This programme is based on the existing pressing needs of the local Roma communities. In the period of economic and political transition, a large part of Bulgarian society is affected but none more so than the Roma. The Roma in Bulgaria are disproportionately affected. The Roma couldn’t compete with others basically on account of their low level of education and discrimination practiced against them. Reports tell us that Roma will be denied a job where both Roman and non-Roma apply for it. Thus Roma became dependent on the social welfare system and start immigrating in search of better job opportunities. However, depending on the welfare, many of the local Roma families facing difficulties with different administrative procedures and they found hard to cope with different administrative necessities, such as filling out forms for social welfare entitlements, registrations at the labour office and others. This program started in the 2004 year as a result from cooperation between NGO “Roma – Together”, the Municipality of Polski Trambesh, Mayor of the Municipality of Polski Trambesh, local social welfare agency office and local labour office. With all of these institutions NGO “Roma – Together” have achieved agreements for cooperation on Roma issues. In enacting those agreements we start our “Roma community mediators” programme. The aim of the program is to create an effective institution of Roma public servants, which are in charge to help local Roma in their relations with the administrative authorities.
Roma community mediators are local Roma individuals – community informal leaders, trained in the basics of administrative procedures to ensure the interaction between the Local Roma communities and the public authorities. They are paid by the municipality budget but they were selected by the elections within the local Roma communities. They help local Roma in their relations with institutions, and observing and alarming about any cases of abusing and discrimination of Roma people. The sustainability of the program depends on both the recruitment of the Roma mediators as permanent municipality officials and from the trust granted by the local Roma community members to these persons. This project is consequently funded on yearly basis under the Governmental Programme “From Social Welfare to Employment”, funds are provided to the Municipality of Polski Trambesh, and The NGO “Roma Together” is responsible about recruiting and training of persons appointed as Roma community mediators. Roma mediators are appointed in villages Petko Karavelovo, Kutcina, Strahilovo, Obedenenie, Radanovo, Orlovetz and one in the Town center – Polski Trambesh.
Promoting Roma individuals to be employed as public servants at the local, Municipality level is crucial to assure Roma integration, thus we are working towards acquiring funds for the Roma community mediators programme to prolonge the programme and to introduce it to other municipalities
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