Sharing and Learning

Project name: Sharing and Learning – LDV VETPRO
Project duration period: 1. 6. 2012–31. 5. 2014
Funding value: 19,158.11 eur
Funding sources: European Union with the Lifelong Learning Programme

Partners:

Development and Education Centre Novo mesto, Slovenia (lead partner)
The Union of Associations MULTIKULTURA, Poland
Europroyectos Leonardo da Vinci, Spain

Target group: the Roma, professional staff who work with the Roma

Summary (project goals and purpose)
The objectives of the project were oriented to acquiring new knowledge, further training, and the implementation of expertise and experiences in work practice in the field of working with the Roma. Within the project, the participants improved their understanding of the international dimension of working with the Roma population, they compared and evaluated their personal practice and methodology, as well as the established practice in the field of working with the Roma population in Slovenia. The professional staff involved in the mobility specifically expressed the wish to gain new skills and to be demonstrated the the examples of good practice in the field of: motivating adults to complete primary education; education of the family as the basic cell in which attitudes to education and employment are developed; gaining experiences for the quality motivation and inclusion in education and employment; motivating for integration into the wider social environment and successful functioning in it; improvement and innovation in systems, institutions and work practices for vulnerable target groups.

Project results

Within the project we carried out two mobilities; the first in April 2013, when 7 employees of the Development and Education Centre Novo mesto, 5 external collaborators, and the Roma visited Spain; and the second one in May 2014 as a study visit to Krakow, Poland. The latter was attended by three employees of the Development and Education Centre Novo mesto and one external collaborator.

The core part of the first mobility programme in the Spanish region of Andalusia (40% of the total Spanish Roma population is located in Andalusia - Granada) was intended for visiting the organizations to become familiar with the way of life of the local Roma, preserving their heritage and overcoming stereotypes. They visited the 'Fundacion Secretariado Gitano', where they obtained information on European projects in the field of Roma employment and guidance services for young Roma people and their families for better inclusion in the education proccess and the completion of primary or secondary level of education. They also visited the Youth Employment Centre and the public school 'La Paz', which carries out general educational programme at the secondary level, as well as 2 years of lower vocational education.

The participants in the mobility observed the examples of good guidance practices and volunteering in the context of the Roma Women's Association 'Roma' and other associations active in the field of Roma issues. They were also acquainted with the Spanish system of social transfers and other social policies.

The other mobility took place in Poland. The host organization is also a partner in the project e-Roma Resource, headed by our organization. The programme was designed in such a way that the participants met with the representatives of the Ministry of Social Affairs and the representatives of the Municipality of Krakow, covering the field of Roma issues. They met the representatives and learned about the functioning of the Roma Association in Krakow and the Roma Association of Poland. The participants were presented by the associations: their activities, a day care centre, projects, an exhibition on the Roma, and Romology studies. The host and the participants coordinated the results of the e-RR project (e-platform). The possibility of connecting the programme LDV VETPRO Sharing and learning with the programme K1 Networks within the Lifelong Learning Programme seemed an excellent opportunity, since we got to know the partner country, we got acquainted with the situation in the field of Roma issues as well as with the partner organization and collaborators in the project, who we would otherwise only meet at project meetings in far less genuine contacts. Our experience is that similar networking is sensible and brings added value to the participants, organizers as well as projects themselves.

The project leaders were mag. Gabi Ogulin Počrvina and Rok Vukčević. Further information about the project is available at ric@ric-nm.si.