Workshops with Roma children and parents – Trial Phase B

In September 2021 we started the project with planning, communication with the coordinator, with the Parish Centre, with the elementary school. We had negotiations about purchasing food with a local grocery store. We had a meeting with Roma parents of the children in the first year of school regarding the possibility of tutoring, as well as distribution of papers about the consent of the parents that their children can participate in this tutoring. Without this paper (confirmation) of the parents they could not participate. All 21 children in the first year of school were invited to the tutoring. 14 children were involved in the project.

The staff of the Parish Centre brought children to the meetings every day from Monday to Friday in the afternoon, where at the beginning the prescribed hygiene had to be observed first (according to current Covid measures). Then followed prayer and the singing of two Christian children’s songs. After that, the children sat down at the tables and each chose a task – after consulting with the director of the elementary school. They did exactly what she advised as the head of the elementary school. In addition, they were always given a small task by Pastor Beno and Mrs. Beňo. When they finished their homework, there was a small snack and then time for playing games. The game motivated them to do their homework properly, because everyone wanted to have a construction set and play “don’t be evil” and so on. When the children had cleaned everything, they washed their hands and the workers of the Centre took them home.

During the implementation of the project there was a need for a round table in the village office of the village Rankovce, where Mrs. Beňová and other women from the village, from the Parish Centre, and the field social worker, discussed with a community official the current situation in the village. The meeting identified current problems such as alcoholism among young children, illegal waste dumping, waste separation, domestic violence and addiction prevention.

August – September – October 2021

Novi Sad, Serbia