Supporting Roma Children And Families Through Education

SUPPORTING ROMA CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THROUGH EDUCATION

CENTRE FOR SOCIAL INITIATIVES NADEZ

PROJECT: EDUCATION THROUGH STREET SOCIAL WORK

2005-2013

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Education through Street Social Work 2005-2013 3

TABLE OF CONTENT:

INTRODUCTION A Thank You note from the Project Manager

VISION, MISSION The road we walk on

2005-2013 IN NUMBERSWe are proud of…

STORIESNeeds and changes

TIMELINEDevelopment of the project over the years

SUCCESS STORIES Meet the families and children whose lives we changed

THE YOUTH CENTREThe key to our success

PROJECT TEAM 2013The people behind the achieve-ments

FINANCESThe figures behind the results

THANK YOU!Personal notes from the children in our Youth Centre

SUPPORTERS We would not have made it with-out you

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“For years we have been forgotten by the institutions, organizations and by the people. It has been only you visit-ing us, helping us and proving to us that there is hope.”


“Your help for the Roma community is essential. You did a lot for us during all these years. Thank you!”

“Where would we be without you?! You are the only ones who are interested in our lives. We are very grateful.”

“I am very satisfied from the support my child receives. School bags, supplies, clothes and lunch. More than half of things i need for my child i receive from you.”

“When we see the van of C.S.I. Nadez approaching we begin to run to it en-thusiastically. We know you are bringing us something.”

It is exactly recognitions like these that encourage us and keep us motivated to stay true to our work. They acknowledge our contribution to changing the lives of the most vulnerable and confirm that we are on track to make larger changes

in the Roma community in Macedonia. Since the establishment of the organization we have been striving to improve the

social inclusion of vulnerable groups and to decrease poverty. Recognizing the needs and the large poverty that Roma families live in, we have decided to direct our efforts at fighting poverty; helping families through social work and supporting children in their education. This is how the project Education through Street Social Work was born.

The main aim of the project was to enable children coming from poor families to attend classes regularly and to successfully finish their elementary education. At the same time to work on the improvement of the overall condition of their families. In the pilot phase of the project we did extensive social field work. We began with a small group of children and families and a few activities which soon brought positive results. In the period that followed, we enlarged the group of beneficiaries, as well as the areas of our work. The Youth Centre in Shuto Orizari was slowly taking a central role. The parents who are beneficiaries of the project have found a friend in us, someone who is always eager to give them advice from the social services field. They saw a partner in us who was available at all times to listen to the problems they face. Above all, they recognized us as mediators in the misunderstandings between them and their children. As for the children, we can proudly say we provided for joyful school days, safe space for them to thrive and learn, and we gave them support in their schoolwork whenever they needed it. The Youth Centre became their second home.

Throughout the years we had come across many problems and dealt with difficult tasks, but we have always found a way to overcome them. This brochure in front of you is a brief overview of the challenges and results that we had along the way. Additionally, this is our way of expressing gratitude to everyone who has contributed to our success.

Thanks to our donors we have managed to endure all of these years. The financial support, humanitarian aid and material donations enabled for better existence of hundreds of families. Here, I would like to reiterate my deepest gratitude to the Schueler Helfen Leben Foundation which supported us for 9 years. Without them we would not have started the project, we would not be here today to experience such pride of the generations of Roma children who finished elementary education with excellent results. Thanks to great team work, we have always accomplished our goals. I could not have asked for a better team than the one that finished the project. I express my gratitude as well to all the volunteers who have worked effortlessly with the children encouraging them to think beyond their current surroundings.

I am proud of all that we have achieved. The project has improved the well-being of Roma families. The children obtained high quality educational support and were motivated to build their futures through the path of education.

In C.S.I. Nadez we remain strongly committed to continue our work. After this successful chapter we are determined to further our efforts to accomplish our mission. We continue to give support to the ones who need it the most.

