6.1. Success stories of Roma youth and Roma organizations in Erasmus+ and other grant programmes
6.1.1. Romania
Empowering Roma Girls through Community Art
The project aims to create a strong community of young Roma women, through exposure to information, dialogue and participation in community life, using a universal language, which invites creativity, expression and communication, through the technique of mural painting and participatory drawing.
Participating in an artistic project brings direct benefits, both to the young women involved in the project and to the local community by exposing and raising awareness of ethnic values, and to the general public, by promoting dialogue and eliminating stereotypes of Roma people.
Therefore, young Roma women have the opportunity to express themselves creatively and learn specialized painting, drawing and sketching techniques, under the guidance of a local artist. And together they create the concept of a very large drawing, which not only expresses the Roma identity, the qualities and values associated with the ethnicity, but also the stereotypes and types of exclusion, which they experience in their daily life.
Courage to Change – 9-Step Guide on Working with Roma Youngsters
This project aims to increase level of inclusion and participation of Roma youngsters in youth and non-formal activities. To do so, it has set these objectives below:
- Increase the knowledge and the competences of new youth workers, social workers —who has knowledge on the matter on the social perspective but not youth—, and volunteers —who would like to work with Roma— on working with Roma youngsters using non-formal.
- Enhance the effective usage of “9-Step Guide” in Roma communities.
- Increase the capacity of organizations on working with Roma youth.
- Share experiences and good practices to learn through peer-support.
The project fosters the quality improvements in youth work, enhancing international dimension of youth activities and the capacity of youth workers and organisations in their support for youth. Also, it promotes non-formal and informal learning mobility and active participation among young people, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of organisations in the field of youth. It achieves this by helping the youth workers to develop different competences and become more efficient in their youth work by using adapted practical works gained through the “9 Steps Guide” when communicating and working with Roma youth.
Also, the project provides more and equal opportunities for young people, especially for those with fewer opportunities, creating inclusive societies, quality learning and space and participation for all by supporting the competences of youth workers by putting their knowledge into practice
The national anchoring of ROMINKO
This project aims to anchor the procedures of competence balance —a way of assessment of the formal but particularly of the non-formal and informal abilities and skills of people without education or with a preschool education and without a formal professional background— according to French Model for labour administration staff, career guides, labour consultants, job mediators, competence councillors and mediators, young Roma and non-Roma people.
This project for young Roma, adult education institutions, chambers of commerce and industry respectively chambers of handicrafts, networks of local start-ups, labour administrations, banks and fund administrators, aims to develop the entrepreneurial spirit among young Roma people as an alternative to the their difficult access on the labour market because of some general issues of Roma such as the reduced level of education and the lack of a professional background.
This project for teachers who work with young Roma people, education and social mediators, and young Roma and non-Roma people, aims to:
- Increase the number of digital literate young Roma.
- Increase the employment capacity of young Roma and, as a consequence, improving their level of social integration.
- Increase the skills of teachers (from a technical, methodological, personal and social, multicultural point of view) in implementing digital literacy courses for young Roma;
- Improve interdisciplinary cooperation in the field of young Roma digital literacy.
6.1.2. Spain
APG Zaragoza (Roma Promotion Association in Zaragoza)
Founded in 1975 by the Roma people for its members in Zaragoza, is a non-profit social and citizen entity. Its main focus is to transcend welfare, prioritizing promotion and development through training and promoting cultural interaction. This organization is dedicated to overcoming social and cultural challenges, empowering the Roma community through education and integration.
Best practices:
- Collaboration Agreement with the Zaragoza City Council for mediation programs aimed at the Roma population in Zaragoza.
- For A Lachi City Program: Social care project for homeless people.
FSG (Roma Secretariat Foundation)
It works for the comprehensive promotion of the Roma community developing all kind of actions that contribute to achieving full citizenship for Roma people, improving their living conditions, promoting equal treatment and avoiding all forms of discrimination, as well as promoting recognition of the cultural identity of the Roma community.
Best practices:
- Access Program: It’s a training and employment program that promotes the incorporation of the Roma population into the labour market as a door to social inclusion.
- Promote Program: It’s a project aimed at ensuring that more and more Roma young achieve academic success in Compulsory Secondary Education and continue studying to reduce the numbers of premature school dropouts.
