Case study no. & title:
202. A program to improve the living conditions of the Roma community, Nowy Sącz, Poland (2000-2003)

Keywords

2. Author information:
2.1 Author’s Name
Joanna Wawrzyniak

2.2 Institutional Affiliation and Contact Details:
Warsaw University, Institute of Sociology (PhD student)
contact address:
ul. Sierpecka 6/32
01-592 Warszawa
Poland

E-mail: kochanowiczjoanna@wp.poczta.pl

2.3 Date recorded
6/01/2001

3. Good Practice Information Sheet
3.1 Local Level Good Practice:
The appointment of a plenipotentiary for Romani Affairs to improve the living conditions and educational levels of the Roma community.

3.2 Location:
The city of Nowy Sącz (southern Poland).

3.3 Minority/Target Groups:
The community of 600 Carpathian Roma living in Nowy Sącz.

3.4 Major Actors Involved

3.5 Budget allocated by local government authorities and/or by other actors
The expensive part of the initiative is the program designed by the plenipotentiary. The budget has as yet been only estimated for the next three years. The total sum expected for the period 2001-2003 is around 8 million PLN, of which around 20%, i.e. 1.5 million PLN, is from the local budget (see below for details). It is important to mention that the total amounts devoted to specific parts of the project are to be discussed with all participating bodies each year. It means that they can withdraw their funding or offer less that the authors of the project would expect. Therefore, the estimates given are more of a bargaining basis.

3.6 Timeframe
The idea was conceived in 1999, as the result of the co-operation of the city of Nowy Sącz with Europejski Instytut na Rzecz Demokracji [European Institute for Democracy], sponsored by the British fund Know How. The plenipotentiary was officially appointed at the beginning of 2000, and immediately started to work on the program. The project has already been designed, and discussed with the City Council (responsible for the city’s budget). The details of the project have been worked out for the next three years (up to 2003), but the plenipotentiary and his collaborators are strongly committed toward the long-term extension of the program.

3.7 Local level good practice relation to national level ethnic policy
The local government plays the key role as far as the implementation of the project is concerned. There are no tensions with the national government as far as the design of the project is concerned, however there are difficulties in obtaining – the already promised – financial support of the government.

4. Good Practice Description
Target group: Roma in Poland are divided among four main groups, differentiated by their history, tradition and dialect: Polska Roma [Polish Roma], Bergitka Roma – otherwise known as Romowie Karpaccy [Carpathian Roma] or Cyganie Wyżynni [Upland Gypsies], Keldarari, and Lovari. The policy described here is targeted at the second group: Carpathian Roma. As far as the language is concerned, the Carpathian Roma belong to the same group which also comprises the Roma who have been living in the Carphatian Mountains on the Slovak and Ukrainian side for many years. After the Second World War, this group, as other Roma in Poland, was subjected to the state campaign aimed at transferring Roma to permanent residence and at making them economically productive. The policy was not very successful. At the moment, the Carpathian Roma, especially in the region of Nowy Sącz, are destitute and live at the margins of society. They constitute the poorest group among all Roma living nowadays in Poland.

The city of Nowy Sącz is home to around 84,000 inhabitants, of whom about 600 are Carpathian Roma. More than 90% of the Roma adults have not finished primary education. A significant proportion is illiterate, and hardly know the Polish language. The rate of unemployment among them is almost 100% (less than 5% of Romani adults are in permanent employment). At the beginning of the 1990s special classes were created for Romani children in two primary schools in Nowy Sącz. Compared to their Polish peers, these children have so many difficulties with learning that they usually do not complete primary education. In addition, many of them attend school on an irregular basis. It also happens that the Romani children, because of the language barrier, are referred to schools for the mentally retarded. Communication with the Romani pupils is made more difficult by teachers often not being familiar with the Romani culture and customs.

The living condition of the majority of Romani families do not meet minimum standards, including problems with decent accommodation, hygiene and nutrition. A significant proportion of the families live in huts, or old train wagons, often without plumbing and running water. The poverty results in the lack of the right to health insurance, so their access to primary and secondary medical treatment is limited. The number of people living on a square meter often exceeds all sanitary norms. Most of adults have already lost their right to the unemployment benefit. Although some of them receive small pensions or disability payments (a positive side effect of obligatory employment under the communist regime), the majority is on social welfare. This kind of financial aid cannot lessen their extreme poverty. Pathologies of all sorts - such as alcoholism, unwanted teenage pregnancies, hereditary or infectious diseases, and mental or physical handicaps - are common.

