Together for a better life in Castelu

About this project

<p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: medium"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="color: #000000">Many rural town halls are unable to offer the necessary services to vulnerable groups, because public employees are too few and insufficiently trained, and they do not work together for an effective case management. Such is the situation in Castelu, a commune with 5560 people, out of whom 480 are impoverished Turkish-Roma (called Horahai).&nbsp;</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: medium"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="color: #000000">The project aims to (1) produce systemic changes in the way public services for vulnerable groups in Castelu are delivered and accessed, in order to facilitate social inclusion, decrease inequalities and develop the entire community; (2) use the direct experience to improve national public policy regarding integrated community services.&nbsp;</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: medium"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="color: #000000">The project involves public employees in developing and testing a horizontal (social services-education-health) and vertical (local county-national) collaboration model to help them solve vulnerable groups' severe/urgent problems; creates interaction routines among actors, to sustain this collaboration in the future and in other communities; documents the process and formulates public policy recommendations, and informs county and national authorities through constant communication and advocacy.&nbsp;</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: medium"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="color: #000000">In parallel, it increases community members' capacity to access public services, through remedial education, personal development and leadership training for children and youth, health education for mothers and women, by mobilizing a Local Initiative Group and by organizing community events that create positive interactions between people with different socio-economic backgrounds and ethnicity.&nbsp;</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: medium"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="color: #000000">Reality Check has direct experience in community development in Castelu, in policy evaluation and advocacy. Castelu City Hall involves the integrated local team and makes sure that the systemic changes proposed are applied. New Horizons brings experience in teambuilding and leadership, community organization and literacy, and Pe Stop·contributes with expertise in health and hygiene education.</span></span></span></p>

Project partners

• New Horizons Lupeni Foundation Project partner· Romania
• On Stop Association Project partner· Romania
• Castelu City Hall Project partner· Romania