Health equity and access to education have changed the lives of Roma communities in Bacău County

People in the community received unconditional medical care.

In the villages of Buda, Șippote and Poiana Negustorului in Blăgești commune, as well as in the Șupan neighborhood of Comănești, lack of education, poor health conditions and social discrimination have governed the lifestyle of the community.

The "Equity for health, equity for a better life!" project has made a significant contribution to ensuring real and sustainable inclusion. The Bacău branch of the National Red Cross Society, together with the Municipality of Blăgești, the Municipality of Comănești and the European Roma Association for Progress and Intercultural Promotion, in collaboration with the County Council and the Prefect`s Institution of Bacău County, have laid the foundations for this collective effort, which aimed to reduce poverty and include Roma people in the community.

The reality and the needs of the community have imposed a change structured on the existential pillars of a life of opportunity for all: adequate access to education, health and hygiene services, and the elimination of discrimination in the doctor-patient relationship, which affects access to services and opportunities.

Red Cross ambulances with state-of-the-art equipment were used for medical assessment of people in the community.

Supported by the EEA Grants 2014-2021 through the programme "Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Roma Inclusion", implemented by the Romanian Fund for Social Development, the project is an eloquent example of good practice, bringing concrete benefits to the local community and positive and sustainable changes by reducing social and economic disparities and improving the quality of life in marginalized communities.
"We started this project in response to pressing needs in disadvantaged communities in our county. We believe that it is very important to respond to these needs for access to health services with concrete actions", explained Dan-Marcel Babliuc, Director of the Bacău Red Cross.

Dan Marcel Babliuc explained the need for the project.

Over the course of the project, more than 120 Roma participated in social-supportive and legal counseling sessions, helping to improve access to services and rights. With a focus on health education and promoting the active participation of Roma in decision-making and anti-discrimination, the project has brought a number of innovations and tangible changes.
540 adults and 865 pupils, of which 440 were Roma, received care and training on health education, hygiene and first aid to better manage their health.
"This project has meant a big change for the better for me. I received access to treatment, medical tests and check-ups, and learned how to take the medicine and insulin I need, correctly. In addition, I received personal hygiene and cleaning products and learned how to lead a healthy life", said one of the beneficiaries from Bacău county.

Young Roma became members of the Red Cross Bacău

The first aid workshops became a meeting place where Roma women, together with their children, learned how to respond in emergency situations through an education and prevention program.
200 elderly and 50 chronically ill people had access to home medical consultations as well as free dental services.
"My greatest personal satisfaction is that we are able to reach vulnerable citizens who are unable to travel to provide them with health monitoring services. We have been able to take a step forward for the better for them. I think that the smile that the elderly with physical disabilities give us at every visit is the biggest satisfaction for me", said Mr. Costel Sălbaticu, Red Cross Ambulance Doctor.
By training 40 young Roma people as volunteers of the Red Cross Bacău, the project promoted integration and solidarity in the community, offering them opportunities for involvement and personal development. This created a chain of sustainable community support and mutual understanding through a process of social inclusion.
„I know very well the Roma community in Comănești and I wanted to get involved in this project from the moment I saw how well the proposed activities fit the needs of vulnerable citizens here. I was very happy to see the community`s response to the first aid courses, how they got involved in the team of volunteers and the fact that they wanted to help others," said Carmen Banu, Local Coordinator, Comănești City Hall, Bacău County.

Roma community was given access to vital information for a better life.

Almost three million lei for disadvantaged communities in Bacău County from EEA Grants

"Equity for Health, Equity for a Better Life - Roma Inclusion" remains an example of good practice and collaboration, and with its completion, leaves behind new possibilities for raising the standard of living for all those who have not had access to education and equal rights in terms of integration into society. Through education, innovation and solidarity, this project has brought hope into the lives of the marginalized, demonstrating the power of social transformation.

"The most powerful impact was educating the community on hygiene. We had around 900 children attending our meetings. Both they and the adults familiarized themselves with the consultation procedure, the equipment we use during health check-ups, our ambulances and understood the importance of regular health check-ups for each of them. I believe that it was possible to reduce the feeling of fear towards medical staff and routine procedures", said Dan-Marcel Babliuc, Director of the Red Cross Bacău.

"The real benefits created by this project for the community are numerous in my opinion. Here, I am referring to the house medical consultations, the educational sessions carried out with adults and children, those on dental hygiene, the legal advice to the vulnerable population in Bacău County, first aid workshops and more", described Mr. Costel Sălbaticu, Red Cross Ambulance Doctor, the main actions with direct impact in the community.

The results of the program "Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Roma Inclusion" are also remarkable. More than 15,000 people from disadvantaged groups have benefited from personalized social services and 8,000 Roma have had access to integrated educational services. In addition, 7,000 children and teens at risk of dropping out of school benefited from specific support services and 3,500 public administration staff were trained in good governance principles

The EEA and Norway Grants are the contribution of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway to reducing economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area and to strengthening bilateral relations with the 15 beneficiary countries in Eastern and Southern Europe and the Baltic States. These funding mechanisms are established on the basis of the European Economic Area Agreement, which brings together the EU Member States and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as equal partners in the internal market. In total, the three countries have contributed 3.3 billion euro between 1994 and 2014 and 2.8 billion euro for the 2014-2021 financing period.

Further details can be found: www.eeagrants.ro and www.eeagrants.org.