Toflea (County Galati)

Toflea with a population of 7,700 is one of four municipalities in the region of Brăhăşeşti in Romania.  The majority of the population in the municipality are Roma who, on average, benefit from a better socio-economic situation than other Roma communities in Romania.  Municipal priorities are mainly concerned with access to running water, road repair and sewage facilities.  The municipality’s main strength is in educational attainment for young Roma with the rate of completion in secondary and upper secondary education comparable to levels attained by non-Roma peers.  It is worth noting that the area is relatively rural and has far from the most dynamic economic activity.  The authorities in Toflea have choosen to stimulate citizen skills for employability among the Roma and it works hard to incentivise the community to remain in the municipality.  The municipality’s goal is to reach 100% attendance rates and a graduate employability rate of 70%. Roma graduating from universities offer a role model to their community for generations to come.