Small NGO in rural Moldova helps Roma and disabled children to integrate in the community
Summertime is, for most of us, the perfect time for vacation and usually, during vacation, we are travelling a lot and are visiting friends and family. Sometimes, when the vacation is still too far and the willing to have a trip is too big, you just pick up the phone and call a friend, jump into the car and take the road. It doesn’t matter if it’s a distant or a very close destination, all that matter is that somewhere, someone, is waiting for you.
This is what happened a few weeks ago when Secretariat of the Moldovan coalition for the Social Protection of Child and Family (APSCF) felt like it was missing so much the company of a very close member of its family — the NGO “Incredere” (“Trust”). “Incredere” is located outside the capital, in a rural area called Drochia, in bank of Raut river. Thus, we called some other friends from other NGOs and some journalists and after a two hours trip, we arrived to the destination.
A small village, with about 3000 inhabitants, 30% of which are representatives of Roma minority, Drochia lives its day to day life like many other Moldovan villages: the main part of the population is involved in agriculture activities, almost every family has at least one member working abroad, children are left with grandparents who are, sometimes, too busy or too old to give the necessary attention to their grandchildren. The local school is attended by 100 children. 30 of them are Roma children, facing social, economic and educational problems.
Our colleague Olga is waiting for us and everything in the small office she organized in the house was announcing a big event. It is a real event for her and for the little beneficiaries who are attending the Centre, when someone is visiting them. This time the event is even bigger: guests from Chisinau are coming and they will have the possibility to demonstrate, once more, that Roma people are equal, that they have same rights.
“In spite of the fact that the community is saying they are all equal, and Roma children must have the same rights and should be accepted, the reality is quite different” says Olga Cebotari, director of the NGO “Incredere”. “The difference was very obvious ten years ago, when we decided to set up the organization, to help Roma and disabled children to socially integrate in our little community. Initially, it was thought as a rehabilitation centre, created on my own family’s necessity, as I am coming from a Roma family, with 4 disabled children out of 6. I myself experienced the discrimination and the social exclusion both for being disabled and for belonging to a minority group. Helped by an APSCF member, I did it! I had to learn a lot, I had to be strong (even though I was only used to be weak), I had to step forward, even if I was in a wheeled chair. Every little step meant a lot for me and for my organization, because I knew that what I was doing was of a huge importance for my family and for other people who faced the same difficulties as I had.
In fact, Olga’s willing to become part of the community she lives in, and her huge interest for everything is new, helped her to create in 2006 the community level Organization “Incredere” which means, if translated from Romanian — “Trust”.
All the activities in the center are organized on voluntary bases by team of four educators and one coordinator. After school activities are attended, every day, by thirty children from the community, including Roma children. There is no difference if you are Roma or not, if you are in a wheeled chair or on your own foot, if you are speaking Romanian, Russian or Romani language. The educators (ex-teachers of the local school) would give all their time and attention to all the children in order to have a homogeneous group and make everyone feel part of it.
Sadly, NGO “Incredere” benefits from very poor support and collaboration from the Local Authority. All the activities are organized in Olga’s house, inherited from her aunt several years ago. She decided not to move in, but to open its doors to all children from her village. The house is quite old and it needs to be repaired and maybe refurnished to better respond to children’s needs but, by the other hand, it is the only existing refuge for children from Roma and other families. Children find here help with their homework, are involved in animation activities, are going in trips and excursions and are treated as being equal.
With a little financial support obtained by Olga from a local businessman, she managed to do what the Local Authorities never did and, maybe never have thought to do. Being herself a disabled person, Olga understands what it means to stay all day long in the house, because there is no one to take you outside. That is why, she organized a cultural trip through Moldova for 10 persons who, due to their disability, never left home for 10 years. Olga couldn’t hide the tears in her eyes when speaking about how grateful those persons where for that opportunity. Small things for some people, and very important ones, for others, says Olga.
Olga is still hopeful and believes that someday, her organization will grow and with the support of Local Authority, Volunteers, they will bring joy and happiness to many other people with disabilities and of Roma ethnicity in that distant village of Drochia.