FAKALI (Federation of Roma Women Association)
FAKALI is the Federation of Roma Women’s Association, a social organization with two decades of experience that has among its objectives the comprehensive promotion of the social, cultural and human levels of the Gypsy People, and especially women, to achieve real equality of rights, while promoting knowledge and recognition of gypsy culture and its contribution to the physiognomy and character of Spain.
Best practices:
- Mailbox against anti-gypsyism: It’s the first tool for direct denunciation of the specific racism exercised towards Roma people in our country. This online service provides support and advice, as well as free legal assistance if the case requires it, to Roma people who have experienced or witnessed any type of discriminatory crime.
- Equality and feminism: The federation understands that feminism cannot be characterized from the hegemonic point of view, but rather from attention to diversity. For this reason, it is part of the Women’s Councils in Seville, La Línea de la Concepción (Cádiz) and Linares (Jaén), in addition to forming the most diverse networks of women, facilitating social participation at the municipal and regional levels. or national.
The First University Roma Network in Spain. Pioneering network in Catalonia and Aragon that not only pursues access for Roma students to the University, but also accompanies all those who are already there. It was born thanks to the interest and concern of a group of Roma students and teachers of university access (GAU) for those over 25 years of age.
Its motto is: “Not a single Roma person. No Roma person behind.”
Best practices:
- RomExcellence22: The success of the Roma People, a support program for people who are in post-compulsory training processes, after many years outside of education and without an academic family tradition.
- ReferentsRome22: Ensuring the success of the Roma People and improving the social image of the Roma community, a project that addresses two fundamental issues for the Roma community today: its educational and social success, while improving its social image.
Specific Continuing Training Teaching “Social Work and Roma People”, University of Zaragoza
Organized by students and Roma Social Work professionals, this course taught at the Faculty of Social and Work Sciences of the University of Zaragoza responds to the need to expand intercultural professional skills in students of the Degree in Social Work and other related degrees. to the social sciences, who work or want to work with and for the Roma People.
For the first time, a Public University offers a training proposal for students at university degrees related to social issues, developed, directed and taught by professionals and Roma students from a critical and reflective perspective. Through different sessions carried out by various speakers (mostly Roma) with academic experience and in social intervention with the Roma population, students are offered a complete overview of the historical and current reality of the Roma people.
AECGIT (Teachers with Roma Association)
The AECGIT works for understanding, solidarity and communication between women and men of all peoples, ethnicities and cultures; for the development of a Social Wellbeing model that addresses and guarantees fundamental needs and rights, to achieve constitutional equality of opportunities, for all people, groups or ethnic minorities in a situation of inequality.
Also, for the disappearance of all types of negative attitudes, discrimination, intolerance, racism, oppression and persecution of some human groups over others; based on doctrines or policies of racial, cultural, sexual, economic (marginal-poverty), religious, ideological, colour or ethnic origin discrimination that are scientifically false, socially unjust and dangerous, and ethically condemnable.
Best practices:
- Training Sessions: They’re organized annually. The contents try to cover the educational, social and gypsy cultural aspects. The program attempts to respond to training needs, topics that need debate, as well as information and communication of materials and experiences. For this purpose, presentations, round tables, exhibitions and group work are carried out that allow the participation and opinion of all attendees. Public dissemination of the work and demands are made in relation to different educational and social policy issues.
- Publications: They make academic contributions, reports, exhibitions, teaching materials of high technical quality and highly valued to work for the inclusion of the Roma people.
“Our diversity is our wealth,” is the motto of the organization, made up of Roma and Gadjé people who work for respect for diversity, against homogenization, colonization and intolerance not only in the sphere of majority society but also within the Roma collective.
It claims an inclusive, intersectional, decolonized, feminist, multiple and free Roma identity. This entity carries out much-needed work, working especially on social networks on gender issues and gypsy emotional-sexual diversity.
Best practice:
National Association Union of the Roma People
The National Association Union of the Roma People is a member of the International Roma Union. Organization recognized by the United Nations, dedicated to the defence of the Roma community. Its scope of work is the Spanish territory in activities that pursue the recognition of the culture of the Roma people as a value of universal culture.
