International Charitable Foundation ‘Renaissance’ will support Roma in Transarpathia

The head of the region Alexandr Ledyda met with the head of the International Charitable Foundation ‘Renaissance’ Yevhen Bystrytskyy on Thursday, April 19. The financial support of educational and medical programs for the Roma population of the region is the main issue of their meeting – informs the press service of the Regional State Administration.
Currently the foundation supports Roma people in several spheres: there are educational, medical, cultural and human rights programs as Yevhen Bystrytskyy informs.
– The Foundation ‘Renaissance’ directed nearly two million hryvnia in support of the Transcarpathian Roma people during the last two years. One of the major problems is certainly the absence of an appropriate education. I believe that this direction should be especially supported, for example, we are providing scholarships for education. It is difficult to adapt Roma youth in the society without education – said the head of the charitable foundation. Also Yevhen Bystrytskyy emphasized that the regional authorities are interested in common funding projects.
Alexandr Ledyda suggested the concrete direction of cooperation at once:
– One of the biggest Roma settlements in Transcarpathia is the village Ivanivka. There live almost a thousand of people. We are trying to fully support the community: they have central water supply, the camp is illuminated and we are helping with the firewood procurement for the winter. The construction of the school of I and II levels is in the plans. Funds are planned to be allocated from the regional and district budgets. Therefore, any financial aid would be quite reasonable in this matter.
The Head of the region also said about the agreement on Roma youth education with the rectors of the Transcarpathian universities. But still the initiative should come from young people. The educational work of the Roma settlement leaders is very important in this direction as Alexanrd Ledyda believes.

There are more than 14 thousand Roma people in the region according to the official statistics, and many of them, unfortunately, do not even have a primary education.