Three vans for transportation of children from Roma and Egyptian communities were donated to the primary schools “Božidar Vuković Podgoričanin” in Podgorica, “Mileva Lajović-Lalatović” in Nikšić and “Radomir Mitrović” in Berane by the Delegation of the European Union and the Roma Education Fund Branch Office in Montenegro. The ceremony took place in mid-December 2018.
The vans were provided within the project “Promotion and protection of human rights of Roma, Egyptians and other vulnerable groups”, implemented by the Ministry of Education, the Roma Education Fund Branch Office in Montenegro and HELP, financed by the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro.
The ceremony attendees were addressed by the Secretary of Ministry of Education Omer Mehmedovic, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro Herman Spic, Director of Roma Education Fund Nadir Redzepi, as well as the director of primary school “Bozidar Vukovic Podgoricanin” Ljubinka Nedic.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Education Omer Mehmedovic stated, “Donated vehicles will contribute to a great extent to the proces of education and will improve the conditions for children from Roma and Egyptian communities“.
The director of the Roma Education Fund, Nadir Redzepi, emphasized the importance of achieved sustainability of the project, which has reflected in the institutionalized profession of the Roma and Egyptian mediators.
Thanks to the „Promotion and Protection“ project over 300 students living in Konik camp in Podgorica regularly attend primary school, while all preschool age children attend at least one year of preparatory preschool program.
Now the dropout rate in lower grades is less than 5% in Podgorica, Berane and Niksic, and in higher grades is reduced from 70% to 30% in comparison to the period before the start of the intervention. During the last three school years, with the mentoring support, now institutionalized, the number of Roma and Egyptian students with completed primary and secondary school has increased.
