Borovan

General Information
 
ROMACT Cycle: 
Closed
Mayor of the Municipality: 
Desislava Todorova
Contact Person within the Municipality: 
: Ani Iskrenova - Head Expert, European projects and national programs department
Facilitators: 
Alexandra Raykova
Total population: 
5 714
Source: 
Census 2011
Roma living in the Municipality: 
359
Description of the Municipality: 

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Located in Vratsa Province, northwestern Bulgaria, Borovan has a total population of approximately 6.000 inhabitants, out of which 7% are of Roma ethnicity. Unofficially, sources at the municipality level estimate that in reality the Roma community consists of more than 40% of the total population.  Borovan municipality includes 5 settlements – Borovan, Dobrolevo, Nivyanin, Sirakovo and Malorad, the village of Borovan being the administrative center of the municipality.

The Roma population numbers around 3.000 people and live in separate neighborhoods concentrated in 3 settlements - Borovan, Dobrolevo and Malorad.

In Dobrolevo are living around 300 – 400 Roma people. There are two Roma settlements/slums.  About 70% from the Roma population in the village is unemployed. Many Roma who have high school education are also unemployed. In Malorad are living about 1.000 Roma; about 600 of them live in a Roma neighborhood, the rest dispersed in the village. Around 90% of the Roma people are unemployed. In Borovan are living around 300 Roma people who are based in one Roma slum. Among the reasons for the unemployment is the low education as well as that some lost motivation and work habits due to long-term unemployment.

Some of the main issues they face are:  
- Extremely high unemployment rates - over 90%

  • - A great percentage are without health insurance – around 50 %
  • - A huge portion of people have a low level of education
  • - Lack of infrastructure, especially lack of street lights, lack of sanitation and running water
  • - Many Roma people are living in poverty and below the threshold of subsistence
  • - Some petty crime can be observed in the villages as a result of the poverty

The ROMACT Process

Borovan municipality joined the ROMACT program in September 2016 with the signature of the letter of commitment. A  Taskforce for Roma Inclusion was created in November 2016. On the 21 July 2017, the Municipal Council adopted the updated Municipal Action Plan for Roma Integration 2017-2020.
 
The Community Action Group (CAG) identified some of the short/medium/long-term problems and proposed the following solutions:
     - To reduce the kindergarten taxes
    - To ensure bus for the children to go to kindergarten and school
    - To clean the dumps
    - To fix the street lights
    - To ensure employment
    - To open social shop with food on reduced/preferential prices
    - To employ some night guards in the villages
 

 Several trainings were provided:

The Local Authorities were coached/trained on:    
*  Working with and in the Roma community
* Principles of non-formal education - understanding of Human rights and Human rights education
* Funding opportunities of announced procedures under OPHRD
* Good practice on Roma integration policy
* For the staff of kindergartens: "Identity and culture"
* Intercultural approach in education and work with Roma parents
* Monitoring & Evaluation of the Municipal Action Plan for Roma Inclusion
* Participation in a public consultation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan of Bulgaria

  The CAG was coached/trained on:
* Advocacy, participation and understanding of local governance
* NGO management and organisational development
* Project planning and management 
* Legal frame for addressing discrimination 

Kindergarten staff of the municipality were trained on "Identity and culture" and "Intercultural approach in education and work with Roma parents".

The following measures to solve problems in Roma community were taken:
 - School bus for the winter period for children and students
 - Bus sheds for 5 bus stops in Dobrolevo and Sirakovo villages
 - Warm lunch for pupils
 - Campaign against drop-out
 - Educational project for two municipal kindergartens
 - Appointment of a medical nurse for the kindergarten and school
 - Appointment of 1 health mediator
 - Appointment of 4 Roma police mediators in Byala Slatina police station
 - Employment of 55 Roma for public work
 - Renovation of the street from the Roma settlement from Dobrolevo village
 - Repair of a 4 streets network of Borovan municipality
 - Employment of 35 young Roma
 - Finalization and furnishing of the Roma Cultural – Information Centre in Malorad village
 - Activities for the International Roma Day
 - Acknowledgment of 8th of April as a municipal event
 - Prophylactic examinations for tuberculosis
 - Medical examination for people without health insurance in Borovan Village Clinic
 - Cleaning of Borovan Graveyard

 The Municipality benefited of ROMACT expertise for the drafting of several projects:
* "Concept of municipality Borovan for social inclusion of vulnerable groups" OPHRD& OPSESG (approved) and the project itself: “I, you, she and he, together for the social integration in the municipality of Borovan”- Approved- Budget: 450 423€
* "Together we can do more - for quality education in kindergartens in Borovan municipality"- COIDUEM (Ministry of Education)- Approved- Budget: 19 095€
* "Active involvement of inactive people to provide integrated care"- OPHRD- Rejected
* "Reconstruction and repair of the dam wall and facilities of the Garvanski Geran" and "Reconstruction and repair of the dam wall and facilities of the Ezerska padina" - OP environment – Rejected.

 

 

Timeline Points

30 Sep 2016
Step 1- Becoming Commited- Signature of the letter of agreement
10 Oct 2016
Creation of CAG
28 Nov 2016
Creation of Taskforce
13 Jan 2017
Step 2- Agreeing on needs and plans- Community priorities list finalised
21 Jul 2017
Step 3- Translating priorities into measures- MAPRI updated and adopted by City Council
12 Dec 2017
Creation of a Commission for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Taskforce
12 May 2018
End of ROMACT Process
31 May 2018
Step 4- Funding, Implementing and Monitoring- Project proposal for Concept of municipality Borovan for social inclusion of vulnerable groups- ESIF
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