including Plovdiv Municipality. Representatives of the ministries of labour and social policy, health, education and science, as well as the municipalities of Plovdiv and Sliven will attend the discussions.
Implemented in six regional centers (Plovdiv, Montana, Sliven, Ruse, Shoumen and Bourgas) in the period between 2013 -2019, the ZOV Programme aims to improve the access of Roma and other vulnerable groups to kindergartens and elementary schools, and to healthcare, as well as to improve the quality of education and health services. It targets children aged 0-10, young women, pregnant, mothers and young families in Roma urban neighborhoods and locations with more than 70% Roma population.
The programme boasts a catalogue of achievements: 377 children aged 0-10 have been newly enrolled in nurseries, kindergartens and schools; 3,970 children were given a chance to attend complementary learning programmes; 4 new kindergartens and pre-schools were built and 5 nurseries and kindergartens, and 2 schools totally renovated. More than 4,000 young mothers, pregnant women and children had medical check-ups in the newly repaired 8 health centers and 2 newly built ones across the country. Health campaigns have covered close to 6,500 young Roma parents.
The Ministry of Labour is the major partner on the Bulgarian side. The Ministries of Education and of Health also contribute with financial and programme input.
The total budget of the Programme amounts to 8,088,500 Swiss francs, of which 6,920,000 francs is Swiss contribution. LN/
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LN1501NW.117
117 - ECONOMY - ROMA INTEGRATION - SWITZERLAND - BULGARIA
Seven Swiss Ambassadors Visit
Roma Neighbourhood
in Plovdiv, Share Integration Experiences
Plovdiv, southern Bulgaria, March 14 (BTA) - Seven Swiss ambassadors were on a field visit to the Roma neighbourhood of Stolipinovo in the southern city of Plovdiv Wednesday to learn firsthand about Roma integration, said the Swiss Embassy in Sofia. Stolipinovo is the largest Roma neighbourhood in Bulgaria and in Europe.
In Plovdiv, the Bulgarian-Swiss Cooperation Programme co-finances a municipal project focusing on the social inclusion of Roma and other vulnerable groups through education and health.
The Swiss Ambassadors to Bulgaria, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Macedonia and Romania, as well as the board member of the Roma Education Fund (Budapest) are in Plovdiv for the 4th Roma Inclusion Regional Seminar of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) March 12 through 15. The Ambassadors will visit educational and health centers under construction there, meet teachers, parents and children in a kindergarten, and exchange experiences from a variety of countries.
For the first time, Bulgaria hosts a SDC regional seminar on Roma inclusion. It is dedicated to exchanging experience and views from the Swiss programmes in Southeastern Europe and drawing conclusions on how to draw and implement successful inclusion projects with a focus on sustainability and working with state and local institutions.
The Bulgarian participants will present their experience on working with public institutions and achievements and challenges in social inclusion of Roma and other vulnerable groups under the ZOV Programme (the acronym from the Bulgarian for "Health and Education for All"), implemented in six Bulgarian regional centers, including Plovdiv Municipality. Representatives of the ministries of labour and social policy, health, education and science, as well as the municipalities of Plovdiv and Sliven will attend the discussions.
Implemented in six regional centers (Plovdiv, Montana, Sliven, Ruse, Shoumen and Bourgas) in the period between 2013 -2019, the ZOV Programme aims to improve the access of Roma and other vulnerable groups to kindergartens and elementary schools, and to healthcare, as well as to improve the quality of education and health services. It targets children aged 0-10, young women, pregnant, mothers and young families in Roma urban neighborhoods and locations with more than 70% Roma population.
The programme boasts a catalogue of achievements: 377 children aged 0-10 have been newly enrolled in nurseries, kindergartens and schools; 3,970 children were given a chance to attend complementary learning programmes; 4 new kindergartens and pre-schools were built and 5 nurseries and kindergartens, and 2 schools totally renovated. More than 4,000 young mothers, pregnant women and children had medical check-ups in the newly repaired 8 health centers and 2 newly built ones across the country. Health campaigns have covered close to 6,500 young Roma parents.
The Ministry of Labour is the major partner on the Bulgarian side. The Ministries of Education and of Health also contribute with financial and programme input.
The total budget of the Programme amounts to 8,088,500 Swiss francs, of which 6,920,000 francs is Swiss contribution. LN/
//
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