Launching of the Roma Empowerment and Awareness for Democracy through Education Project (READE)

The Foundation for Education and Cultural Initiatives “Step by Step” in cooperation with local NGOs Nadez and Dendo Vas on May 17 officially launched a new project - Roma Empowerment and Awareness for Democracy through Education Project (READE). The project is financially supported by the European Union and the Open Society Foundations.  The Project will strive to improve the situation of the Roma community, constantly struggling inadequate educational levels, lack of knowledge and skills for improving employability and quality of domestic and community life and poor financial situation, which has precluded Roma from benefiting from opportunities for education, employment and from participation in democratic decision-making processes on local and national level.

The official launch event took part in the premises of the Center for Social Initiatives Nadez in Shuto Orizari with representatives of the EU Delegation, local and international organizations, implementing partners, project beneficiaries and the local community.

The project will implement activities aiding school readiness of pre-schoolers, school performance of primary school children, literacy levels of Roma women and activities for boosting parenting skills of Roma families. READE will also promote Roma democratic participation in community processes and improve capacities and involvement of Roma CSOs for addressing quality and discrimination in provision of services for women and children. 

The project will be implemented until August, 2017, and will directly benefit children and Roma women from the local communities of Shuto Orizari and Gjorce Petrov in Skopje, specifically: 120 preschool children who are out of kindergarten, 210 children at primary school age and 500 mothers and women with low level of literacy and education.