Local authorities have taken responsibility for improving the living conditions of the Roma community in Kichevo. This initiative was developed to contribute to improving the housing conditions of Roma families living in the “Prilepska” settlement. As a result, 30 Roma families have been provided with adequate housing, ensuring their right to life, freedom, and personal security.
“All that we earned, working all winter and summer for a refrigerator, the river would come and take it away. Laminates, stoves, washing machines, everything is lost. Every year, we throw them away. We are grateful for these houses you have given us because living in Prilepska was unbearable. Thank you from all of us for the beautiful houses and the beautiful life we will now live in this place. You’ve saved us from the floods. We used to save small children from the flood, running at night, women and men pulling them to safety. We are very grateful. The houses are beautiful, and there is no other way to express our gratitude,” say the residents of the new residential buildings near Ivani Dol in Kichevo.
“The program encompasses a coherent and comprehensive approach, which combines activities carried out in several phases: first, the design and construction of the housing, followed by the selection of the most vulnerable families and their transferring process in their new houses. The approach targets low-income Roma families, as they are exposed to the greatest risk, living in substandard conditions, with the aim of addressing their right to life, freedom, and personal security,” stated Talija Petreska from the Center for Civic Initiative Prilep.
“I want to thank the EU because our municipality was able to implement one of the programs through which 30 Roma families have received housing in dignified houses, where all the living conditions have been met. All of this was accomplished in partnership with the Association Center for Civic Initiative Prilep, which deserves praise for the successful realization of this project,” said Fatmir Dehari, Mayor of Kichevo.
This pilot program can be replicated in other municipalities through the established public-private partnerships and support from institutions, including the relevant ministries.