Best practices:
- Promotion of associations: It’s a permanent campaign that aims to raise awareness among Roma people of the need to unite. «Together we can achieve it» is the motto that illustrates the convenience of working together to achieve their objectives.
- Journalists against racism: It’s a permanent campaign aimed at media professionals. Journalists are asked to sign a manifesto against racism and are kept informed of the most outstanding activities related to the Roma community.
The Roma Culture Institute is a state public sector foundation promoted by the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sports whose objectives are the development and promotion of Roma history, culture and language, and the dissemination of its knowledge and recognition through studies, research and publications.
Through the organization of academic and cultural events as well as support for artistic creation, the Institute of Gypsy Culture aims to achieve recognition of the contributions of Gypsyism to the common cultural heritage and to value the Roma as one of the backbones of the Spanish culture. It is an international reference in the treatment of the Roma issue through its culture.
Best practice:
- April 8 Awards of the Institute of Roma Culture: It’s a highly prestigious annual awards festival granted by the Institute in the following categories: Concord, Sports, Fine Arts, Communication, Performing Arts, Research, An entire career, Artistic Creation and Music. These awards recognize the merits of personalities – Roma and non-Roma – who, from different artistic, social and academic fields, contribute to the dissemination and enrichment of Roma culture.
Kamira (National Federation of Roma Women)
Kamira is the National Federation of Roma Women in Spain that was founded in 1999 by Roma women activists and representatives of their associations, who have come together to form a non-profit entity, driven by the passion and resilience of Roma women, and has grown to become a federation of 25 associations spread throughout Spain.
It works in diverse areas, from promoting gender equality and combating discrimination, educational success, access to social services, health care and employment support.
Best practices:
- ROMusicA (Erasmus+ Small Scale Partnership 2023 – 2024): It’s a project whose goal is to create a rich database of Roma music that is available to everyone and inspires new generations of artists.
- Breaking a Taboo (Erasmus+ Cooperation partnership 2023 – 2026): It’s a project about adult education, it addresses the priority related to social integration and has as its target group Roma girls and women and their personal development.
AMURADI (Association of Roma Andalusian University Women)
AMURADI is an association that aims to defend Roma women’s interests at college. Its activity is organized around three fundamental axes:
- Awareness-raising: Actions to disseminate and raise awareness among citizens about the diverse and plural reality of the Roma community.
- Participation: Promotion and visibility of the new “gypsy reality”, in which the signs and values of their cultural identity coexist with the values demanded by today’s society: training, professionalism and social integration.
- Intervention: Social Intervention Actions in the Roma Community, for the promotion of Roma women and youth, and to improve their conditions.
Best practices:
- Caixa Proinfancia Program: It’s an educational reinforcement project for minors, supporting their academic development in the school context. Likewise, families are protagonists in the education of boys and girls, attending group therapeutic workshops where content related to positive parenting is worked on. AMURADI also ensures the basic needs of the girls and boys by providing.
- Equality, Everyone’s Right: It’s a program that consists of a series of biweekly sessions for training, awareness and awareness of equality between men and women in Seville.
6.1.3. Bulgaria
This initiative is a collaborative project spearheaded by the Fair Chance Association in partnership with the local Roma organization, “Opportunities in the 21st Century”.
This initiative was launched in Asenovgrad municipality to address educational barriers faced by Roma children and other marginalized groups within the community. Targeting children aged six years from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the project aimed to provide foundational education and language skills necessary for a seamless transition into formal schooling.
Asenovgrad is notable for its diverse cultural tapestry, being a hub for the Pomak population (ethnic Bulgarians of Muslim faith who speak Turkish) alongside the Roma community. The Roma community in Asenovgrad faces unique challenges, including language barriers and cultural isolation, which contribute to high rates of educational disengagement. The local organization, “Opportunities in the 21st Century”, played a crucial role as a mediator, leveraging its deep community ties to bridge the gap between the initiative and the community it serves.
Conducted over four consecutive summers from 2004 to 2007, the program involved a three-month training course held during the summer break at the local school. This preparatory course was designed to equip children with social skills, such as classroom behaviour and peer interaction, alongside intensive Bulgarian language instruction and basic preschool education. An additional appeal for families was the provision of full-day care, meals, and essential school supplies like backpacks, pens, and notebooks, which alleviated some of the economic burdens on participating families.
