Ghidigeni
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Last update: 11/10/2016
Ghidigeni administrative territory is located in the north of Galati County. It is composed of eight villages: Gara Ghidigeni, Gârbovăț, Gefu, Ghidigeni, Gura Gârbovățului, Slobozia Corni, Tălpigi and Tăplău. The main economic activities in this rural area are related to agriculture.
According to 2011 census, the Roma population in Ghidigeni is 1,570 (26%of the population with most of them living in the villages of Gefu and Tălpigi. According to unofficial figures, the actual number of Roma residents is about 2,680 living in Ghidigeni from the following groups: Lăieşi, Spoitori and Kalderash.
The main issues Roma in Ghidigeni face are the inadequate infrastructure (unpaved streets, absence of utilities), a lack of property documents and a lack of employment opportunities.
The ROMACT Process
In March 2016 with the Mayor’s signature on the Letter of Commitment Ghidigeni joined the ROMACT programme. The Community Action Group (CAG) was created shortly after and proceeded to define its short-term and long-term needs:
| Short-term priorities | Objective 1 | Objective 2 | Objective 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | Develop a "Second Chance" programme for adults | Create scholarships for Roma students | Building a day center for children in order to reduce absenteeism and school dropout, especially among Roma |
| Employment | Provide vocational training for job opportunities in demand for young Roma | Creation of jobs for disadvantaged people | |
| Youth | Organise youth events | Set up an NGO for accessing funds for youth | Implement projects to stimulate the participation of young people |
| Long-term priorities | Objective 1 | Objective 2 | Objective 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure | Steps for realization of cadastral documentation for families with no income | Paving the main streets in the village of Ghidigeni | Expansion of the electricity network |
| Employment | Attract social economy initiatives |
A Joint Action Plan (JAP) which includes the measures defined by the local CAG and approves the creation of a Taskforce for Roma Inclusion was adopted on 30 March 2016 and it was further amended to include a specific measures addressing youth issues at the final adoption of the JAP on 8 April 2016.
The municipality together with the ROMACT Support Team began to explore various funding opportunities - keeping a focus on youth and improving access to education and the job market.
Together with two other municipalities within the ROMACT Programme (Barcea and Ivesti), Ghidigeni applied for the Erasmus + Key Activity 2 - Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices. With the support of the ROMACT team and the ROMACT expert designated for the municipality of Ghidigeni, the municipality also prepared for application for the “Participation and accountability of the European Year of Citizens III - integrated activities in Roma communities Roma” from the National Agency for Roma, for the creation of an NGO. The intention is that the association would serve as a tool to the CAG to be able to apply as an entity for this particular line of funding.
Other applications targeting the Operational Programme for Human Capital (POCU) and the Regional Operational Programme were discussed with the ROMACT team also in the hopes of finding the necessary funding to respond to the needs defined by the community.
The Municipality benefited of ROMACT expertise for the following projects:
* "Tineri ROMACTivi", Erasmus+, KA3
Status: rejected
* "A European change in disadvantaged communities", OPHC 4.1
Status: rejected
* For a better future!, OPHC 6.3
Status: rejected
* For quality education!, OPHC 6.1
Status: rejected