On the outskirts of Cluj-Napoca, near the landfill in the Pata Rât area (now closed), more than 400 disadvantaged families have been living in poor conditions for decades. Composed mostly of Roma people, the community faces multiple social, economic and housing problems, being isolated from the rest of society. The main challenge of the project “Replicable integrated interventions for inclusive housing and combating marginalization in the Cluj Metropolitan Area” was precisely the reduction of these inequalities and the provision of decent living conditions to the residents of Pata Rât.

The project addressed more than 1,200 children, young people and adults from the community, to improve their lives by implementing educational, social and medical measures adapted to their specific needs. Thus, a Community Social Center was established and licensed, managed by the Cluj-Napoca Social and Medical Assistance Directorate, partner in the project. The center offered social and psychological counseling, support for schooling through mentoring, and organized cultural activities – all subsumed under the objective of preventing and reducing school dropouts. The medical component included free consultations for more than 350 people and the provision of baby kits, each worth around €500. In addition, more than 30 children were registered on the lists of family doctors.

The project also benefited from the collaboration of Norwegian experts from Bergen City Hall, who contributed to the development of recommendations for revising local public policies regarding social housing, the exchange of experience being facilitated through meetings, training sessions and workshops organized both in Romania and in Norway.

One of the remarkable successes of the project was the relocation of 73 families, totaling 342 vulnerable people, in new homes, purchased through the project both in Cluj-Napoca and in the neighboring towns – Apahida, Baciu, Florești and Gilău. Each home was equipped with appliances and the necessary furniture, the relocated families paying a monthly rent of only 150 lei.

The project created a replicable intervention methodology for the relocation and inclusion of low-income families, presented as an example of good practice at the World Family Summit 2022, held in Geneva. Here, the initiators highlighted the efforts to ensure decent living conditions and reduce extreme poverty in the Roma community of Pata Rât, underlining the fact that they managed to change the lives of the most vulnerable members of the community for the better, giving them a chance to a better and more dignified life.

The limited access of children from disadvantaged backgrounds to social, educational and medical services often leads to poorly treated health problems, low school performance and social exclusion. Furthermore, the absence of social support can leave their families unable to cope with daily challenges, amplifying stress and economic instability.

Initiated by UNICEF Romania, the “Romania for every child. Ensuring social inclusion” project aimed to address this issue by developing a network of integrated community centers, each designed as a safe and welcoming space where children and their families can receive guidance, medical support, education and lots of encouragement.

Once established through the project, the community centers in Bacău, Brașov, Moinești, Colonești and Corbasca soon became indispensable. For example, at the Integrated Community Center in Corbasca, vulnerable children participate in psychological and physical therapy sessions or in educational activities such as dental hygiene workshops and health education courses. “Currently, there are around 120 children who come regularly for therapy. They have various psychological disorders, from autism spectrum disorders, to emotional and behavioral disorders. We can understand the difficulties that both children and their parents face”, explains Marina Balcan, a psychologist at the center.

Thanks to the project, at least 6,400 children and vulnerable people in 16 local communities had access to basic and specialized services, provided by community teams made up of social workers, community nurses and school counsellors, complemented by doctors, speech and language therapists, psychologists and physiotherapists, according to needs.

At the same time, the project promoted the active participation of children in the decision-making process, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In Bacău, Brașov and Moinești, consultative structures for children were established and preliminary local action plans were developed, which were integrated into the local budgets for the year 2023.

The project created a sustainable model of social and educational inclusion, demonstrating the power of positive change through community partnerships and collaboration.