The project utilized a hands-on approach to ensure participation; each morning, project coordinators personally visited families to escort the children to school. These coordinators, who were also mothers of participant children, served as vital links, ensuring strong attendance and engagement throughout the program.
The success of the project was evident through the enthusiastic participation of children and the positive feedback from school officials. Teachers reported a marked improvement in the children’s engagement and academic performance, with the initial dropout rate plummeting to zero by the end of the initiative. The transformative impact of the project was recognized and celebrated by both the community and educational authorities.
The Diplomatic Club in Bulgaria, consisting of diplomats’ spouses, initially funded the project. Impressed by the initiative’s outcomes, the Club advocated for governmental support to replicate this model nationwide. Their efforts were fruitful, leading to the Bulgarian government adopting a similar program to fund language and educational training for preschool Roma children across the country, building on the successful pilot model developed by this initiative.
This project not only addressed immediate educational needs but also set a sustainable precedent for integrating minority communities into the national education system, demonstrating the power of community-centred educational interventions.
Establishment of a Public-Private Enterprise for Cultivating Wild Herbs
Initiated in 2002, the project aims to establish a sustainable and structured approach to cultivating wild herbs in Velingrad, Bulgaria. This initiative is a collaborative effort involving the Centre of Business and Information in Velingrad, Fair Chance Association, the local Municipality, the High School for Agriculture, and the regional business community. Supported by funding from the United Nations Development Programme, the European programme PHARE, municipal resources, and local donations, this project seeks to transform the informal and unsustainable practices of wild herb collection into a structured agricultural enterprise.
The primary goal is to engage the local Roma population, which traditionally relies on collecting wild herbs and mushrooms, often leading to environmental degradation. By transitioning them into organized cultivation, the project aims to provide stable employment and protect local biodiversity. Additionally, it seeks to involve young Roma students from the local agricultural high school in this sustainable initiative, equipping them with practical skills and employment opportunities.
This initiative is an example of effective public-private collaboration. The municipality contributed land for herb cultivation, integrating local resources into the project. The local business community manages production and trade activities, ensuring economic viability. The Centre for Business and Information oversees quality control and export operations, while the Fair Chance Association develops educational content. This synergistic approach ensures that all facets of the enterprise are aligned with community needs and environmental standards.
The project not only provides a dependable source of income for the local Roma community but also serves as a model for sustainable agricultural practices in Bulgaria. It has been instrumental in reducing environmental damage caused by the unregulated harvesting of wild plants and has established a blueprint for similar initiatives in other regions. By incorporating educational programs, the project ensures that future generations are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary for sustainable development.
Still operational, the enterprise has become a cornerstone of local employment and environmental stewardship in Velingrad, demonstrating the long-term viability of integrating economic development with ecological conservation in community planning.
Activities:
- Infrastructure Development: Constructing a Centre for Wild Herbs, complete with storage facilities, a training hall, and administrative offices to support cultivation and distribution.
- Botanical Research: Conducting studies on local wild herb species to determine the most commercially viable and environmentally sustainable options.
- Agricultural Operations: Preparing land, planting, maintaining, harvesting, and processing herbs, ensuring quality and efficiency from soil to store.
- Marketing Strategy: Developing a comprehensive plan to market the herbs domestically and internationally, maximizing reach and profitability.
- Educational Programs: Creating targeted training modules for both local high school students and unemployed adults to foster skills in agriculture and business management.
- Environmental Awareness Campaign: Promoting conservation efforts through community education about the importance of sustainable harvesting practices and ecological preservation.
Establishment of a Social Centre for Poverty Alleviation
This project aims to enhance social services and reduce poverty levels in the city of Razlog. It focuses on the integration and active participation of young people from the Roma community at all stages of the project.
The project is funded by the British DFID and implemented by Fair Chance Association in partnership with Modra Association.
The centre coordinates activities such as:
- Resource Mobilization: Organizing campaigns to collect donations involving the active participation of young volunteers from the Roma community.
- Resource Distribution: Implementing transparent mechanisms for distributing the collected funds and resources among socially vulnerable groups.
- Training and Capacity Building: Developing and conducting training programs for youth and volunteers, particularly from the Roma community, to enhance their qualifications and participation in social and charitable activities.
