On 9th of September, National Roma Centrum (NRC) has the honour of welcoming H.E. Ms Kristin Forsgren Bengtsson, Swedish Ambassador of representatives of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and We Effect Europe office. We met with Roma families living in substandard conditions in Bavci settlement in Kumanovo. Many of the inhabitants in Bavci are lacking property deeds with unfinished legalization of their houses, which prevents them to regulate their residence and to obtain personal documentation and ID’s which is prerequisite for access to social and health services available to any other citizen. The educational level is generally low, few opportunities are rarely given to gain any working skills for a future to be regularly employed. In the settlement, electricity cuts are regular, and the daily food intake and bread baking at home is a struggle. The field visit gave us insight in the everyday live and struggles of marginalized Roma families.
The IISEE project, Income Increase and Socio-Economic Empowerment of Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups from rural and sub-urban areas, is part of the We Effect’s programme Empower Europe being implemented by National Roma Centrum (NRC), the National Federation of Farmers (NFF) and the Rural Development Network (RDN).