The International Day of the Roma is a day of celebrating Roma culture. However, for Minority Rights Group (MRG) and the ‘Chirikli’ Roma Women’s Fund, it’s not just about celebrating Roma culture, but also an opportunity to acknowledge the excellent work of Roma civil society organizations and Roma mediators within our joint project ‘Partnership for All,’ funded by the EU. This project aims to support Roma civil society organizations in developing partnerships with authorities to promote the inclusion of Roma in Ukrainian society.
The daily realities of Europe’s largest minority often face challenges and injustices. On this day and through our project, we want to present the results of the work of Roma civil society and the projects shaping the future of their communities across Ukraine.
Let’s begin with the story of another young Roma boy, one among many living in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region, facing difficulties in accessing education, being smart and creative but struggling with reading and writing and not speaking Ukrainian as a first language. But he loves football! He had the chance to meet Yuriy Mandych, the head of a street football development program, who is also a partner in our ‘Partnership for All in Ukraine.’
“We teach underprivileged children whose families cannot afford expensive clubs,” says Yuriy Mandych. The street football tournament started five years ago in Radvantsi with just four teams. Now, there are 56 teams in Zakarpattia. Seven boys were accepted into official sports schools where they can become professional footballers one day. The boys also have the chance to meet other players from different backgrounds, gaining new skills and confidence to support their inclusion in the education system. Mr. Mandych notes that by providing Roma youth the opportunity to travel and learn the Ukrainian language, they have expanded their involvement in Ukrainian society.
This boy also had the opportunity to meet Lolla Kulchar. Lolla is a Roma mediator whose organization ‘BlaHo’ implements an innovative preschool program for Roma children in the village of Holmok in Zakarpattia, with support from the ‘Partnership for All.’ This project involves children and parents working together to ensure children not only acquire skills for proper integration into local schools but also parents understanding the benefits and becoming champions of their children’s education, thus ensuring regular school attendance.
In Zakarpattia, Lviv, and Kyiv, the ‘Partnership for All’ also supports Roma initiatives in establishing new employment centers catering to the needs and talents of the Roma community. ‘Ternipa’ focuses on Roma settlements where Roma often migrate for work. They piloted employment programs within these communities to reduce the need for migration and create favorable conditions for prosperity. In Kyiv, ‘Nova Khvylia,’ in partnership with the Kyiv Employment Administration, established a new employment center for Roma women providing vocational training and a hub for building partnerships with employers to promote the recruitment and utilization of Roma women’s talents.
At present, MRG and Chirikli support 13 pilot projects across Ukraine, fostering community initiatives that facilitate partnerships between Roma civil society organizations and government bodies within the ‘Partnership for All’ program.
The International Day of the Roma is an opportunity to celebrate Roma culture and raise awareness of the situation of Roma today in the country. Today and every day of the year, MRG stands in solidarity with the Roma community against hate and discrimination, working towards full recognition of Roma rights worldwide.
This project is financed with the generous support of the European Union.
‘Partnership for All: Developing strategies of social-economic cooperation between Roma communities and local authorities in Ukraine’ (ENI/2016/376-039)”