With my warmest regards, Klara MIshe lIlievaProject Manager

A THANK YOU NOTE FROM OUR PROJECT MANAGER

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VISION A developed democratic society of equal opportunities, where human rights are

respected, citizens are socially engaged and highly tolerant of differences.

MISSION C.S.I. NADEZ is a non-governmental organization, which works for the social-

economic integration of socially marginalized people, with a focus on Roma and youth, through educational support, assistance in exercising social rights and promotion of peaceful coexistence.


Average rate of children who successfully completed their year at school86.8%

Average rate of children who successfully completed their year at the evening school for adults A.S. Makarenko

72.5%

Roma families that we supported1533

Supported Roma children in elementary school 1696

Supported Roma children from the evening school for adults A.S. Makarenko269

EDUCATION

Children reached with peer educa-tion workshops

Children supported in the Youth Centre

Children reached with health education workshops

Children reached with computer skills workshops at the Youth Centre

Additional classes implemented in elementary schools

Parents reached with informative and educational workshops

Parents reached with health education workshops

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DONATIONS

Children supported with donated books and school supplies

Children provided with lunches

Children supported with dona-tions of clothes and

hygiene packages

Families helped with humanitarian aid

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3900

SOCIAL WORK

18396 Home visits carried out for the

purpose of informing and counselling parents

2005-2013 IN NUMBERS

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STORIES

STREET SOCIAL WORK AND THE CHANGES WE BROUGHT TO THE FAMILIES

Through the Street Social Work Model the families have been accurately informed about

all changes regarding the social services at their disposal. The social workers were

constantly present in the lives of the families. Thus, they had the chance to intervene in fam-

ily situations, supporting the most effective ways to solve problems.

Without any financial income except the low social financial benefits, which are not enough to satisfy even the needs of food of the families; Multiple member families in which parents rarely provide conditions for thriving and healthy development of their children; Parents with minimum completed education and low literacy levels, incapable of giving educational support to their children; Low awareness for the importance of quality and high education; Frequent, months-long trips out of the country and seeking asylum in the Western European countries, are the characteristics and condition of a large number of Roma families in Macedonia. This is what we worked hard to change.

Thanks to the project Education through Street Social Work we managed to make the families’ (beneficiaries) lives easier in several fields.

Through giving regular humanitarian aid, clothes,bed linens, food and hygienic packages we managed to take the worries for everyday existence out of the minds of the families. We were continuously counselling and raising awareness for the crucial importance of education in the children’s development process into mature, successful individuals. The parents understood our message and the number of children who were finishing elementary education and going in secondary was rising with every year. Gradually, they accepted our advice from the educative workshops and raised the interest for their children’s educational success. At the meetings with the school representatives they discussed openly about the problems with their children and slowly began taking the role of active contributors to their children’s education.


Getting married at the age of 14 or continu-ing education in high school? Working at the green market with the parents after school or playing sports? Taking care of the younger brothers and sisters or finishing the school assignments? Thanks to the project Educa-tion through Street Social Work hundreds or Roma children from the city of Skopje got the opportunity to be children in the true sense of the word.

ТHE CHILDREN WE HELPED

Many Roma children, particularly in Shuto Orizari are born into socially excluded families that depend on social financial benefits. Living in a Roma community, where the spoken language is Romani, their first encounter with Macedonian language is when they begin elementary education. This directly limits their chances for excellent success at school. As a consequence of the language barrier the children face difficulties in understanding the school curriculum. Achieving low success, they easily get discouraged and drop-out in the higher grades. Due to the limited opportunities their parents can provide, because of the lack of resources, adequate living conditions and lack of educational capabilities, it is understandable that these children have low motivation and lack of role-models that could motivate them to be persistent in their education. Thus, their chances for success and progress in education are much lower compared to their peers from the other ethnicities in Macedonia.

