Income Generation for Roma Families – Serbia
Church World Service-Balkans
Refugee Return Service (RRS)
ALFA
Forty Roma families--about 265 people--in the Zemun and New Belgrade districts of Belgrade, the capital, are gaining new income opportunities with the help of Church World Service and local partners, Refugee Return Service and ALFA, a non-governmental organization based in Belgrade. The families are taking part in motivational and business-planning workshops, and receiving grants to develop small businesses.
The Roma are the poorest community in Serbia, suffering from discrimination, and language and cultural barriers. The majority of Roma in Belgrade live in unregistered settlements, often located at garbage dumps, without access to regular water, electricity, toilets, or proper Washington facilities. There are 110 such settlements in Belgrade and its suburbs, where children and adults live in shacks made of cardboard boxes or other materials. Most lack jobs. Often their only source of income and food are garbage sites, which they sift for food or recyclable materials.
The income generation project is supplementing an ongoing Church World Service-supported preparatory education program for Roma children at the Branko Pesic Elementary School.
In the income generation project, the participants are transitioning from isolation and poverty to a better life through motivational workshops that build their self-confidence and encourage thinking about starting a business. They learn to develop business plans, connect with government services, public companies, and other resources, and receive grants to purchase tools and other equipment.
Support for Church World Service helps make this program possible.
Updated 10/31/2007
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