Homes for Roma families begin to transform disadvantaged community
The contented looks of the new owners say it all. They walk proudly, smile widely and talk with exuberance about their houses. Having a home of their own gives these families a sense of equality with others in the commune and wider community and their shining faces reveal how important that is.
I washed the children in the bath, with hot water. It is good and we feel respected, like human beings Nuren; a 33-year-old mother of three young children used to live in a hut made of mud and cardboard, without a toilet or in-house water supply. The collapsed ceiling was a constant source of danger for the children and the house would often leak when it rained. Now, they have a three-room house with an inside bathroom and kitchen.
“I was anxious to come into my house and the feeling that I had when I did was wonderful. Even though there is still a lot of work, it is my house and I’ll do it with all my heart”, Nuren says.
Almost 900 Roma people live in Cumpana and illiteracy and employment rates are very high here.
Aise Hasan is another mother of five children, with the youngest just two months old. The family is very poor but is making every effort to ready the house. Ali Regep, Aise’s partner, invests any money saved into buying paint to decorate the new home. He says they will celebrate moving into the new house just as soon as the entire dwelling is ready. Meanwhile Aise takes care of the children and helps Ali as much as she can.
“The first night under this roof, I prayed and thanked God for such a gift. Even in my boldest dreams I didn’t dare to have such a beautiful house. Before, we lived together in a small rented room. Now we have three rooms and a large bathroom. I washed the children in the bath, with hot water. It is good and we feel respected, like human beings. As soon as possible I will marry my partner to live together legally under God’s blessing”, Aise says.
As agreed, the Roma families will have to cover water and electricity costs and after five years of satisfactory tenancy will assume ownership. Families that do not take due care of the premises will forfeit the opportunity of ownership – a condition that the Association members believe will enhance the sense of responsibility and ownership right from the beginning.
“The process of selection was tough. First, we selected 100 poor Roma families, conducted social investigations for each of them and then narrowed it down to eight. Some of the differentiation criteria were: number of children, literacy level, financial situation, whether children are enrolled in school, possession of identity card, level of debt, penalties or criminal record.”, said Marcela Avram, Cumpana town hall superior social referent and Assistant Project Manager.
Roma residents didn’t believe that Romanians would help them. Now, they believe and have changed their attitude The project goal is to integrate Roma people into the community by helping them to qualify for construction work and encouraging them to send their children to school. The Local Council co-financed the project with some 52,725 Euros and assisted with data collection and beneficiary selection. Another 200,000 Euros were provided through PHARE funding (European Union).
“These eight Roma families moving into new houses had an extraordinary positive effect on the entire Cumpana Roma population. Roma residents didn’t believe that Romanians would help them. Now, they believe and have changed their attitude. They salute you different, with much respect. Also, they are no longer recalcitrant and aggressive. With this project we have made some positive steps and things will be better after a second similar project is implemented, whose goal is to build another ten houses for Roma”, said Mitu Stan, local counselor for Roma people and also Cumpana Community-Based Organisation member.
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I washed the children in the bath, with hot water. It is good and we feel respected, like human beings Nuren; a 33-year-old mother of three young children used to live in a hut made of mud and cardboard, without a toilet or in-house water supply. The collapsed ceiling was a constant source of danger for the children and the house would often leak when it rained. Now, they have a three-room house with an inside bathroom and kitchen.
“I was anxious to come into my house and the feeling that I had when I did was wonderful. Even though there is still a lot of work, it is my house and I’ll do it with all my heart”, Nuren says.
Almost 900 Roma people live in Cumpana and illiteracy and employment rates are very high here.
Aise Hasan is another mother of five children, with the youngest just two months old. The family is very poor but is making every effort to ready the house. Ali Regep, Aise’s partner, invests any money saved into buying paint to decorate the new home. He says they will celebrate moving into the new house just as soon as the entire dwelling is ready. Meanwhile Aise takes care of the children and helps Ali as much as she can.
“The first night under this roof, I prayed and thanked God for such a gift. Even in my boldest dreams I didn’t dare to have such a beautiful house. Before, we lived together in a small rented room. Now we have three rooms and a large bathroom. I washed the children in the bath, with hot water. It is good and we feel respected, like human beings. As soon as possible I will marry my partner to live together legally under God’s blessing”, Aise says.
As agreed, the Roma families will have to cover water and electricity costs and after five years of satisfactory tenancy will assume ownership. Families that do not take due care of the premises will forfeit the opportunity of ownership – a condition that the Association members believe will enhance the sense of responsibility and ownership right from the beginning.
“The process of selection was tough. First, we selected 100 poor Roma families, conducted social investigations for each of them and then narrowed it down to eight. Some of the differentiation criteria were: number of children, literacy level, financial situation, whether children are enrolled in school, possession of identity card, level of debt, penalties or criminal record.”, said Marcela Avram, Cumpana town hall superior social referent and Assistant Project Manager.
Roma residents didn’t believe that Romanians would help them. Now, they believe and have changed their attitude The project goal is to integrate Roma people into the community by helping them to qualify for construction work and encouraging them to send their children to school. The Local Council co-financed the project with some 52,725 Euros and assisted with data collection and beneficiary selection. Another 200,000 Euros were provided through PHARE funding (European Union).
“These eight Roma families moving into new houses had an extraordinary positive effect on the entire Cumpana Roma population. Roma residents didn’t believe that Romanians would help them. Now, they believe and have changed their attitude. They salute you different, with much respect. Also, they are no longer recalcitrant and aggressive. With this project we have made some positive steps and things will be better after a second similar project is implemented, whose goal is to build another ten houses for Roma”, said Mitu Stan, local counselor for Roma people and also Cumpana Community-Based Organisation member.
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