That is why we worked hard to change these circumstances. First, we took care that the children do not lack any material resources for everyday participation in the educational process. We donated books, school materials, clothes, shoes and lunches. We provided additional classes for the children that were lagging behind with the school assignments. Through discussions with the teachers and school pedagogues we kept track of the changes that the children were exhibiting, making sure they have everything they need to be regular and successful at school. In Shuto Orizari, in our Youth Centre we supported the children every day in learning of the school curriculum. We had educative and creative workshops aimed at broadening children’s horizons and offering them knowledge beyond the school lessons.

Our rewards were the children’s smiles at the end of the school year, the joy expressed after every finished task, the fascination on the children’s faces when they created something new in the creative workshops. This is what keeps us going.

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2005/06 We started the pilot project with 125 Roma children from 6 elementary schools in the poorest areas of the City of Skopje;We began developing the Street Social Work method;We donated full sets of books and school supplies to all children included, meeting their needs for the whole school year. We provided clothes and hygienic packages to them and their families.

2006/07 After the success of the pilot project we enlarged the target group to 277 children;We continued providing the necessary material goods to the children and the families for everyday living;For the children and families who lacked personal documents such as birth certificates, passports, identification and health cards, we helped them obtain the correct documents from the relevant institutions;

2007/08 This year we supported the largest number of children. A total of 377 Roma children from Momin Potok, Zlokukjani, Gjorche Petrov, Madjari, Klanica, Topana, Shuto Orizari and Vardarishte were beneficiaries of our activities;We provided humanitarian aid for 900 poor Roma families;Throughout the school year, we carried out additional classes for the children in need of after-school educational support in 5 schools;

2008/09This year we supported 303 children, 268 from elementary education and 38 from the evening school for adults A.S. Makarenko;The Street Social Work continued in full swing. We were constantly visiting the children and their families, talking and counselling them for the problems they were facing; We held 36 informative workshops with 720 parents in three schools.

TIMELINE


2009/10 We supported 250 Roma children, 225 from elementary education and 25 from the evening school for adults A.S. Makarenko;We continued providing material support and our Street Social Work as previously explainedWe carried out 5 workshops with 125 parents, empowering them to participate in the parents’councils at the schools and informing them of the circumstances and reforms in the educational system;

2010/11 We supported 200 Roma children, 194 from the elementary schools and 6 from the evening school for adults A.S. Makarenko;We were developing the Youth Centre slowly by broadening the activities. We introduced creative workshops which raised big interest and were attended by all 60 children in the Centre;We held 8 workshops with 160 parents on the topic of prevention of potential migration to EU countries to address the increased number of Roma seeking asylum in the Western European countries;

2011/12 We included 170 children from elementary education;We strengthened the Youth Centre with new activities, including Computer Skills workshops for all the children who showed interest in improving their skills;150 parents acquired knowledge for infectious diseases and the ways of prevention through the health education workshops we did with our partner H.E.R.A. Health Education and Research Association;We held 10 workshops with 150 parents intended to empower the parents to take active role in their children’s education.

2012 /13 This school year, and until the end of 2013, we supported 260 children;103 went on educative field trips and visited cultural and historical sites and monuments;For the second time we organized the tournament ‘Games without Frontiers’ with the children from the Youth Centre. This year we also had the children from Daily Care Centre for Street Children-Shuto Orizari participate;We delivered humanitarian aid to 900 families in need;We held 30 Peer Education workshops together with the Red Cross volunteers on communication, team work, multiculturalism and the consequences of alcohol, cigarettes and drug consumption.

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SUCCESS STORIES


If the results in numbers were not enough for you to form a general picture of our work on the project Education through Street Social Work, in the next pages we invite you to meet the children and families whose lives we changed. These three successful stories reflect the changes we have made in the lives of the project beneficiaries. They are only a few of the many we are proud of.

*In order to secure their safety, we’ve kept the names of our children and their families a secret, by replacing their actual names with names that we invented. The real names of our beneficiaries are known to the C.S.I. Nadez team.

