The next attempt of integration

After discussion, the Vilnius City Government Council has approved the program for the integration of the Roma community (in Porubanek) for the period 2015-2019.

Within the next four years, the city government sets itself the goal to stop the expansion of drug addiction in the Roma community and its surroundings, aim at safe neighborhood, perfect the education system and non-formal education of Roma children, ensure easier access to medical services, improve living conditions, reduce social inequality.

One of the major problems in the Roma community is illiteracy. It is extremely important for Roma children to attend school and to be educated non-formally afterwards, for this reason the government has planned to render transport services to Roma children. According to calculations, this will require around 110 000 euro within the next four years. In regard to Roma children who will not attend the day care center or will attend it rarely, the actions of “street pedagogy” will be applied. Social workers – psychologists will talk to children and the youth in their meeting points, provide individual, social assistance and take care of their education. 50 children are planned to be worked with. 80 000 euro is to be spent for this goal within the next four years.

In the program considerable attention has been paid to the accessibility of medical, social and aid services. Informative brochures on the possibility to receive services in medical facilities even without carrying social insurance will be distributed in the Naujininkai clinic and in the Social Center of the Roma community.

As part of the realization of the program, the Roma community development will be monitored. In cooperation with the State Inspection of Territorial Planning and Construction, there are plans to prevent erecting new buildings, while the illegal buildings will be demolished.

The program also lays down actions designed to help to stop the drug distribution network in the territory of the Roma community: four monitoring cameras will be installed. 50 000 euro has already been spent on their purchase and another 150 000 euro is to be spent on their control organization: the experts of the capital Department of Public Order will get a car and together with police officers will attempt not to allow cab drivers, who illegally supply the Roma community drug addicts.

The realization of the entire program will require over 722 000 euro, including 574 000 euro from the government budget.

According to the 2011 census, there are around 2100 Romani people in Lithuania.

“Tygodnik Wileńszczyzny”