Isperich

General Information
 
ROMACT Cycle: 
Closed
Mayor of the Municipality: 
Beysim Rufat
Contact Person within the Municipality: 
Galya Ivanova – Head of Projects Department
Facilitators: 
Kadrin Hasanov
Total population: 
21 952
Source: 
Census 2011
Roma living in the Municipality: 
2 500
Description of the Municipality: 

 
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Isperih municipality is located in northeastern part of Bulgaria, part of Razgrad region. The municipality consists of 24 settlements, the administrative center being Isperih. Isperih municipality is the second largest municipality in Razgrad region, with a population of 21.952 inhabitants (census 2011). The Roma population is about 9 %, from which 30% lives in the municipal center and the other 70% in the villages.
 
The Roma community in Isperih municipality is mostly from Horahane group (Muslim or Turkish speaking). They live in two neighborhoods:

  1. Tyutuneva slum, with good infrastructure, electricity, legally built solid houses, running water, street lights and regular garbage collection.
  2. West/Zapad neighborhood is without road infrastructure, no garbage collection, no sewage, with illegal built houses; some of the families from this neighborhood have no electricity and water.
     

In the villages, Roma live in separate slums, with poor or missing road infrastructure, without sewage system. Roma from Isperih municipality work in many different areas such as trade, construction, crafts, collecting waste materials, work abroad etc.

According to the CAG, the main issues faced by Roma are:

  • - bad quality of education in schools
  • - wide spread functional illiteracy
  • - illegal buildings
  • - poor condition of the roads
  • - unemployment

The ROMACT Process

Isperich municipality joined the ROMACT program in October 2015 with the signature of the letter of agreement. In February 2015, Isperih municipality adopted the Municipal Action Plan for Roma Integration 2015-2020, which was updated in December 2016.
 
The long-term priorities identified by the Community Action Group are: 
 

Identified problems
Improvement of road infrastructure
Improving the quality of education in Roma communities
Full participation of children in kindergartens
Overcoming functional illiteracy
Increasing the number of Roma students in university
Overcoming the problem of early marriages and births
Establishment of a community center in Isperih
Legalization of illegal buildings

 
Several trainings were provided:
 
Trainings/expertise provided for the local administration:
 
- Capacity building of local authority on EU operational programs: Review of the JAP and linking the priorities to announced calls for proposals; preparation of project ideas to address the agreed issues
- Develop local authority understanding on elaboration concept for an integrated project proposal
- Consultation on the elaboration of a project concept towards inclusion of vulnerable groups under an integrated procedure of OPHRD and OPSEIG
- Assisting the LA to review Municipal Development Plan and expert support to identify ways to integrate MAPRI’s priorities in it
Expert consultation of project elaboration for addressing unemployment among Roma through social enterprise
 
Activities involving the community action group:
 
- Training session for CAG on local self-government;
- Coaching to participate in a Local Council meeting;
- Training session with CAG members on communication/ negotiation with the LA and institutions. 
- Training session on capacity building for addressing drug use in the Roma neighbourhoods
 
The following measures to solve problems in Roma community were taken:
 

  • - Hiring educational mediators;
  • - The kindergarten fees in the Municipality have been eliminated by a municipal council decision;
  • - Enlisting parents in school committees and community council groups working for the schools;
  • - Enlisting parents in classes for adults who have not yet finished their primary and secondary education;
  • - Creating interest clubs and societies based on preferences of students that are part of a minority;
  • - Ensuring transportation to and from school for the students under 16 who live outside the city of Isperih;
  • - Health screenings – oncology, diabetes etc;
  • - Starting the registry of illegal settlements in Zapad neighborhood;
  • - Creating community/youth centers in or within close proximity to Roma neighborhoods;
  • - Constructing recreational and children’s play facilities in Roma neighborhoods;
  • - Organizing educational courses for the unemployed;
  • - Creating a social project that finds long-term employment for the unemployed/inactive women;
  • - Education in entrepreneurship, focusing on Roma women;
  • - Social innovation for social inclusion of Roma women - creation of 3 centers for mother and child.

 
The Municipality benefited of ROMACT expertise for the following projects:

"Socio-economic and educational integration of ethnic minorities in the municipality of Isperih"- OPHRD- OPSESG
Beneficiaries: 880
Budget: 454 047 euros
Status: Approved

"Accessible Kindergarten for all children in the municipality of Isperih",  Roma Education Fund
Beneficiaries: 650
Budget: 100 000 euros
Status: Rejected

"Educational integration of students from ethnic minority groups at municipality of Isperih"- OPSESG
Beneficiaries: 650
Budget: 170 000 euros
Status: Approved

Preparatory activities under submeasure 19.1 "Community - led local development", RDP
Budget: 2 653 175 euros
Status: Approved
 
Building and equipment of Roma Community Center in Vazovo village - RDP
Beneficiaries: 500
Budget: 49 696 euros
Status: Approved

"Establishment of a social enterprise for maintenance of public infrastructure in Isperih municipality"- OPHRD
Beneficiaries: 40
Budget: 200 000 euros
Status: Procedure cancelled

Patronage care in Isperih for the improvement of life quality- OPHRD
Beneficiaries: 60 people with disabilities and lonely elderly people
Budget: 89 928 euros
Status: Approved

Socio-economic integration of marginalized communities in Isperih municipality-  №: BG05M9OP001-2.033-0001- LDS- OPHRD
Beneficiaries: 80 sick and elderly persons at risk of exclusion
Budget: 102 536 euros
Status: Approved

Empowering Women from Vulnerable Communities by Extending the Network of Mother Centers in Isperih Municipality, №: BG05M9OP001-2.033-0002- ESF
Beneficiaries: 100 Roma women from 4 different settlements
Budget: 102 463 euros
Status: Approved

Vocational School of Agriculture, "My culture in sound and picture", Centre for Educational Integration of Children and Students from Ethnic Minorities (COIDUEM) 
Budget: 5 097 euros
Status: Approved

The CAG benefited of ROMACT expertise for the following projects:

Let's lend a hand- IRIS Fund
Status- Rejected

Covid-19 and misinformation, The Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation, German Marshall Fund
Budget: 14 500 euros
Status: Approved

ROMACT Small Grants Scheme
 
ROMACT offers small grants scheme to support the efforts of the municipalities and Community Action Groups to respond together to the needs of the most vulnerable and to multiply the good practices across ROMACT municipalities.
 
Under the scheme of small grants, the following project was supported by ROMACT in Isperich during April - July 2020:
Initiative to counter COVID19 pandemic – Municipality of Isperih
ROMACT supported the municipality with 2040 € reaching 90 families within Roma community. The project covered information campaign on COVID19 and provided masks, disinfectant products, informative flyers to raise awareness in the community. Food supplies were also provided for families with dire financial situation.

 

Timeline Points

12 Oct 2015
Step 1- Becoming Commited- Signature of the letter of agreement
18 May 2016
Step 4- Funding, Implementing, Monitoring- Project proposal was submitted to the Roma Education Fund
5 Sep 2016
Step 2- Agreeing on needs and plans- Community priorities list finalised
1 Dec 2016
Step 3- Translating priorities into measures- MAPRI updated and adopted by City Council
10 Nov 2017
End of ROMACT Process
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