MEET THE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN WHOSE LIVES WE CHANGED

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SUCCESS STORIES

RESPONSIBLE PARENTS, SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN Nurija Jashari is currently employed as a nurse on our preschool education

program whereas her husband, Adnan has good employment prospects. Both of them have never missed an opportunity to participate on the educational workshops within the project. Their determination for responsible parenting and belief that education is the only way out of poverty was the crucial motive for them to take active part in the workshops we offered. They attended every parental meeting, listened carefully to our advice for better communication with their children, participated on the children-parents activities and consulted us for every problem we were able to offer help.

The family Jashari from Shuto Orizari became beneficiary of our project activities six years ago. We found them in a difficult financial situation living with only 2600 denars (approximately 40 euros) of monthly social financial benefits. These were the only resources the family had for living and raising of their three children. Both parents had grown up in a home for children without parents and were left on their own after they left the home. Although they have completed secondary education for years they weren’t able to find a job.

Since the very beginning of our work with the family we recognized the parents’ willingness for cooperation. Thus, we developed high level of communication and trust. They expressed strong will to support their children in having high education and took part in every parental activity implemented within the project. The father, Adnan supported our organization when we were building the children’s playground. Together with Nurija they accompanied the educators on the excursions and cultural visits for the children. They visited us frequently on their own initiative and talked with the social workers for the changes in the rules of obtaining social financial benefits, health insurance and the benefits they could enjoy from the State Employment Agency. We constantly provided humanitarian aid in order to ease their everyday life.

Their children, Ahmed and Ersan go to the Elementary School Brothers Ramiz Hamid in Shuto Orizari. They were provided the essential school supplies and after the school day were coming regularly to the Youth Centre to learn with our educators. Ersan showed great interest for success in his education and was always doing his school assignments without an exception. His enthusiasm was as well recognized on the educative workshops which he regularly attended. All of these activities have brought excellent school results for Ersan who was awarded from us as one the most successful children on the activities in the Centre.

Thanks to the parents responsibility and their awareness for the importance of education, as well as Ersan and Ahmed’s diligence we have managed to achieve great results. The continuous communication between the team, parents and children and the listening of the social workers and educators advice by the family was crucial for this case success.


ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ‘BROTHERS RAMIZ HAMID’

Shuto Orizari, Skopje

The school Brothers Ramiz Hamid is one of the two elementary schools in Municipality Shuto Orizari. In this school 100% of the children are Roma. It is one of the rare schools that teach Roma language as an elective subject from 3rd to 9th grade. Every year, more than 2000 students go to this school, although the capacity of the premises is much lower, accommodating only 800 students. Due to this, children go to classes in three shifts, having their classes shortened to 30 minutes. The children learn in groups of more than 30 students, making it difficult for teachers to maintain the necessary conditions for teaching and normal class functioning. The drop-out rate of this school is extremely high: Out of 10 class groups enrolled in 1st grade, there are 7 to 8 that remain until 8th grade and complete the elementary education.

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SUCCESS STORIES

THE SEJFULA FAMILY FROM SHUTO ORIZARI

The five-membered family Sejfula from Shuto Orizari has been receiving social financial benefits for twenty years. The mother, Gjulizar, has finished only elementary education. The father Ferdi, although a tailor by profession, has never managed to find a job. In order to provide enough food for the family, occasionally he did home-based sewing work. When we met the family and we found out about their financial situation we immediately began delivering humanitarian aid. We provided the food, clothes and shoes they needed. Considering the family’s financial dependence on social financial benefits we continuously informed them on the changes of the rules for acquisition of this right. Furthermore, we donated to Ferdi sewing machines in order to encourage him to maintain sewing.

Besides the social work and humanitarian aid, we additionally supported the family by providing educational support in the Youth Centre to two of their children. Firstly, we included in the program Perjan. Through the six years of support in the Youth Centre she managed to achieve excellent school results. Since she was little she had a strong will for high education and hardworking attitude. Before she completed her elementary education Perjan took part in the professional orientation workshops. After the discussions with the educators she decided to enroll in the Secondary Medical School. Soon after she began her secondary education we informed her of the scholarship possibilities given by the Government. We helped her obtain the required documents and quickly she became one of the scholarship beneficiaries. Although Perjan is today in her second high school year she is still in close contact with us and whenever she needs assistance in her learning process we are delighted to help her.

