Improving the Management of Roma Initiatives
Over the past decade, the majority of assistance programs for Roma in Slovakia have been focused on direct humanitarian aid and changing national-level public policy. Though these efforts have achieved some significant results, oftentimes the impact on improving Roma and non-Roma relations has not proved sustainable. Thus, local project designers and implementers require new skills to ensure long-term community impact of Roma programs.
In pursuit of this goal, Partners-Slovakia focused on strengthening the local capacity of Roma and non-Roma project managers for implementing sustainable projects that assist the Roma population. Partners-Slovakia sought to develop links for inter-ethnic dialogue through cooperative project activities, and to create a network of mutually supportive project implementers from diverse NGOs.
Partners-Slovakia’s program included several components. To ensure an accurate and fair recruitment for the project, it created a Project Advisory Board (including Roma advisors), solicited local recommendations from Roma oranizations, and widely disseminated information on the program through NGO newsletters, magazines, and the Internet. Following these outreach efforts, Partners-Slovakia conducted three one-day meetings in Bratislava, Prešov, and Banská Bystrica, and selected 28 Roma and non-Roma participants from across the country, representing NGOs, district offices, local governments, and other sectors. The program’s training component consisted of a series of five training sessions, two supervisory meetings, a series of consultations, individual work by the participants, and a conference. The Slovak Ministry of Education awarded an accredited certificate to 20 of the participants after succcessfully fulfilling all the requirements.
An independent evaluation at the conclusion of the program provided invaluable quantitative and qualitative data on sustainable project successes and impact, highlighted by:
Strengthened Cooperation for Educational and Cultural ActivitiesThe project resulted in a series of collaborative efforts among participants, including:
- Developing new programs and applications for financial support, with six succeeding in securing grants.
- Organizing educational activities such as inter-ethnic camps for children, lectures on Roma culture and community visits for children, lectures on planned parenthood and contraception, and an event to commemmorate the Roma Holocaust.
- Conducting cultural activities such as benefit concerts, folk dance performances, Days of Roma activities, and sporting events.
Increased Inter-group Understanding
One participant, who is a teacher at a local school, utilized his
new skills to understand Roma culture and communicate with parents
of his students. He noted that one particular student was neglected
by his parents, and that the school did not know how to address
the situation; a report sent to the parents went unacknowledged.
The teacher realized that the problem was a result of cultural differences,
as Roma often do not respond to a first report they receive, and
only take them seriously after several have been sent. The teacher
communicated effectively with the parents, and the Roma family learned
how to better deal with the school.
Strengthened Civil Society Organizations
Several program participants utilized their skills in work with
civil society organizations, including:
- Four participants established two new civic associations.
- Three participants founded informal associations, including a folk group, a fitness club, a children’s club, and a Roma group.
- Four participants secured new office space for their organizations, and two obtained much needed equipment including computers and printers.
- Two participants started new jobs, one in public works and one as a Roma assistant.
- Three participants hired additional staff in their organizations, mainly in the areas of administration and educational field work, to whom the participants conveyed their new skills.
Partners-Slovakia will uitlize its experiences from this project in subsequent initiatives, and will especially focus on facilitating cooperation among diverse ethnic, regional and sectoral groups. Further, the program resulted in a sustainable network of Roma pracititioners who will continue to share and teach their skills, while Partners-Slovakia is disseminating its lessons learned and best practices throughout civil society through an instructional brochure and other materials.
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