Ioana: ‘I stand up for Roma children’s right to education’ 

Ioana is the Co-founder and Director of ASA Association, an implementing partner of Dorcas. ASA Association aims to fight poverty and exclusion and to develop communities in Romania, especially Roma communities.

Ioana: ‘For many Roma, the cycle of prejudice and exclusion starts when they are young. Roma children experience social marginalisation and segregation from the outset of their educational journey.’

‘We fight for Roma children’s right to a proper education. We want to ensure these kids get the same quality of education as kids from more privileged backgrounds. Obstacles that many Roma children face, such as a lack of appropriate clothes for school, poor personal hygiene, unhealthy eating habits, or an imbalanced family dynamic, should not limit their access to such education.’

‘In partnership with Dorcas Romania, we implement a complex programme that meets the needs of children and their parents. First and foremost, we want to educate adults about the importance of education for their children because Roma children are more likely to attend school if their parents are supportive. The children in our programmes don’t just go to school. We also involve them in after-school activities, summer camps, and special events where they learn life and social skills. Finally, we address the issue of social exclusion at a community level by involving mayors, school administrators, doctors, and social workers in our programme and by organising public events.’

‘Our love for these children motivates us to keep going. We’ve seen the first Roma children complete elementary school and head on to high school. Every Roma child has the right to a proper education and the opportunities this offers in life.’   

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘢𝘴’ 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘯. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦. Human Rights: Contributing to a just society – Dorcas

08 April 2024