Two years ago we included her younger sister as well in the Centre. She is equally determined to succeed at school just like her older sister. There hasn’t been a day that she hadn’t come to the Youth Centre and written her homework. The educators noticed her acting talent and motivated her to participate on the drama workshops. On the last New Year’s performance we organized she had one of the leading roles in the play. After watching her acting brilliantly we discussed with the parents encouraging them to think about further development of her acting talent.

The achievements from the collaboration with the Sejfula family are an excellent example of the results we have achieved supporting the families. Today, the father earns from his craftsmanship, whereas the mother is employed at a public kitchen. By participating on the Youth Centre activities the two sisters have discovered their talents and professional affinities. They became motivated to be successful in their education and to achieve high results.


SHUTO ORIZARI

The municipality Shuto Orizari is the biggest pride of Roma people in Macedonia. According to the last census in 2002, Roma constitute 79,1 % of the municipality population which qualifies Romani language as an official language of the Municipality. The mayor is a Roma as well. Within the Municipality there are two TV stations that broadcast their program in Romani. Additionally, there is one public kindergarten, two elementary schools that teach Romani language as an elective and at the moment construction of a public high school is underway. The Municipality has a public clinic and several private practices. Thus, considering the above data, we can conclude that Shuto Orizari is an urban municipality with developed infrastructure and a concrete example of minority rights implementation in Macedonia.

However, the facts also show a different side of the Municipality, consisting of substantial issues such as the strikingly low level of education and high unemployment. The same census in 2002 says that 29% of the population in Shuto Orizari is illiterate or has not completed elementary education while only 52% has completed elementary education. According to UNDP resеarch data, the unemployment rate of Roma in Macedonia in 2008 was 75%, the highest compared to other ethnic groups in the country. In the lack of official statistical data, the civil society organizations estimate the unemployment rate in Shuto Orizari at more than 80%. Furthermore, facts say that the Municipality is overpopulated and dominated by substandard living conditions which lead directly to low quality of life and spreading of infectious diseases. There have been some improvements lately in the cleanliness and infrastructure, but crucial problems with the water supply, sewage system and lack of green areas still remain.

Another characteristic of the Municipality are the many civil society organizations that work on improving the living conditions of the population and complement the services that the state authorities fail to provide.

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SUCCESS STORIES

A STREET CHILD EMERGES INTO A GREAT STUDENT

Today, Roberto is a fifth-grader at the ‘Kliment Ohridski’ Elementary School in Vizegovo. He never skips

school and always tries his best to finish his homework on time. His behavior at school, along with his understanding and activity in class are immensely bettered. Roberto‘s teacher is very satisfied with the evident results that he‘s continuously showcasing. In her opinion, it was the care and support that we provided him with, that got him off the streets, and into her classroom.

When we met Roberto, he was only 5 years old. He lived in a one-room makeshift shack, which served as a home to his whole family. He lived with his parents and three older sisters. Roberto‘s parents were illiterate and they showed no interest in educating their children. Their financial situation was disastrous. Both his parents were unemployed, and neither of them received social financial benefits. The only way they could satisfy their basic needs, was through begging on the streets of Skopje. All of their children, including Roberto, by then, had been exposed to the street begging lifestyle ever since they were able to walk. Whether or not they could have some food during the day depended on people‘s mercy. Furthermore, Roberto‘s father had serious health problems,

which he didn‘t take proper care of due to their lack of finances.

