site.btaSwiss-funded Roma Social Inclusion Project to Step on Early Childhood Education

Swiss-funded Roma Social Inclusion Project to Step on Early Childhood Education

Sofia, June 23 (BTA) - Investment in early childhood education
and integrated programmes focused on women and children will
provide the basis for a project for social inclusion of Roma and
 other vulnerable groups which will be implemented in three
municipalities in Bulgaria. Deputy Prime Minister Ivaylo Kalfin
and Swiss Ambassador here Dennis Knobel Tuesday signed an
agreement with the municipalities of Bourgas, Rousse and Sliven
under a "Programme for support of social inclusion of Roma and
other vulnerable groups", which is part of the Bulgarian-Swiss
Cooperation Programme aimed at supporting the social inclusion
of Roma and implemented jointly by the Ministry of Labour and
Social Policy, the Ministry of Education and Science and the
Ministry of Health. Switzerland provides 85 per cent of the
funds of the programme's total budget (8,088,500 Swiss francs),
while the Bulgarian side provides 15 per cent.

According to Knobel, the Roma minority is suffering from several
 principal forms of social exclusion - bad education, lack of
employment, bad health services and the impossibility of women
to be engaged socially. In the opinion of the Swiss Ambassador,
the problem is rooted in poverty with the most vulnerable groups
 being women and children.

Kalfin pointed out that the solution to the problems with social
 inclusion of vulnerable groups passes only through an
integrated approach - better housing, access to good education,
health services and employment.
   
An analysis on the work done and the policies related to Roma
inclusion will be completed by the end of next month, Kalfin
said. This will serve to develop short-term and long-term
measures for the 2015 -2020 period.
   
According to the agreements signed today, there should be more
capacity for Roma children in pre-school and elementary school
education in Bourgas, as well as in the smaller municipalities
of Sredets and Malko Turnovo, Bourgas Deputy Mayor Yordanka
Anaieva said. For example, the Pobeda residential area in
Bourgas has not had a kindergarten so far and a creche coupled
with health services for the children and their parents will be
developed under the project. Health mediators will also be
trained.
 
A new kindergarten and creche for about 150 children will also
be developed in Sliven's Nadezhda residential area. It will be
combined with social and health services. New creche groups,
health offices and pedagogical services will be provided in
Rousse.
   
The approved municipalities will implement the Roma social
inclusion programmes together with smaller municipalities and
NGOs.