“Let’s Be Friends” Project dedicated to Roma children at the Office for European Affairs

Novi Sad, 21 January – In the Roma Decade, the international community is engaged in an initiative to improve the active social inclusion of Roma children. Data available to pedagogues show that less than 10% of Roma children attend a nursery school, 32% have no elementary education or have finished only four forms, 29% have elementary education, whereas only 8% have secondary education. Bearing in mind that only 0.8% of young Roma people have university education, it becomes clear that a lot of effort should be put into motivating young people. There is a project entitled “Let’s Be Friends” within the day care of the social centre dedicated mainly to Roma children, i.e. children from dysfunctional families, which aim is their social inclusion, mainly by means of finishing their schooling.

“Within the “Let’s Be Friends” Project, we work on the development of cooperation and communication skills, building of self-respect and enhancement of tolerance towards other people, so that we could form group identity. It has been proved that group identity forming is very important for educational continuity, since it is necessary to have the sense that group belonging is positive”, said Branislava Jevtić, psychologist and project leader. The project partly takes place at the Office for European Affairs. On this occasion, Jovana Pereula, Office for European Affairs, explained the potentials of the internet to “Let’s Be Friends” Project participants.