We f irst approached this family through counseling. We insisted that they take Roberto off the streets, and enroll him in school. When we paid them a home visit, we talked about how extremely important it was for their children to get educated and how that would enable them to work toward better lives and futures. At the same time we introduced them to the ways of obtaining the necessary documents for enrolling their children in school and the documents needed to apply for social financial benefits. Furthermore, in order to assist the father with his health problem, we directed them to our partner organization H.E.R.A. where they were given free medicine and additional advice. Given the family‘s evident lack of finances, and the bad state their makeshift home was in, we took matters into our own hands and succeeded to provide them with their basic needs by donating food, clothes, shoes, as well as clean sheets and other household items. We made sure that Roberto and his sisters never skipped school. Additionally we enrolled Roberto and one of his sisters in our after school classes where they received even more help from our teachers, who made huge efforts to get

them on track with their schoolmates in terms of knowledge and understanding. In the meantime, Roberto‘s father passed away. As a result Roberto‘s motivation dropped, and he started skipping school on daily basis. Being aware of the state this family was in, this was a sign for us to increase our visits and pay this family even more attention than we did before. We teamed up with his teacher and tracked every single change in Roberto‘s behavior, and made sure we reacted in an appropriate manner. We managed to keep Roberto in school and influenced him to keep focusing on his homework as much as he did before.

Our support for Roberto and his family doesn‘t stop here. Led by our mission to help these people, we will continue to support him. We will keep track of his performance at school and we‘ll motivate him using all of our resources, in order for him to continue making progress in school and in life. That‘s the only way to break out of the vicious circle of poverty.


ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ‘KLIMENT OHRIDSKI’Vizbegovo, Skopje

What distinguishes this school from the others is a multi-grade approach to the curriculum. In other words, this means that the curriculum takes place at one classroom, simultaneously with students from 1st to 5th grade. This school year, 2013/14, the class is comprised of 11 children going to 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. These students learn different curriculums, at the same time taught by the same teacher. The classroom has been equipped with school furniture, desks and chairs for the students donated by C.S.I. Nadez. However, there are missing windows replaced by nylon sheets, no light bulbs and in the wintertime providing heat is a big problem. Moreover, the school premises are vulnerable to theft by those who regularly steal the equipment we provide to these students. The school is attended by Roma children living in the Momin Potok area. Forgotten by the municipal authorities and relevant institutions C.S.I. Nadez for years has been the only provider for these children. We have provided additional classes for the children and donated humanitarian aid in school supplies, books, food, shoes and clothes, making their educational process easier.

FOR THE MOMIN POTOK AREACurrently there are 18 Roma families living in this area. The living conditions are miserable, below every living standard. The families here live in one improvised room which does not meet basic human needs. They use outdoor toilets and one common tap located outdoor. For the sole purpose of surviving, these families are forced to collect plastics, paper or old iron and even beg for food. At the same time, the parents compel their children to work or beg with them. A small number of the families benefits from social financial assistance, although for some of them it has been discontinued because they did not abide to the rules of reception. Every arrival of the van of C.S.I. Nadez in front of these people’s homes is welcomed with a smile. We have received constant gratitude for our support, particularly for supporting the children in their perseverance to have an education.

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THE YOUTH CENTREWhen we established the Youth Centre our vision was, above all, a safe and

carefree space where children will feel free to create and learn without restrictions. The conditions in Shuto Orizari back then didn’t offer space for creative expression, nor did the children know where to turn when they lacked educational support from home. In C.S.I. Nadez we wanted to see the children thrive and grow into responsible and successful individuals, motivated to think about positive changes in their community.

We began with the necessities of the moment: Support the children in their school assignments. Writing homework with them was our priority while in their leisure time, they were playing sports. Moreover, through the whole duration of the project we gave material support. Throughout the school year we provided books, school supplies and lunches. Whenever needed, we donated humanitarian aid comprised of shoes and clothes for the children and their families as well. Our goal was to make sure that the children have all conditions necessary for normal childhood development.

When the opportunity for program expansion came, we introduced educative, creative and sports workshops and activities. Many young, talented volunteers offered the children activities which enabled the development of their imagination and expression of their affinities. The children had a chance to improve their foreign language skills, acquire computer and life skills and to dance traditional and modern dances. Part of them got the chance to go on an excursion out of their birthplace for the first time.

