Education For Roma Girls
UNICEF Private Fundraising and Partnerships
Moldova
Project documenting the barriers to education faced by Roma girls in Moldova as part of the Promotion of increased participation of Roma Children in Education initiative:
- Production of human interest package, including 1 x 3 minute video, 3 x 30 second social media pieces, 10 photos and captions.
- Engaged 8 young people aged 14-18 from Roma communities living in Moldova.
- Filmmaking workshops utilising participant research methods to explore issues, document challenges, and voice their aspirations through filmmaking exercises and games.
- On-site interviews and research with teachers and specialists from the Dacia youth centre on addressing challenges for school staff to ensure the continuous engagement of students.
PROGRAMME photo gallery:
At Vulcanesti school, Renata, 14, sits with Ms Zbirnea in Romanian language class, her favourite lesson. “I like to learn, I like the teachers and the way they teach” she says. As part of the Promotion of increased participation of Roma Children in Education project, UNICEF and Youth Resource Centre DACIA have supported teachers to adapt their methods, monitor student attendance and report absenteeism. In Roma communities where many parents migrate abroad for short term work, it can be a challenge for school staff to ensure the continuous engagement of students and abide by standards set by the national school curriculum.
In the village of Vulcănești, Renata, 14, laughs with the family’s eldest, Rundunica, 24, who has come back to live at home after a divorce. “I did go to school until the 9th grade. I wanted to study to be a psychologist. Unfortunately, it’s not custom for girls to leave to go to Nisporeni or Chisinau to study. So then at 17 I got married” she says. As well as the barriers of early marriage, it is common for the oldest child of Roma families to remain outside education in order to support younger siblings. Rundunica now helps her mother and sometimes assists Renata with her homework “I like that she attends school everyday, she learns very well. I wanted to be the one, to be the best in school, but I could not. I’m very proud of her”.
At Vulcănești school, Renata, 14 (left), is in Romanian language class. “I don’t speak Romanian very well so I like to go to class to learn” she explains. For children from Roma-speaking homes, learning Moldova’s official language is key to a successful education. UNICEF and Youth Resource Centre DACIA’s Promotion of increased participation of Roma Children in Education project, initiated with an identification phase: “Teachers and local authorities went from home to home to identify the children in age of going to school and the reasons why they were not attending” says UNICEF Moldova Education Specialist Liudmila Lefter.
Renata and her friend Sofia, both 14, in Romanian language class, are being taught by Ms Zbîrnea at Vulcanesti school. School absenteeism is a key barrier to education in Roma communities where many parents migrate abroad for short term work in construction and mining. Renata tells us: “Many of my colleagues do go abroad [...] They go for a month, others go for a year, then come back”. Her own family went away to seek refugee status in Germany but had to come back after a month and a half. Out of school for that period it took extra effort for Renata and her teachers to catch up on the school curriculum.
Renata, 14, takes a group selfie with her friends in front of Vulcănești school. Of their ambitions upon completing the secondary curriculum, Renata says “One of the girls wants to go to the same course as me to become a hairstylist. Another one of my classmates would like to be a police officer”. Through their Promotion of increased participation of Roma Children in Education project, UNICEF and DACIA, who specialise on employment issues for young people, are keen to see students move forward into further education or professional schools to gain a qualification. In Roma communities where many parents have to migrate abroad for short-term and undeclared work, it is key for the younger generation to become included in Moldova’s job market.
