- MISSION AND OBJECTIVES OF THE NETWORK
The Network for Early Childhood Development in the Roma Community in Bulgaria (the Network) was established in January 2018 and is coordinated by the Trust for a Social Achievement Foundation. The network aims to support professionals working with minority children, increase the scope and quality of services provided, and strives to unite the efforts of its members in this direction. The network also supports the development of role models from the Roma community itself.
The main objectives of the Network are:
- To develop expert capacity among specialists and support staff who work with Roma communities in the field of early childhood development;
- To help increase the number of professionals from the Roma community working to provide early childhood services;
- To provide for the provision of fairer and better services to support the creation of more inclusive systems;
- To provide additional housing options in nurseries and kindergartens for students of Roma origin.
2 ACTIVITIES PERFORMED
Seminars, discussions and events
- “How do we tame children’s emotions to build resilience, empathy and strength of character?” with Marina Clarkson, educator, psychotherapist, trainer and most of all, inspiration.
- “How to work effectively with children who do not speak Bulgarian well?” with Dr. Anastasia Novikova and Vyara Mihailova. More than 70 people participated in the event. March 2021
- “Presentation of the collection of recipes and the guide for healthy eating for children from 3 to 7 years old” with Associate Professor Lalka Rangelova. May 2021
- “Healthy nutrition of pregnant and lactating women” and “Role of Vitamin D for maintaining health in the conditions of Covid-19” with Dr. Lalka Rangelova. The participants were more than 40 people. May 2021
- “Supporting Children’s Physical and Mental Development: Here’s How” – an event in a series to advance research and international best practices in early childhood development, featured in Early Childhood Matters March 2021
- “Viral diseases in childhood and their prevention” with Dr. Irena Vidinova. February 2021
- A seminar on the development of success stories will be held in 2021 with the participants of the “Young Roma Educators” project and the “Role Models in Early Childhood” initiative. February 2021
- “Children’s Viewpoint and Self-Esteem: The Window to Understanding and Reducing Inequality in Education” – with the special participation of Eddie Brummelman, who is an assistant professor at one of the most elite universities in Amsterdam, a research fellow of the Jacobs Foundation and a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. More than 200 people participated in the event. June 2021
- “Volunteering and activism for the benefit of the community”, in which more than 30 participants from the project “Young Roma educators” and “Scholarship program for students of Roma origin studying health specialties” took part April 2021,
- “Parents’ corner”, with a focus on why the active participation of parents in kindergarten is important, with the participation of over 50 people. October 2021
- “How to write a successful resume and cover letter program.” The event included participants from the “Young Roma Educators” project and the scholarship holders from the “Scholarship Program for Roma Students Studying Health Specialties”. March 2021
- “How to see healthy and smart children”, training for trainers under the Small Grants Program, was organized and conducted with the help of the Health and Social Development Foundation – Hesed. December 2020- January 2021
- Two-day seminars for students and teachers on the project “The influence of role models on the development of the Roma community in Bulgaria” – April 2021.
The project is implemented in Byala Slatina and is part of the initiative of the US State Department – IVLP Impact Awards.
Early Childhood Role Models Student Internship Program – 2022
The program aims to provide an opportunity for Roma students from various majors to gain practical skills for working in kindergartens working with vulnerable communities. Through their participation in the scenario program, students gain a realistic view and experience in a possible area of professional realization for them after completing higher education. Six interns took part in it – three of them in the “Slantse” DG, Montana, and three in the “Slantse” DG, Lukovit, for the period May–August 2022. The participants in the internship program, their teachers – directors of children’s gardens, and their supporting coordinators from non-governmental organizations, participated in the training in the city of Sofia on May 19-20, 2022 on “The Essence of Mentoring”. The training supports trainees and their mentors to gain knowledge about the nature of the mentoring process, its integrity and the effect on the professional development of young people.
Selection “30 under 30” of “Forbes – Bulgaria” magazine and evaluation of the work of the RAIN Network
“Innovator and agent of change”. In this way, Forbes Bulgaria honored Ivan then a coordinator of the Network, in the field of social entrepreneurship, part of the selection – “30 under 30” in the magazine for influential young people with a social cause. – December 2021
In 2022, RAIN celebrates its 10th anniversary.
The event took place in Barcelona, Spain, and was attended by representatives of REYN networks from 11 countries (Bulgaria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Ukraine), as well as the central coordinating unit of REYN networks. The achievements of the networks and the challenges facing them for the period 2019-2022 were discussed, as well as the new strategic framework. The main findings of a study on the situation of young Roma children in Europe, led by the Roma Study Groups (CEG) at CREA – University of Barcelona (Fernando Macias and Emilia Aiello) and carried out in 11 countries with the support of REYN national networks, were presented.
Small projects
“How to raise healthy and smart children” – a series of practical sessions with parents, carried out at the national level by 10 non-governmental organizations, which included over 700 pregnant mothers and mothers with children aged 0-3 years, from 9 Roma communities in the country – Vidin, Botevgrad, Sofia, Lukovit, Lovech, Targovishte, Sliven, Rakitovo, Varna, and introduced them to the importance of early childhood for the formation of the child’s personality, the importance of breastfeeding, as well as specific ideas and recipes for preparing affordable and full children’s menu.
Information sessions for parents about the important role of kindergarten for children. A series of six sessions addressed issues related to the role of early childhood, the importance of attending kindergarten, the benefits of regular attendance for better socialization and building early language skills in children, the importance of good interaction and trust between parents and teachers/educators. The sessions were held in Lukovit, Rakitovo, Sredets, Vidin, Targovishte and Botevgrad, and more than 250 parents took part in them.
3 PLANNED ACTIVITIES IN 2023
- Events to share successful practices implemented by an educational institution for working with children from vulnerable communities. An opportunity aimed at the institutional members of the RAIN Network – nurseries, kindergartens and preschool groups in schools.
- A joint half-day event with a regional character, aimed at professionals working with children aged 2-7 years from vulnerable communities. This opportunity is open to all RAIN institutional members.
- Exchange of experience to encourage and promote Roma professionals in the field of early childhood development. With this project, TSA will carry out an exchange of experience to encourage and promote Roma professionals in the field of early childhood development, with the participation of members of the International Association “Step by Step” (MASS).
- Workshops for teachers on the topics “The children’s portfolio as a tool for communication with parents and families” and “Learning through integrated projects in kindergarten”.
- Advocacy in support of educational mediators in kindergartens. The project aims to support the sustainability of funding for the positions of educational mediators in kindergartens and will be implemented with the participation of six non-governmental organizations – members of the Network, as well as many member kindergartens and preschool groups in schools.
- Information sessions for parents on the important role of kindergarten for children: This popular initiative of the Network will be offered to members in 2023 as well.