Integrated Complex of Services for Roma Inclusion and Empowerment in Lom Municipality
Municipality of Lom ·Bulgaria
About this project
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The overall goal of the project is to pilot an "Integrated complex for integrated services", </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><span style="color: #000000">based on effective and sustainable impact mechanisms, active participation of the Roma community and cooperation between local authorities and institutions targeted to improve the living conditions of the people who live in the four neighborhoods. The project aims to: </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">improve the access of Roma from the 4 neighborhoods to better services by creating a qualified multidisciplinary team, building an "Integrated complex for integrated services" by renovating and equipping a former public bath managed by the ROMA-LOM Foundation, providing integrated services and expanding the capacity of the institutions in the municipality; e</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">mpower the Roma communities through the establishment and development of a Community Development Council and a of Active Advocacy Group, Coordination Mechanism and direct participation in the preparation of a strategy for development of services offered in the next 5 years after the project; e</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">stablish a sustainable mechanism for counteracting all forms of discrimination through activities to increase the level of acceptance between the Roma and the main population and to counteract discrimination and negative attitudes against the Roma population. </span></span></span></p>
Bilateral cooperation results
Three online conferences were held with the participation of experts/organizations/municipalities implementing successful models for inclusion and empowerment and representatives of Lom Municipality, project partners, and other stakeholders, on the following topics: 1) Inclusion of children and increasing access to education (March 29, 2024); 2) Practices for inclusion and active civic participation of young Roma and Roma women (April 5, 2024); and 3) Models for successful implementation of integrated services. In the period April 14-17, 2024, 2 experts from Norway visited Lom for exchange good practices. A work program was prepared and future actions in the direction of upgrading and developing the activities after the completion of the project were identified. By familiarizing with leading models in Norway, the project management team received information that is basic and will allow to build on and develop what has been started after the completion of the project activities. The building and strengthening of relations with the donor partner gave impetus to the official representatives of the local government to look for institutional and financial development of the model and search for opportunities to upgrade it.
Project partners
- SAVE A CHILD Donor project partner· Norway
- FOUDATION ROMA-LOM Project partner· Bulgaria