Any complex life situation can be perceived and approached in different ways. You can see it as a problem or as a series of tasks to be solved step by step. By doing so, the situation will improve, and your attitude towards it will change.
And if you share your successful story of overcoming a difficult situation with others, it can benefit many people. That’s why we decided to tell our esteemed readers an interesting story about the collaboration between community organizations and authorities in the humanitarian sphere.
We are talking about the spontaneous Roma camp in the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv. This camp, consisting of several hundred families with children of various ages, has been coming to the capital from Berehove in Zakarpattia for almost seven years now, staying in the district for 7-8 months during the warm season. The reason for their travels is simple – it’s easier to find work here, at least in the summer. It’s easy to understand that living conditions in the camp are far from suitable. And the residents of neighboring buildings are not happy with this proximity. Sergiy Mekhed, head of the Family Policy Department of the Family, Children, and Youth Affairs Department, talks about how the local authorities, namely the Darnytskyi district administration, approach solving this complex situation from all sides. He is the supervisor of work with the Roma community.
“Our work with spontaneous Roma camps began for the first time in 2012. Frankly speaking, we were not prepared for this. And that year, an unfortunate incident occurred in the district when the police, before “Euro-2012,” decided to solve the problem by simply burning down the spontaneous Roma camp. This only worsened the image of the district and the city. The Roma, without means of subsistence, dispersed in small groups throughout the district.”
At the beginning of their work in 2013-2014, representatives of the local authorities focused mainly on providing humanitarian assistance to the camp residents and preventive work to prevent law violations. However, life brings its own adjustments to any activity, and this year the format of cooperation has changed somewhat. Sergiy Mekhed explains:
“We involved as many district organizations as possible in working with the camp, ensured medical services including both emergency medical care and appointments at the district clinic for the Roma. The Red Cross also joined in medical care for the camp. It turned out that two female camp residents have basic medical training, so the Red Cross provided them with elementary medications.
We also moved from providing general humanitarian aid to targeted assistance. We involved the Center for Social Services for Family, Children, and Youth. Needs assessment is being carried out, and based on this, assistance is now provided to the camp residents.”
Everyone involved in helping the Roma community is convinced that solving this problem is impossible by the efforts of a single district administration, within the territory of just one district. Unified efforts of many institutions and organizations are needed. And there’s no shortage of concerned individuals. Sergiy Mekhed continues:
“We are currently seeking and have found partners who will help us in our work. These include the “Chirikli” Foundation and the “Renaissance” Charity Foundation, who have shown interest in our projects. We are involving scholars as well; Roma historian Natalia Zinevych agreed to cooperate with us. Lawyers will also be involved, as there are issues with determining the status of the land where the Roma live. This is necessary to organize waste removal, set up portable toilets, and more.”
When asked about what the Darnytskyi administration will do when the spontaneous Roma camp leaves, as they say, for the “winter quarters,” Mr. Sergiy responded:
“What we definitely won’t do is rest. We will continue to work. Our plans include developing a methodology for providing social support for the entire group of people, the entire camp. Yes, as the cold weather approaches, they will leave the territory of our district, but during the winter, we will prepare to provide these people with safety and at least somewhat decent living conditions in the spring. And in our plans for the coming year, we plan to organize some educational work with the residents of the spontaneous camp.
First and foremost, this involves legal education for adults. Alongside preventing law violations, there will be legal education. Because often, residents of spontaneous camps fall victim to fraudsters and criminals.”
According to Sergiy Mekhed, much attention will be given to programs on life safety for the children who live in the camp during the summer.
The local authorities will continue to support the Roma and will continue to be guided by the fact that the goal of any assistance is not only to improve living conditions but also to provide a way out of the situation, solve problems, find leaders within the camp, and establish cooperation with them.
