Tirana, 19 March 2014– 13 children have been registered in the kindergartens of Tirana, Elbasan and Gjirokastra this March thanks to the intervention of the programme “Every Roma Child in the Kindergarten”. The programme, which started its implementation in October 2013, focuses on building equal opportunities for the integration of every child median the cooperation and collaboration of the civil society with public institutions.
“We were left without school, I just hope my children won’t suffer that” said Miranda in the conversation with the Director of “Gjergj Fishta” while the small boy was being introduced to his educator.
The UNICEF and CRCA Albania initiative “Every Roma child in the kindergarten” supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Austrian Cooperation for Development, aims to establish and support local networks in early childhood issues and the integration of Roma children in preschool. This intervention aims in the interaction of the civil society and a close collaboration of the later with the social services, social workers by the Municipalities and Communes, Regional Education Directorates and other institutions that offer care and protection for children.
In the framework of this initiative, CRCA Albania is involved in four districts of Albania: Tirana, Korca, Elbasan and Gjirokastra. It is currently working in 19 municipalities and 100 communes, which according to the 2011 UNICEF study comprise a Roma population of 5608 and 397 children aged 3-6 years. According to this study, the total population of Roma is approximately 14 thousand people of whom 1,079 aged 3-6 years.
During this month, thanks to the collaboration and good coordination among the state institutions, civil society and the key actors of the Roma community, it has been possible to integrate 6 children in the “Bregu i Lumit” kindergarten at the mini-municipality Nr. 11 of Tirana, a child in the prep class of “Gjergj Fishta” primary school, 3 children at the kindergarten No. 5 of Gjirokastra and 3 children in the kindergartens of the city of Elbasan.
Altin Hazizaj, Director of CRCA Albania said: “The readiness and collaboration of the main institutions that directly affect the wellbeing and education of children has been very good. The rapid interaction of CRCA coordinators with Medical Centre’s, Civil Registration Offices, Regional Education Directorates and Directors of kindergartens has made possible the integration of 13 children to pre-school education during the first weeks of March.”
For more information, please contact:
Mersila Ballo
HRH, CRCA Albania
Cel: 0694060392
E-mail: mersila.ballo@crca.al