The aim of the project was to introduce innovative social practices for traffic prevention among Roma girls aged 12-16 in Pobeda district, town of Burgas, as a new model for work in the community.
Outreach work for increasing the information and the awareness about traffic issues among Roma girls and their families was a core activity. A social worker and a young volunteer from the local community have been visiting the Roma neighborhood and having meetings with girls, their friends and twice a week in the frame of the project. The filed work has covered some 60 children organised in groups of circa 10 people.
Special trainings on themes like “How to prevent traffic and to recognize the signs for danger if there is a risk of becoming a victim” for the children and their parents have been organised at the same time. Institutions and organisation working with Roma community were acquainted with “Specific needs of the Roma community – customs, everyday life and culture”. Two art groups were formed that continue their activities successfully – dances and drawing with the participation of 23 girls aged 12 - 16 years of age. In May they prepared a programme with a slogan “I am not for sale” which they presented before parents and friends in Chitalishte Hristo Botev. The programme grew in a campaign for promoting understanding about the issue among the wider public in Burgas. A short movie was produced aimed at presenting the activities in the frame of the project.
A handbook for prevention of traffic among Roma girls was developed for a first time in Bulgaria. It was printed in 600 copies and is available in all Roma neighborhoods in Burgas region, Directorate Social assistance, Child protection Departments, partner organisations.
In the future the handbook will be presented to other organisations working with children from ethnic communities so that they can use it in their work. The team of a primary school in Pobeda neighborhood in Burgas is planning to introduce the model developed in the frame of the project in its after-school programme and to deliver trainings on prevention of traffic based on the handbook.
Regional Roma Union Foundation
Mitko Dikov
Kv. Pobeda
Kubrat street, bl 4, ent. Б, аp. 24
Burgas 8002
Tel. 056 / 917 855
romaunion@abv.bg
romaunion@gmail.com