- Collaboration Enhancement: Improving coordination between local authorities, the NGO sector, and businesses to provide effective and accessible social services.
- Emergency Assistance: Providing financial and advisory support to individuals and families in crisis situations.
- Awareness Campaigns: Initiating informational and educational campaigns to protect the rights and improve the living conditions of vulnerable groups.
By actively involving young people from the Roma community, the project contributes to their sustainable social inclusion and professional development. The centre is a key institution in Razlog, not only addressing immediate social needs but also fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility. This initiative serves as a model for similar projects in other regions, demonstrating how integrated community efforts can significantly alleviate poverty and improve social welfare.
Educational mediators for the local Roma community in Dobrich (Dobri Voinikov School)
The project is funded by the Bulgarian Government through a national programme implemented by schools with Roma children. The main goal of the Educational Mediator role within the school is to act as a bridge between families, local communities, students, and the school itself. This aims to ensure comprehensive school attendance and quality education for students, and to foster collaboration between the parents of at-risk students and educational specialists within the school.
General activities:
- Organize and implement activities ensuring regular school attendance and active participation in the educational process.
- Provide services that integrate parents and local communities into the educational and social life of the students.
More specifically:
- Assist in the inclusion of students required to attend compulsory school education.
- Visit families of children under compulsory education to organize meetings aimed at informing and ensuring regular school attendance.
- Support processes related to obtaining necessary documentation for school enrolment, assisting parents with application forms, explaining procedures related to application, classification, and results.
- Help develop a positive attitude towards the educational process and work towards fully integrating students into the educational environment, taking into account their specific and age-related needs and requirements.
- Facilitate mutual understanding among students from different ethnic and religious groups, creating an atmosphere of understanding and tolerance while upholding children’s rights.
- Ease the communication process between educational specialists and students.
- Actively participate in resolving disputes, focusing on the interests of the students.
- Provide assistance in communication and interaction between all segments of the educational institutions and the students, their families, and the local community.
- Support activities that facilitate the involvement of parents/guardians and the community in the school life.
- Organize meetings with parents and attend council meetings as assessed by the school management.
- Ensure the effective implementation of distance electronic learning and all necessary activities to reach children and parents who lack electronic devices, and to ensure effective and safe training.
Intercultural Academy for Civic Participation and Tolerance
The Intercultural Academy for Civic Participation and Tolerance is designed to reach a broad spectrum of high school students, with a particular focus on those who have limited access to services. The main goal of the program is to enhance students’ knowledge, interest, and motivation to engage in various forms of civic participation. This includes informed voting, defending minority rights, and combating anti-Roma discrimination and hate speech.
The program aims to develop a clear understanding of the attitudes, motivations, skills, and knowledge of young people regarding democratic processes and participation. Special attention is given to youth from vulnerable communities and regions, assessing methods that could more effectively reach and engage them.
Topics covered include stereotypes and prejudices, democratic values, and cultural interactions. The training seeks to empower students by fostering an understanding of diversity and inclusion, equipping them with the tools to participate actively and responsibly in their communities.
The project explores different forms of youth engagement, encouraging active and creative involvement in civic life. An online platform is developed to facilitate access to educational content and interactive learning experiences, promoting continuous engagement outside the traditional classroom setting.
A culminating event where students can share their experiences, learn from one another, and further their understanding of civic responsibilities. The program expects to see an increase in the civic engagement of high school students, particularly those from minority and underserved communities. By the end of the program, students should have a stronger sense of their roles in democratic processes and be more equipped to advocate for themselves and others in their communities.
The Intercultural Academy for Civic Participation and Tolerance is a significant initiative that strives to build a more inclusive society by empowering the next generation with the knowledge and skills necessary for active civic participation and fostering an environment of tolerance and understanding.
6.1.4. Türkiye
STGM (Civil Society Development Centre)
STGM is an organization working to strengthen civil society in Türkiye and increase the capacity of civil society organizations. STGM aims to encourage civil society organizations to work more effectively and sustainably by providing them with training, consultancy, resources and support.