As a result of these activities we made theater and drama performances and fundraising exhibitions. The last four years we organized a New Year’s Bazaar raising funds for New Year’s gifts and improvement of the conditions in the Youth Centre. When doing this we had only one principal goal: To build children’s self-confidence by providing them the opportunity to visualize their efforts and be proud of them.

We are happy we had the possibility to provide for joyful childhood moments

and to give attention to generations of Roma children; to grant them an

opportunity for self-discovery through the activities we offered. But, mostly we believe we gave them hope and faith for

a better future.

THE YOUTH CENTRE


“At the Youth Centre children can try things like sport, they do projects with art, music etc. Also it’s a place where they can go to meet friends and where they are welcomed to play, to draw and also to get help for homework because only a bit of the parents know to help them. It was so nice to see how much they enjoyеd the attention of an adult who took them seriously and easily started a conversation with them.”

Henrike Pauling

“For over nine years the Youth Centre has been an open, creative, secure and comforting space for children from Shuto Orizari. It gives them the possibility to explore their talents, develop not just academic skills but thrive personally. Working here has taught me lots of different things. But, above all, it has shown me how important it is to come together in global solidarity to open realistic chances of every single child.”

Lena Groh Trautmann

“The Youth Centre of C.S.I. NADEZ offers the children various opportunities to spend their leisure time but also to take part in different workshops in which they can live out their passions. It is important to have a place in Shuto Orizari where educators take care about the children making their homework, but also support them in learning and developing their skills.”

Kristian Cierpka

“It is important for the kids to have a place where they can live out their creativity and learn more about their skills. A place where somebody tells them that they CAN do and where the kids are heard.”

Irina Nekrasow

SCHUELER HELFEN LEBEN VOLUNTEERS

FOR THE YOUTH CENTRE

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The long term experience of the team with the Roma community proved to be crucial for understanding the needs of this community and formation of appropriate activities. Perseverance, the belief in the changes that quality education can bring and the readiness to offer a helping hand to everyone in need have been the values which guided us throughout these years. If it wasn’t for the team that kept to its goals, the achievements of the project wouldn’t have been this high.

We rejoiced with every child and family’s success and positive change. The problems we faced we took as a challenge that motivated us to carry on with our work.

We spent hours in planning and keeping records of vulnerable children and families; hundreds of days of giving information, counselling and visiting the families in their homes. We carried out long-lasting conversations raising the awareness for the importance of education. Finally, we did all this with only one goal: To make the change we want to see in the Macedonian society.

Below, we present the team that finished the project.

Klara Misel IlievaProject Manager

Vesna Bojadizska Youth Centre Coordinator

Stanika Gligorova Mobile Social Work Team

Slave ZdraveskiMobile Social Work Team

Afrodita RaevskaFinancial Assistant

Marija Brzovska PR Coordinator

Sonja Mladenovska Educator at the Youth Centre

Hristina Jovanovska Educator at the Youth Centre

Jovica Dimitrijevski Assistant Educator

Christy Wimberley Peace Corps Volunteer

Seljadin Jashar Logistics

Irina NekrasowSchueler Helfen Leben Volunteer

PROJECT TEAM 2013


A nine years project, above all, meant a great responsibility for us. We have planned carefully and spent frugally. The available funds varied each year, but we always successfully found ways to keep the quality of the programs and activities. Our goal was to keep the essence of the project while at the same time introducing innovative activities in order to meet the needs of the children and families. We believe we justified the funds allocated for the project. The results we achieved are the best indicator for this.

The total funds spent during these years were 679,045 euros. Below, we present to you a graphic view of the funds divided according to the budget lines.

EDUCATION THROUGH STREET SOCIAL WORK2005-2013 (BUDGET IN EUR)

FINANCES

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THANK YOU!

Thank you for your help with the homework, thank you to the people that come to C.S.I. Nadez and thank you to those who give money for this Centre’s existence. If this Centre closes we will miss the teachers the most.

