Social Support Center for Roma Communities

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Social Support Center for Roma Communities

• Context
• The situation of the ethnic minorities, such as
  Roma communities, is particularly important in
  the context of Romanias EU accession. Romania
  has achieved considerable progress towards the
  treatment of ethnic minorities, and the
  Government Strategy for Improving the Situation
  of the Roma Minority has been adopted.
• Romania is one of the 8 countries that adopted
  the Decade of Roma Inclusion, aiming to improve
  the lives of Roma in Europe.
• The surveys conducted so far show that poverty
  rate is much higher among Roma communities for
  many reasons the low income level, low
  professional qualification, increased rate of
  non-participation on the labor market, low level
  of education, high percentage of large families.
  Quite frequently, the income sources are made up
  only of the allowances for children and of the
  social compensation.
• The project in Alexandria is being carried out by
  UNDP and completes the existing local initiatives
  by implementing a comprehensive approach of Roma
  issues.
• Social Support Center for Roma Communities
• Developed by the United Nations Development
  Programme (UNDP), this project supports the
  implementation of the Government Strategy for
  Improving the Situation of the Roma.
• The project intends to stimulate and involve the
  Roma in identifying and solving the problems they
  are facing so that they can become an active part
  of their own social integration process.
• The Social Support Center in Alexandria is the
  fourth of the five centers planned to be
  established in Romania based on the model created
  through the pilot-phase that has been
  successfully implemented in Marasesti, Vrancea
  County. The other Centers are located in Dorohoi,
  Galati and Tirgu Mures.

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• What are the services offered?
• The Social Support Center for Roma Communities
  created in the city of
• Alexandria offers
• Social services
• Information and counseling on social rights
• Information concerning the labor market, support
  in finding employment, support for professional
  reorientation
• Support for recovery of education studies
• Support in getting identity papers
• Medical services
• Health education
• Health care counseling, including family planning
  services
• Enabling the access to public medical services,
  including support for the registration on the
  family physicians lists
• Training services
• Computer literacy courses
• Training of sanitary mediators

Social Support Center for Roma Communities
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Social Support Center for Roma Communities

• Who offers the services?
• The team of the Social Support Center consists
  of 2 social workers,
• 1 medical counselor, 1 IT trainer, 1
  entrepreneurial counselor and 1 local
• coordinator.
• Who are the partners?
• The project is developed by the United Nations
  Development Programme
• with the financial support of the Swedish
  Government Swedish
• International Development Cooperation Agency
  (SIDA).
• The implementing partners of the project are
• - The Government of Romania National Agency for
  Roma
• The Local Council of Alexandria