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Where are we?. Dobrich

Where are we?

Where we are ?

Dobrich Dobrich is the second largest city and industrial centre in North-East Bulgaria Center of the biggest agrarian region, called “the breadbasket of Bulgaria. 8 th biggest city in Bulgaria Total area – 109 sq. km and inhabitants

Main data Bulgaria Roma people are about (census 2001) as MIA’s model they are about (2008) or 12 % of the total population; 2/3 are aged up to 30; It is minority with highest birth rate and with registered highest child death it is the group with earliest marriages (even in Europe) – 80% of roma people create families before age of 16; The most uneducated group too – according statistics in 2005 about 18,1 % of adult roma people are entirely illiterate for the country.

DOBRICH Census 2001

Policies On National level National Strategy for Demographic development of Republic Bulgaria 2006 – 2020; National Programme for improvement of the living conditions of Roma in the Republic of Bulgaria ; Framework Programme for Equal Integration of Roma in Bulgarian Society; National Plan for the Decade of Roma Inclusion ; Law on Protection against discrimination Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities ; Operational Program “Human Resources Development”

Policies On Municipal local level Member of the National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Demographic Issues, chaired by Ministry of Labour and Social Policies; Dobrich Municipality has a Development Plan 2007 – 2013, in accordance with the EU policies and the national priorities. Chapter of this Plan is addressing integration of roma and other pour minorities in the social life of the city; Municipal Programme for collaboration in ethnic and demographic issues 2011 – 2015 ; Annual Plan for implementation of the program.

Main Roma problems High level of long term unemployment – difficulties in hiring and finding a job or lack of desire for work; prefer to receive small social subsistence funds instead to work; High level of crime – traditional reputation in the community as offenders; Poorest segment of the local community – low health culture and hygiene; Low level of education and high illiteracy lack of desire for education and vocational training ; Great separate number of segregated schools – about 5 of 17 municipal schools; roma parents don’t encourage their children to attend school.

Experience Annual Implementation of the program for collaboration in ethnic and demographic issues 2011 – 2015 Activities: *Consultations, guidelines, employment programs, vocational trainings, course, workshops *In the schools – work with parents, teachers and students for creating more attractive socio- psychologist climate for minorities ‘ students Partners: Bureau “ Employment Office” Directorate “Social Assistance” Dobrich Primary Health Centre for Prevention and Support of children of roma families Regional healthcare centre – Dobrich Primary health Centre “ Dr. Sijka Ilieva” Bulgarian Red Cross Dobrich

Experience Finished projects Project INTEGROMA – setting conditions for development and integration of young roma talents in the art, science and sport with active participation and support of their parents and teachers, funded by OP Human Resources Development, Priority “Creating of favourable multicultural environment for implementation in practice of intercultural education and training - total amount euro; - duration 18 months; - Target group: 40 children from 4 schools with highest concentration of roma children aged 8 – 13; 75 parents and 16 teachers

Experience “ Finished projects Project “Equal opportunities for access to more qualitative education of roma children through improved learning environment” – primary school “Dimiter Talev”, funded by MATRA (Netherlands) – 2007 – 2010 Project “To make the school more attractive for young people”, funded by OP Human Resources Development, amount euro - aimed to create favorable conditions for development of intellectual, physical and artistic potential of Dobrich children to insure sufficient social integration, improved access to education and prevention of dropping out of school through diversification and enlargement of additional training forms

Experience Project proposals – ready for funding “ Project “ Successful partnership for better roma life in Dobrich” – to establish sustainable, modern and energy effective educational municipal infrastructure” proposed to Institute “Open Society” Budapest – Program “ Improvement of living condition of roma in Bulgaria through infrastructural projects” Project : Integration – actual and necessary in the modern Bulgarian school” notified by centre of educational integration of children and students of ethnic minorities” proposed to Roma Educational Fund – Budapest.

Experience Dobrich Municipality – Direct beneficent Community Centre for children and families in Dobrich -Total amount euro direct users -10 integrated services In the frame of the Project for Social Inclusion of the Ministry of labor and social policy, € 20 million loan of the World Bank Aims: prevention of social exclusion and decreasing poverty among children through investment in early aged childhood development, improvement of well grounded of children for inclusion to the educational system and support for parents’ skills setting up. Main goal is to limit poverty transfer between generations

Expectations PROJECT « I AM ROMA» Capacity building towards awareness for European Dimensions of the policy combating racism and equal ethnic opportunities To obtain knowledge for successful overcoming traditional stereotypes which are at the roots of racist attitudes To highlight good practices in minorities’ social inclusion and their participation in the community life To obtain better understanding of the 4 principles of children well-being – non- discrimination, best interest of the child, child development and child rights and their application in practice

Partnership expectations Learning from partners experience and good practices how to: То improve partnership and better coordination between all local stakeholders, working in Roma issues; To send real message to the general public for roma’s children well-being and their future development; To persuade roma parents for attendance of their children at school and active learning To create preconditions and to motivate roma children for successful integration and participation in the educational process and school life;

Thanks Mulţumes Vďaka Dêkuji Ευχαριστίες Grazie Dankzij Gestena

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