Muamet, 11

Thank you f o r th e help you gave us in C.S.I. Nadez. I am very thankful that you brought us the volunteers from France and Germany, that you taught us something, although we also know a little, but you helped us even though we didn’t know how to multiply.

Mersin, 13

Thank you for helping me and teaching me a lot. I feel very fortunate and happy to write my homework here. Thank you to all who are helping us, especially to all the teachers.

Aleksandro, 10

I come here to write homework and I’m very satisfied from the teachers and the school supplies I receive. I am the happiest when we do creative work with the volunteers.

Perijan, 14

Nadez, thank you for my education, thank you that we celebrate the holidays every year and thank you for founding this Centre and the playground. I thank everyone who made this happen and I thank the teachers who are helping us.

Sabedin, 10


PERSONAL NOTES FROM THE CHILDREN AT OUR YOUTH CENTRE

Thank you for helping us with the homework and studying. I am happy that we play games with the Germans and do crafts.

Semsija, 14

I thank all the teachers that help us learn and write our homework; that give us a possibility to learn how to speak the English language.

Monita,11

Thank you for helping me, for giving me lunches every day, for teaching me how to read and how to multiply..

Antonio, 10

I am thankful to all the teachers who give us an opportunity to play.

Seara, 10

Thank you that I got the chance to meet new children. I’m happy to be here and learn new things and thank you for taking us to excursions. I am very grateful.

Sadber, 9

26 C.S.I. Nadez

SUPPORTERS

DONORS Foundation Schueler Helfen LebenCaritas Essen – GermanyKukukKultur e.V. – GermanyCompany Hartmann – GermanyHumanitarian Organization MilosrdieBridge of Peace – Switzerland

East European Mission – HungaryFriedrich Ebert FoundationMakpetrol A.D. – SkopjeT-Home MacedoniaGeoprom CompanyDelegation of EU in MacedoniaBakeries: Vegera, Kumanovce, Specijal, Montana, Baba Tala

ORGANIZATIONS

Volunteer Centre - SkopjeH.E.R.A. Health Education and Research AssociationMunicipal Organization of Red Cross – Municipality Center Red Cross Youth Club – Municipality Shuto OrizariCenter for Intercultural Dialogue NGO Cultural ConnectionAssociation DendovasRoma Cultural Educational Centre DARHIJA – Skopje Association of Citizens SonchoglediAssociation for Roma Community Development Sumnal

INSTITUTIONSMinistry of Labor and Social PolicyMunicipality Shuto OrizariCentre for Social Work in Municipality Shuto OrizariInstitute for Social Work and Social PolicyCity of NurnbergCity of SkopjeFreie Waldorfschule Gutenhalde – GermanyCaritas – College of Social Work Olomouc Paderborn Social Science Faculty of the Catholic University of Applied Sciences-North Rhine Westphalia

SCHOOLSElementary School Brothers Ramiz HamidElementary School 26ti JulyElementary School Strasho PindzurElementary School Avram PisevskiElementary School Kliment Ohridski - VizbegovoEvening School for Adults A.S. MakarenkoElementary School Naum Naumovski BorcheElementary School Dimitar Makedonski

And all individual donors, volunteers, interns, parents and teachers who contributed to better quality education of Roma children.

EMBASSIESGerman Embassy in SkopjeHungarian Embassy in Skopje


WRITER AND EDITORMarija Brzovska

DESIGNMaxim GallasseSlave Angelov

PHOTOGRAPHSIrina NekrasowMarija BrzovskaKristian CierpkaLena Groh TrautmaanSlave Angelov

THE PRINTING OF THIS BROCHURE IS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED BYSchüler Helfen Leben

28 C.S.I. Nadez

www.csinadez.mkGvadalahara str. 20

1000 Skopje, Macedonia+389(0)22650644

Center for Social Iniciatives

NADEZ

Documents

Supporting Roma Children And Families Through Education