The extraordinary results obtained by REF during the first phase of implementation of the project “EU Regional Action for Roma Education: Increased Education Support and Opportunities for Roma Students in the Western Balkans and Turkey (RARE) have consolidated the foundation’s partnership with the European Commission, especially with the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations – DG NEAR.
DG-NEAR selected REF as it’s partner for the continuation of a series of activities dedicated to Roma children, youth and adults in 7 countries (Albania – ALB; Bosnia and Herzegovina – BIH; Kosovo* – KOS; Montenegro -MNE; North Macedonia – MAC; Serbia – SER; Turkey – TUR). As so, from January 2023, with a 4 million Euros financial contribution from the European Commission and half of million in funding from REF, the “EU Regional Action for Roma Education: Increased Education Opportunities for Roma Students and Roma Youth in Western Balkans and Turkey, phase II” project has kicked off. It aims to reduce the Roma/non-Roma gap in participation and completion of quality education, to improve Roma transition between education and employment, and to promote durable systemic change and de-segregation within education systems in the enlargement region.
Over the course of the next 4 years, the upcoming activities will contribute to the enhancement of Roma education and opportunities in the Western Balkans and Turkey for 2,800 Roma children and youth at all educational levels (pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary) and 1,000 parents from the project countries, with a particular focus on Roma women.
The program follows the same operational frame as the previous one, however, considering the significant changes in the strategical approach of Roma Education Fund, and the new emerging tendencies on the market, the ultimate scope of the interventions should be the development of resilient Roma communities through education, using as approaches the growing mindset of the Roma communities, enhance the educational access of the Roma communities, developing the human resource capacity at each possible level, implying use of technology and progressive methodologies.
Gender Equality, a Priority
With no proper access to education and support services, Roma women and girls are at the heart of replicating the vicious circle of poverty and exclusion because of lack of access to quality education.
The project will also have a gender perspective, contributing to offering access to education to Roma girls and Roma women and, thus, contributing to gender equality and having a focus on empowering Roma girls and women. Lack of access to education services, discrimination in schools and education institutions, negative attitudes towards women in general – all of these exert a negative impact when it comes to the proportion of Roma women and girls in having access to education. And this, nonetheless has an even more negative impact later on in life.
Main outputs
One of the most important approaches should be, rather than mediate or bridge the relationship of the communities towards the school environment, to facilitate the communities’ relationship building processes and participation in the educational processes.
The main outputs will be related to the implementation of education-focused activities on the four main educational levels (ECD, primary, secondary, tertiary), involving grantees and grants offered during the project’s academic years in the seven countries of the project. The grants provided within the project will cover 3 academic years, starting from the 2023-2024 academic year.
All the activities are centred around offering comprehensive education services to Roma children and students through access to to inclusive quality education and ensure swift transition to one educational level to the other; as well as enhancing the employability potential of the project beneficiaries in order to have increased potential of transfer to formal employment.
** This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
This project is co-funded by
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL NEAR
European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations
