Press release: Launch of the Project “Inclusion and Health in PORT (Hârșova) through Education, Arts, and Sports”

Date: April 5, 2022

From January 2022 to December 2023, the Hârșova Town Hall, in partnership with the Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation, is implementing the project “Inclusion and Health in PORT (Hârșova) through Education, Arts, and Sports.”

Project goals and activities:

The project “Inclusion and Health in PORT (Hârșova) through Education, Arts, and Sports” aims to enhance economic and social cohesion nationally and locally. It proposes health and non-formal education interventions designed for disadvantaged children and parents at risk of social exclusion.

The project partners aim to achieve four main objectives within the local community:

• Increase access to quality health services: By the end of the project, ensure that at least 400 schoolchildren in Hârșova, with a minimum of 75% of Roma ethnicity, have access to quality health services.
• Develop life skills: Provide non-formal educational activities to develop life skills for at least 500 vulnerable children and youth in Hârșova (including 400 Roma).
• Parental education program: By the end of the project, awareness of legal rights and parenting skills for 80 vulnerable parents (including at least 30 Roma women) will be increased through a parental education program that includes awareness and empowerment components.
• Promote social inclusion and combat discrimination: Train 10 socio-educational animators, 60 professionals from local public administration, and 25 community leaders, and involve 10 Roma youth in a study visit to promote social inclusion and combat any form of discrimination against Roma.

Through these activities, the Hârșova Town Hall and the Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation aim to implement sustainable interventions for vulnerable communities in Hârșova, promoting an intercultural approach.

Educational and awareness activities

The non-formal educational activities and the information campaign aim to enhance intercultural competencies and awareness of cultural differences within the community. These will be directly utilized throughout the project’s implementation in all organized activities.

Additionally, the proposed activities aim to increase tolerance and acceptance of the Roma community by the general population. By involving Roma community representatives in training activities, the project promotes messages of social responsibility, respect for rights, and civic duties. This integrative approach will also be highlighted through the materials produced within the project.

Target group

The project targets Roma individuals and families but does not exclude those from the majority population living under similar socio-economic conditions in Hârșova. Most activities will address the community as a whole, emphasizing that the issues faced by Roma families are also challenges for other vulnerable groups. The project seeks viable solutions to increase the active participation of young people, including Roma youth, in community life. Thus, young people will be trained and able to practice methods and techniques of active participation throughout the project.

You can find the press release on our Romanian page HERE. 

Project funding

The project is funded by a grant of €582,361 provided by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through the EEA Grants under the Local Development Program. The project’s objective is to enhance the inclusion and social empowerment of Roma in Hârșova through interventions that increase children’s access to quality medical services, reduce absenteeism and school dropout rates through non-formal activities, combat ethnic discrimination, and increase the active participation of Roma individuals in community decisions.

For official information about the EEA Grants, visit www.eeagrants.ro.
For official information about the Local Development Program, visit www.frds.ro.