romanian social development fund – reaching and empowering poor roma

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Romanian Social Development Fund Romanian Social Development Fund – – reaching and empowering poor Roma reaching and empowering poor Roma

through community developmentthrough community development

June 2003June 2003

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Country contextCountry context

PopulationPopulation: 22,327,000 : 22,327,000 people, out of which people, out of which

56% in urban areas56% in urban areas

44% in rural areas44% in rural areas

Total areaTotal area: 237,500 sqkm: 237,500 sqkm

ROMANIAN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDROMANIAN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT FUND

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Romania – statistical informationRomania – statistical information


Ethnicity structure:Ethnicity structure:

Romanian (89.5%)Romanian (89.5%)

Hungarian (6.6%)Hungarian (6.6%)

Roma (2.5%)Roma (2.5%)

German (0.3%)German (0.3%)

Ukrainian, Serb, Croat, Russian and Turk (0.9%)Ukrainian, Serb, Croat, Russian and Turk (0.9%)

Others (0.2 %)Others (0.2 %)

(Source: 2002 Census for Population and Houses)

Administrative structure:Administrative structure:

41 counties41 counties

2 686 communes2 686 communes

12 682 villages12 682 villages

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RSDF approach and objectivesRSDF approach and objectives

Approach Approach • Community driven development – participative approachCommunity driven development – participative approach

• Country-wide targeting of potential beneficiariesCountry-wide targeting of potential beneficiaries

• Main eligibility criterion: poverty / social marginalizationMain eligibility criterion: poverty / social marginalization

• Facilitation and support for involving the excludedFacilitation and support for involving the excluded

Objectives Objectives • Improving the livelihood of subproject beneficiariesImproving the livelihood of subproject beneficiaries• Increasing local level organizational and self-help capacityIncreasing local level organizational and self-help capacity

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Financial resourcesFinancial resources

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development – for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development – for the Social Development Fund Project (USD 30 million)Social Development Fund Project (USD 30 million)

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development – for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development – for the Rural Development Program (USD 2.4 million)Rural Development Program (USD 2.4 million)

Council of Europe Development Bank (USD 10 million)Council of Europe Development Bank (USD 10 million)

Romanian Government (USD 12 million)Romanian Government (USD 12 million)

Beneficiaries’ contributionBeneficiaries’ contribution


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Methodology / benefitsMethodology / benefits

““Bottom up” approach Bottom up” approach


““Heard” needsHeard” needs

SU

ST

AIN

AB

LE

OU

TC

OM

ES

SU

ST

AIN

AB

LE

OU

TC

OM

ES

Informed peopleInformed people

Reached marginalizedReached marginalized

Active communitiesActive communities

Responsible peopleResponsible people

Ownership senseOwnership sense

Equal chancesEqual chances

Improved skillsImproved skills

Information, education and communication Information, education and communication campaign presenting potential benefitscampaign presenting potential benefits

Simple, user-friendly application formsSimple, user-friendly application forms

Social capital building – participation of all Social capital building – participation of all community members, relationships based on community members, relationships based on trust and cooperationtrust and cooperation

Funds managed entirely by communities Funds managed entirely by communities

Participation of beneficiaries in reaching subproject Participation of beneficiaries in reaching subproject objectivesobjectives

Equality of chances in subproject appraisal and Equality of chances in subproject appraisal and selectionselection

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Specific steps towards reaching minoritiesSpecific steps towards reaching minorities

Facilitation – includes a special dimension of minorities’ Facilitation – includes a special dimension of minorities’ participation (encouraging involvement of all ethnic minorities)participation (encouraging involvement of all ethnic minorities)

Facilitators belonging to ethnic minoritiesFacilitators belonging to ethnic minorities

Informative materials in ethnic minorities’ languagesInformative materials in ethnic minorities’ languages


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Subproject cycle – community-driven processSubproject cycle – community-driven process

Communities are supported by facilitators to get organizedCommunities are supported by facilitators to get organized

Leaders are democratically elected by community members Leaders are democratically elected by community members

All community members participate in the process of identifying andAll community members participate in the process of identifying and prioritizing their needs, as well as in subproject designprioritizing their needs, as well as in subproject design

Training in procurement, accounting, project managementTraining in procurement, accounting, project management

Technical assistance by RSDFTechnical assistance by RSDF

All activities necessary for subproject implementation organized and All activities necessary for subproject implementation organized and carried out by the communitycarried out by the community

Material contribution to subproject implementationMaterial contribution to subproject implementation


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Achievements in supporting RomaAchievements in supporting Roma


Roma Roma community community members involved in members involved in

subproject subproject implementation implementation hahadd

good opportunitgood opportunitiesies to to develop their financial develop their financial and managerial skills and managerial skills ((and possibly apply and possibly apply

further to other financing further to other financing programs for solving programs for solving

more of their community more of their community problemsproblems))..

