ROUND TABLE – DISCUSSION OF CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

ROUND TABLE – DISCUSSION OF CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

On August 31, 2020, a round table of Project partners and other stakeholders was held at the Emigrand Hotel. It was attended by representatives of organizations and institutions that provide services to children of the Roma community in the field of medicine, social protection, culture and spirituality. Participants discussed various problems and challenges they are facing in everyday work, offered their vision of successful implementation of micro-projects. Among the participants there were doctors from the Perechyn Primary Health Care Center of the Perechyn City Council, NGO “Vesta”, the Transcarpathian Regional Center for Social and Psychological Assistance, a pastor of the Roma community, school doctors, other NGOs and Project partners.

Participants discussed both fundamental (large-scale) issues, such as the isolation and separation of the Roma community in the city, migration, etc.; and specific issues of lack of documents, low level of education, early marriages, lack of motivation to study and others. The participants also shared their vision of the problems of human trafficking, high levels of infectious diseases due to poor sanitation, drug use, the position of women in the Roma community. Undoubtedly, the culture and traditional way of life of the Roma play an important role in the emergence and solution of these problems.