Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD

Hope for Roma

Since 2012, the “Hope for Roma” program has been a humanitarian initiative dedicated to reducing poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment among the Roma communities in Transylvania, Romania. As the largest ethnic minority group in Romania, the Roma population faces significant challenges related to basic needs, education, and social exclusion.

Operating in Mures and Sibiu Counties, the program focuses on increasing access to education and preventing school dropout among Roma children aged 3-12 in Transylvanian villages. The long-term goal is to support the social inclusion of these communities. The program has completed building and furnishing childhood education centers with canteens and afterschool programs in Danes, Laslea, and Saes, providing a daily hot meal to 160 disadvantaged Roma children from those villages, addressing the issue of food insecurity and malnutrition.

In addition, the program provides mediation and afterschool programs on a daily basis in seven different villages, with an emphasis on Roma communities, facilitating access to education and preventing school dropout. The program also provides school supplies every September to over 300 children in the seven villages coming from poor or disadvantaged families.

To enhance pupils’ social and emotional development, the “Hope for Roma” program includes personal development activities such as educational training, school trips, and team-building exercises.

The “Hope for Roma” program plays a vital role in the social inclusion of Roma people in the Sighisoara area, contributing to the overall development of the region. By providing access to education and support to break the cycle of illiteracy, poverty, and unemployment, the program aims to empower Roma communities. With the program’s continued efforts, the Roma people in Transylvania can have hope for a better tomorrow.