457 tablets, accompanied by SIM cards with Internet access, were provided so far to Roma students in primary, secondary and tertiary education levels in North Macedonia in an act of Emergency Response to the COVID-19 crisis and the urgent requirement for remote learning. The funds have been guaranteed by the Roma Education Fund (REF) to two implementing partners in North Macedonia: Roma Democratic Development Association SONCE and Citizens’ Association Romaversitas Skopje.
The emergency plan envisages distribution of tablets to altogether 650 Roma youth in the Western Balkan country.
Roma Democratic Development Association SONCE was contracted to the amount of 20 306 EUR with the aim to improve the quality of schooling among the most vulnerable Roma children, also to invest in smart devices necessary for distance learning and further digital literacy and to ensure guidance to the Roma parents amidst COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo 1. Redjepali Chupi hands tablets in Kocani, father and son
Under the project “Improving learning environment for primary school students” SONCE distributed in total 222 tablets with free Internet in the following municipalities:
In Berovo (Primary School “Dedo Iljo Maleshevski”) – 15 devices
In Kumanovo- (Primary School “Hristijan Karposh”) – 30 devices
In Bitola (Primary School “Gjorgji Sugarev”) – 31 devices
In Vinica (Primary School “Slavcho Stojmenski”) – 15 devices
In Kichevo (Primary School “Sande Shterjoski”) – 16 devices
In Prilep (Primary School “Dobre Jovanovski”) – 30 devices
In Shtip (Primary School “Goce Delcev”) – 43 devices
In Kochani (Primary School “Rade Kratovche”) – 27 items
In Delchevo (Primary School “Vancho Prke”) – 15 devices
Photo 2. tablets in Kumanovo
The Co-Director of the Roma Education Fund, Redjepali Chupi, a Roma from North Macedonia himself, represented REF in the official talks with the local authorities and personally handed the tablets to the Roma students in Berovo, Bitola, Delchevo, Kocani, Kumanovo, Prilep, Shtip and Vinica.
„Roma Education Fund is here to aid Roma students in primary school, who, due to the pandemic, did not have the opportunity to attend classes in the period March to June. In March, when the pandemic was officially announced by the World Health Organization, REF decided to set up an Emergency Fund and allocate the available financial resources towards effective coping with education-related issues during the pandemic. The purpose of the Emergency Fund is to support Roma students making up for the time when they were unable to study properly, by providing them with teaching materials and smart devices in order to handle the new technological reality and the necessity for online teaching”, said Redjep Chupi in an official speech in the Primary School “Dedo Iljo Maleshevski” in Berovo.
Photo 3. Distribution of tablets in Shtip, mother and daughter
Photo 4. Project team in Vinica, mother and son
Photo 5. Project team -tablets distribution in Kicevo, father and daughter
The other implementing partner of REF for North Macedonia, the Citizens’ Association Romaversitas Skopje, received 17 810 EUR in order to reduce probability of dropout among Roma students in secondary and tertiary education through provision of mentoring and IT equipment for the students-beneficiaries.
Romaversitas Skopje (in cooperation with the civil initiative AVAJA) is to award 210 tablets to Roma secondary school students (in their second and third year of studies) and 10 GB of free Internet under the project “Romaversitas in emergencies, we care about your education”, financially supported by the COVID-19 Crisis Emergency Fund of REF. The eligible beneficiaries are Roma students from families at risk, i.e. receiving minimum social assistance, low-income families or households which do not have adequate facilities or smart devices.
So far, over 150 tablets were delivered to high school students. The distribution of the smart devices is as follows: Shtip – 15, Kocani – 19, Vinica – 19, Skopje – 30, Berovo – 20, Prilep – 9, Krivolak – 6, Delchevo – 16, Crnik – 3, Radovish – 5, Veles – 10.
Photo 6. Romaversitas Skopje
Earlier in July, Romaversitas Skopje had relocated funds from an ongoing EU and REF-supported project and provided another 25 tablets to Roma students in tertiary education.
Photo 7. Distribution of tablets in Prilep (Romaversitas, secondary school)
Photo 8. Distribution of tablets in Vinica
Photo 9 . Distribution of tablets in Kocani (Romaversitas, secondary school)
Photo 10. Distribution of tablets in Shtip, secondary school (Romaversitas)