79 79 subprojects financed for subprojects financed for RomaRoma (with about (with about 3,500 beneficiaries3,500 beneficiaries): ):

16 16 small rural infrastructuresmall rural infrastructure subprojects subprojects

58 58 community-based social servicescommunity-based social services subprojects subprojects

5 5 income generating activitiesincome generating activities subprojects subprojects

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Future steps to supporting RomaFuture steps to supporting Roma


More than 90 Roma More than 90 Roma communities will be communities will be

supported by RSDF over supported by RSDF over the next five years, by the next five years, by stimulating the civic stimulating the civic engagement and the engagement and the

learning by doing process, learning by doing process, in order to break the in order to break the dependency and the dependency and the

exclusion chain for all exclusion chain for all poor and marginalized poor and marginalized

Roma.Roma.

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Roma poverty – a complex problemRoma poverty – a complex problem

RSDF addresses Roma poverty through all categories of subprojects RSDF addresses Roma poverty through all categories of subprojects financed (targeting all poverty related problems)financed (targeting all poverty related problems)

Participation in National Antipoverty Commission meetings Participation in National Antipoverty Commission meetings approaching poverty problems including Roma povertyapproaching poverty problems including Roma poverty

Participation in donors meetings addressing Roma needsParticipation in donors meetings addressing Roma needs


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Case study – Case study – Roma community subprojectRoma community subproject


LocationLocation:: Valea Hotarului village, Dragoslavele Valea Hotarului village, Dragoslavele commune, Arges county – Roma village, with commune, Arges county – Roma village, with 583 inhabitants 583 inhabitants in in 107 households107 households

Village characteristicsVillage characteristics:: Extreme povertyExtreme povertyPeople felt “neglected” and socially People felt “neglected” and socially isolatedisolatedRestricted access to facilitiesRestricted access to facilities

Community priorityCommunity priority: water supply system: water supply system

“ “Before the subproject was Before the subproject was implemented, we had to choose implemented, we had to choose between looking up for babies or go between looking up for babies or go to get water. Of course, one had to to get water. Of course, one had to go, because one must eat. But we go, because one must eat. But we were always worried about the were always worried about the babies….they are little and one never babies….they are little and one never knows….” knows….” (woman, 32 years old, beneficiary)

“ “It was impossible not to get sick It was impossible not to get sick when you were drinking water from when you were drinking water from the same river where tractors were the same river where tractors were washed. It was especially hard for washed. It was especially hard for children…” children…” (man, 50 years old, beneficiary)

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Case study – benefits (I)Case study – benefits (I)

Increased sense of belonging to the communityIncreased sense of belonging to the community

Personal and community status improvement Personal and community status improvement

Improved livelihood by normal access to safe water for the entire Roma Improved livelihood by normal access to safe water for the entire Roma communitycommunity


““When I go to work or to see When I go to work or to see my relatives, I always take a my relatives, I always take a bottle of water with me. They bottle of water with me. They do not have such a quality do not have such a quality water.” water.” (woman, 25 years old, beneficiary)

““I always miss my water when I I always miss my water when I leave the village. I am not joking, leave the village. I am not joking, it is really different. It is ours…”it is really different. It is ours…” (woman, 32 years old, beneficiary)

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Case study – benefits (II)Case study – benefits (II)

Enhanced Enhanced social capitalsocial capital

Openness of the communities towards the “outside world”Openness of the communities towards the “outside world”

The power of exampleThe power of example

Future opportunitiesFuture opportunities

““..now the police ..now the police come here not come here not only for giving only for giving fines to us. They fines to us. They come to take come to take water, because water, because they say it is of they say it is of good quality. good quality. Before, when we Before, when we saw the police, we saw the police, we were sure that were sure that they were coming they were coming for one of us. for one of us. Now it is different Now it is different and we joke about and we joke about it…. “ it…. “ (male, 40 years old, beneficiary)

romanian social development fund – reaching and empowering poor roma

Documents

social services

rural development program

community developmentjune

community problems

subproject appraisal

subproject designtraining

millionromanian government

millioninternational