During the 49th Assembly of the SCTM, the Agreement on Cooperation on the Implementation of Local Projects within the Program "Inclusion of Roma and Other Marginalized Groups in Serbia - Initiative for Inclusion Phase 3" was officially signed. Program is implemented by GIZ with the implementation support of the SCTM.
The competition was announced in May this year and 40 cities and municipalities applied for it. 10 were selected, and the total amount is one million euros in this phase of the project. The agreement was signed by Bac, Bor, Valjevo, Pozarevac, Zvezdara, Mladenovac, Kula, Novi Sad, Novi Pazar and Sremska Mitrovica.
Together with GIZ, this project has been implemented since 2017. Aleksandar Popovic, project manager, pointed out that the direct support in that period was slightly less than 2.5 million euros, and the most important result is that thanks to that grant, 536 people from marginalized groups got jobs during the previous two phases. "By the end of next year, we plan for about 300 Roma men and women to get jobs", he said.
Popovic added that in addition to GIZ, the key partner in this program is the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue.
State Secretary at the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue Ninoslav Jovanovic stated that the data show that Roma are six times poorer than the poorest citizens of Serbia, and that one in 100 reaches 60 years of life. He also stated that there are more than 500 unhygienic settlements in Serbia.
"This aid, which amounts to 100,000 euros per city, is something concrete. It will be used for retraining, additional training, starting a business, empowering marginalized groups... Some cities will use it for a housewife project in which members of marginalized groups will be included", said Jovanović. He underlined that the Ministry has made a Development Strategy when it comes to Roma until 2030, and that it is a systemic relationship in solving problems.
"We were the only ones who conducted systemic vaccination in unhygienic settlements, we worked on providing funds for disinfection, aid packages", said Jovanovic, who pointed out that a public call for employment of highly educated Roma and marginalized groups in systemic institutions would be published in 2022, and asked all present cities and municipalities to apply.
According to Aleksandra Dimic Ugrinaj, leader of the German development cooperation program "Inclusion of Roma and other marginalized groups in Serbia", implemented by GIZ, the project supports the strengthening of structures, strengthening social inclusion and support in the fight against discrimination.
We work with 40 cities and municipalities and work to empower Roma and other marginalized groups. We provide support primarily in the field of education and employment, but also in other areas. We support local self-governments in projects, because they know best what the situation is and what is most needed", she said, adding that the support is related to the economy, fight against discrimination, social protection, career counseling, professional practices and the like.
Novi Pazar is a city that also participates in this project, and Mayor Nihat Bisevac states that the entrepreneurial spirit is present here, and that it is "the youngest city if you look at the age structure of the population". They have been participating in the program since 2018. The value of the project is a total of 500,000 euros.
"Thanks to these programs, about 150 people found jobs. 58 of them started their own business, about 60 got a job with a well-known employer, and we have the help of businessmen in that regard. 75 people underwent retraining and training, mostly truck and bus drivers, and all of them found jobs. Practically, a small factory was built", said Bisevac.
