Take a look at other success stories... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Uprising of Humanity Working towards the Same Goal "With Knowledge to Profit" "Better Information-sharing at the Level of Villages" "New life of the Latkovac Village" "Rural Tourism a Click Away" "Wool from Sjenica for the English" "School for All" "Cooperation of Neighbours" "Centre within a Centre" "Sun Warms up the Elderly in Mali Zvornik" "With Loan and Milk to a Home" "Three in One" "Club as a Second Home" "For a Pollution-Free Serbia" "Food Land" "Mačva in flowers" "Equal Chances for the Future" Job and Home for Lastavice To the elderly in Pazova with love "My new nickname in school is Gates, but you can call me Bill"

Working towards the Same Goal

Since 2005, problems of the Roma in the Sombor municipality have been handled jointly by the municipality and the Forum of Roma Non-Government Organizations

There are 80,000 Roma living in Vojvodina. The number of the Roma at the territory of Serbia varies depending on the source. 108,000 Roma were registered as ethnic minority during the census 2003. The UN sources state that there are half a million Roma living in Serbia. Representatives of the Roma community claim that there are some 800,000 Roma in Serbia. Declaring that they belong to other nations – according to the local language, official numbers differ from the actual situation.

The first project implemented by the Forum of Roma Non-Government Organizations in the Sombor municipality was entitled “Development of Social Cards”. Ten interviewers registered 2,000 Roma households in 2006 facing various problems on a daily basis in the areas of social welfare, education, housing, medical care….

- Due to excellent cooperation with the municipality, which opened the post of the Roma Issues Coordinator after the establishment of the Forum, thus becoming the first municipality in Serbia with such a post, the current situation is slowly improving. However, there are numerous problems that we have to deal with jointly - says Geza Kovač, President of UO Forum of Roma NGOs of Sombor.

The Forum was established in 2005. It gathers seven Roma NGOs: Romano khero (Roma House), Bahtale (Happy People), Cultural and Educational Roma Society of Sombor, White Pigeon and Rumunka of Bački Monoštor, Sigo ando them (Let’s Be Part of the World) of Doroslov and the Society of Roma Refugees and Exiles of Bezdan. The Forum is financed from the budget of the municipality.

Elizabeta Zec was engaged as Business Administrator in the Forum in September 2007. She is of Roma origin and finished secondary education. She is a mother of a two-year old child and had been unemployed for seven years. - I translate into English, handle correspondence for Forum members, write reports and help citizens seeking assistance.

Elizabeta Zec working in the office of the Forum for Roma NGOs.

There are up to twenty fellow-countrymen asking Elizabeta on a daily basis to write appeals to Elektrovojvodina, Social Work Center or fill in tax administration forms. Her work has contributed to the Forum’s establishment of the Association of Young Roma and procurement of computers for the Association.

As her job assignment is limited to one year, Elizabeta hopes that results achieved so far will be sufficient for local government authorities to continue to finance her post.

Manjika Nikolić, President of the Forum’s Social Affairs Council says that a project for education of young Roma is currently being implemented. Some 20 youth are practicing for locksmiths and welders and are to be employed within a month. This group was preceded by 17 young Roma getting their certificates in one of 15 crafts.

- Education is the best way for Roma to get integrated into society and improve their status. Poverty and prejudices are preventing Roma children from going to school, so at the same time we have to work on educating the parents – adds Geza Kovač.

Cooperation between the third sector and local authorities in Sombor contribute most effectively to the “Decade of Integration of Roma 2005-2015” implemented in Central and Southeast European countries, aiming at improving social and economic standards, inclusion, improving health conditions and increasing  employment rate of the Roma.