The Civil Society Development Centre has a very important work. The report titled «These Roma are Always Like This – Discrimination Experienced by Roma Youth in Education and Employment», which was prepared based on the findings of interviews with 105 Roma youth in 8 provinces, contains important data and recommendations on the disengagement of Roma children and youth from education.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
The Roma Workshop held in Istanbul on 14 December 2019 was an important event to discuss the social, cultural and economic rights of Roma citizens in Turkiye. The workshop was organized with the aim of strengthening the social integration and rights of Roma citizens and allowed different stakeholders to come together to propose solutions. The problems faced by Roma were addressed in areas such as education, employment, housing and cultural identity, and solutions were discussed. The workshop was considered as an important step towards protecting the rights of Roma citizens and supporting their social inclusion.
Romani Godi means «Romani Mind» in Romanes. Romani Godi is a journey that a group of young activists, concerned about inequality, discrimination, rights violations and the threat of extinction of the Roma language and culture, set out on in early 2022 with the slogan ‘Opre Roma’.
Romani Godi recognizes the language, history and culture of the Roma, the inequalities experienced by the Roma, and any historical actions they have been subjected to, as social memory as a whole. Romani Godi carries out monitoring, research and reporting with the aim of strengthening the social memory of Roma and generating rights-based solutions to eliminate inequality. Romani Godi, which started out as an initiative, later became a legal entity under the name of Romani Memory Studies Association (Romani Godi).
The Romani Godi association has a very important study: »Project on Combating Hate Speech against Roma in Türkiye». Within the scope of the project, 20 volunteers will be selected to organize capacity building workshops, followed by monitoring and reporting on hate speech against Roma in the media. At the same time, cases requiring legal action will be transferred to the ERRC (European Roma Rights Centre) and the ERRC (European Roma Rights Centre) will follow up the processes.
T.C. Trakya University (Academic Approaches to the Problems of Roma)
Trakya University Roma Language and Culture Research Institute organized a panel on «Academic Approaches to the Problems of Roma» on the occasion of April 8 Roma Day. Moderated by the Deputy Director of the Institute of Roma Language and Culture Studies, Assist. Assist. Prof. Dr. Tülay Tekin Yılmaz moderated the online panel and Prof. Dr. Emine Didem Evci Kiraz from Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Prof. Dr. Yusuf Genç from Sakarya University and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dilara Ustabaşı Gündüz from KTO Karatay University took part as speakers. In the panel, the problems and solutions to the problems of Roma citizens in the fields of health, education, business life, social and cultural areas were discussed.
The panel started with the opening speech of Assoc. Prof. Gökhan Ilgaz, Director of the Institute of Romani Language and Culture Studies. In his speech, Prof. Dr. Ilgaz talked about the activities of the Institute and introduced the Journal of the Institute of Romani Language and Culture Studies, the only academic refereed journal in this field in Türkiye.
Within the framework of the Social Development Support Program (SOGEP) of the Trakya Development Agency, the «Roma Academy» project, implemented by the Tekirdağ Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports, was launched as an important social development initiative. Partners of this program include the Tekirdağ Provincial Mufti’s Office, the General Presidency of the Union of Roma of Türkiye and the Turkish Education Foundation.
The Roma Academy aims to support the social integration of Roma youth and increase their educational and employment opportunities. The main objective of the project is to contribute to the educational, cultural, sports and professional development of Roma youth and to enable them to participate more effectively in social life. To this end, the project organizes various educational and social activities and provides support to develop the skills of Roma youth.
The main activities of the Roma Academy include vocational training courses, language courses, cultural events, sports activities and employment support. In addition to these activities, the project also provides counselling services for Roma youth and creates networks to support their social integration. The Roma Academy provides an important platform for Roma youth to discover their potential, develop their skills and participate more actively in their communities. In this way, it plays an important role in social development and social cohesion.
6.2. Motivating other young people with these stories
The success stories developed within already implemented projects for young Roma can be highly motivating for other young Roma individuals in the following ways:
Providing role models
Seeing people from similar backgrounds who have overcome challenges and achieved success provides young Roma with relatable role models. These role models demonstrate that success is possible, regardless of starting conditions. Success stories help young Roma envision a broader range of possibilities for their own futures, inspiring them to set higher goals and pursue ambitions they might have considered out of reach.
Creating a sense of belonging and community
Success stories foster a sense of community and shared identity, reinforcing the idea that individual achievements contribute to the collective pride and progress of the Roma community. They can also encourage the development of support networks among young Roma, where they can share experiences, advice, and encouragement with one another.
Demonstrating practical pathways to success
Success stories provide concrete examples of how challenges can be overcome through education, vocational training, entrepreneurship, or other avenues, offering clear and actionable paths to follow. They illustrate strategies for navigating and overcoming social, economic, and educational barriers, making these paths to success more accessible and less intimidating.
Boosting confidence and self-esteem
Hearing about others’ successes can boost confidence and self-esteem among young Roma, encouraging them to believe in their own potential and abilities. These stories often highlight resilience and perseverance, instilling a mindset that setbacks and failures are part of the journey to success.
Highlighting the benefits of education and skill development
Success stories often emphasize the importance of education and skills development, motivating young Roma to invest in their education and personal growth. They also showcase the long-term benefits of education and training, such as better job opportunities, higher earnings, and improved quality of life.
Encouraging civic engagement and advocacy
Seeing peers succeed can inspire young Roma to become more actively involved in their communities and advocate for themselves and others. These stories can also be leveraged to influence policy changes and garner support for initiatives aimed at improving the conditions and opportunities for the Roma community.
Amplifying positive narratives
Success stories help counteract negative stereotypes and prejudices and amplify positive narratives about young Roma individuals and their successes by achieving a variety of strategies that leverage different media, community initiatives, and educational efforts.
Providing mentorship and guidance
Implement peer mentorship programs where successful Roma individuals mentor younger members of their community. This creates a direct line of support and personalized guidance. Pair young Roma with professionals in their fields of interest. This can help them gain insights into various career paths and build valuable networks.
Utilizing technology and social media
Create dedicated online platforms or social media groups where success stories can be shared through videos, interviews, and articles. This makes these stories accessible to a broader audience. Host live webinars where successful Roma share their stories and interact with young viewers, allowing for real-time questions and engagement.
Educational programs and workshops
Integrate success stories into school curricula and educational programs to provide ongoing inspiration and examples of achievable success. Organize workshops that focus on skills development, career planning, and personal growth, featuring guest speakers who share their success journeys.
Collaborations with organizations and institutions
Partner with NGOs that focus on Roma empowerment to help disseminate success stories and integrate them into their programs. Work with corporations to create internship and job placement programs for young Roma, highlighting success stories of those who have thrived in these roles.
Recognition and awards programs
Establish awards and recognition programs to celebrate the achievements of young Roma, giving them a platform to share their stories and inspire others. Host annual events where successful Roma are recognized, and their stories are shared with the community, creating a tradition of celebrating success.
Community involvement and outreach
Organize community events where success stories are highlighted, fostering a sense of pride and collective achievement within the Roma community. Engage parents and family members by sharing success stories that highlight the benefits of supporting their children’s education and aspirations.
Addressing systemic barriers
Use these success stories to advocate for policy changes that address systemic barriers faced by the Roma community, ensuring broader and more sustainable support. Conduct awareness campaigns to educate the broader society about the potential and achievements of the Roma community, helping to reduce discrimination and prejudice.
Creating inspirational media content
Produce documentaries, short films, and other media content that tell the success stories of young Roma, making these narratives widely available and engaging. Publish books, articles, and blogs that compile and highlight these stories, providing inspirational reading material for young Roma and their supporters.
Encouraging entrepreneurship
Set up business incubators specifically for young Roma entrepreneurs, providing them with the resources, mentorship, and support needed to succeed. Share stories of Roma entrepreneurs who have built successful businesses, providing a blueprint for others to follow.
Building resilience and coping skills
Include success stories that address the mental health challenges overcome by young Roma, emphasizing the importance of resilience and coping skills. Create support groups where young Roma can discuss their challenges and hear from peers who have successfully navigated similar issues.
Enhancing cultural pride
Highlight success stories that incorporate and celebrate Roma cultural heritage, fostering pride and a strong sense of identity. Support and share success stories in the arts and music, showcasing the rich cultural contributions of the Roma community.
By employing a multifaceted approach that includes mentorship, technology, education, community involvement, and systemic change, success stories of young Roma can be powerful catalysts for motivation and inspiration. These stories not only highlight individual achievements but also pave the way for a supportive environment that nurtures the aspirations of the Roma community.