Background
The local practice – the appointment of the City’s Plenipotentiary for Romani Affairs – is related to two initiatives launched in 1999/2000 by two different bodies. The first one was the so-called "Roma Project" an initiative of Europejski Instytut na Rzecz Demokracji [European Institute for Democracy], sponsored by the British fund Know How. The aim of the Project was to promote a dialogue between local authorities and Roma living in southern Poland, in the region of Tarnów and Nowy Sącz. The second was an official promise made by Międzyresortowy Zespół ds. Mniejszości Narodowych [Inter-Ministerial Committee for Ethnic Minorities] to create a program of assistance for Roma in southern Poland.
The city of Nowy Sącz is generally poor, struggling against a high rate of unemployment (at the moment: 13.6%), and would not be willing to bear all the expenses of launching an extensive program aiming at improving the living conditions of its Romani inhabitants. Moreover, as the region is inhabited mostly by Polish voters, the City’s representatives need to show concern for the needs of the ethnic majority. Nevertheless, when the City Council received the support of the two external initiatives, it decided to appoint its plenipotentiary for the Romani affairs at the beginning of April 2000.

The local practice
At the moment, the main task of the local plenipotentiary for the Romani affairs is to work out and co-ordinate the complex program aimed at improving living conditions of Roma. The plenipotentiary (a Pole) works part-time and collaborates on a daily basis with a Roma representative. A significant part of the already designed project was discussed with the representative, various members of the Roma community in Nowy Sącz, and other bodies, such as NGOs and national government representatives.

The designers of the project took two main sources of finance into consideration. The first is funding from the local budget directly devoted to specific parts of the project. The other is co-payment made by other bodies, like the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Ethnic Minorities, or Ministry of Education, Employment Office, etc. The latter bodies’ contributions are usually higher. Devoting substantial resources from the local budget to benefit a group that makes up less than 1% of the city inhabitants (i.e. the Roma) might not meet with the approval of the ethnic majority. Therefore, the less money that is allocated to the program from the local budget, the less chance there will be of arousing hostility. Nevertheless, the local government is willing to participate with the sum of around 0.5 million PLN each year. The local authorities are also assuming responsibility for the program’s implementation. Detailed costs are estimated for the period of 2001-2003. However, it must be pointed out that total amounts devoted for each specific part of the project are to be discussed with all participating bodies each year. It means that they can withdraw their funding or offer less that the authors of the project are expecting. Yet, the undoubted strength of the project is the very fact that it was designed in detail, therefore it constitutes a good basis for bargaining. There are parts of the program that the project designers are very committed to (such as creating preparatory classes for the Romani children – see below) and other areas where they are open to discussion (such as therapy). The intended components of the project are as follows:

Education: Education is seen as the crucial factor in improving living conditions of the Romani population in the future. The educational part of the project contains the following elements:

Nurseries: There is no obligation to provide nurseries in Poland, and although part of the associated expenses are usually covered by local governments, co-payments are required from parents wishing for their child to attend a nursery. As the project recognises the importance of early socialisation for Romani children, it anticipates covering the necessary expenses for poor Romani families. In the years 2001-2003, the total costs of nursery co-payments are estimated to be around 311,000 PLN, from which 63,000 are to be covered from the local budget. The rest is to be paid by the already mentioned national government assistance program, including the Ministry of Education.

Preparatory forms for Romani children: In Poland, the compulsory primary education starts at the age of seven, however, from the age of six, children may attend the so-called "0" (preparatory) forms. Creating and financing of the special "0" classes for Romani children is a crucial part of the whole project. The program of these classes is to be designed in such a way that it would be possible to abolish the separation of Romani and Polish children at the level of primary education at some future date. The program of "0" classes will first of all include intensive socialisation to Polish culture, and intensive courses in the Polish language. According to the project, there is a possibility of extending the "0" level tuition (normally one year) should this prove necessary. The resources devoted to program in the period 2001-2003 are estimated to be in the region of 95,000 PLN (19,500 from the local budget).

Primary and secondary education: The primary education part of the project includes the hiring of special assistants of Romani origin who will provide help to regular teachers. One of their responsibilities will be to persuade the parents to send their children to school. Another element is the financing of additional, compensatory classes for the Romani children with learning difficulties. 2001-2003 costs are estimated to be in the region of 414,000 PLN (82,500 PLN from the local budget).

Summer and winter camps: Financing of Romani children’s stay at various camps organised by schools or other bodies. 2001-2003 costs: 225,000 PLN (45,000 PLN from the local budget).

Material aid for Roma pupils: Exercise books, and if possible writing materials, schoolbags, etc. Also, according to the plenipotentiary, a significant proportion of the children are in urgent need of shoes (around 90%), and of winter clothes. 2001-2003 costs: 450,000 PLN (90,000 PLN from the local budget).

Education for adults: One class for illiterate adults with the stress on individual learning. Possibility of obtaining the certificate of completion of primary education. 2001-2003 costs: 78,000 PLN (15,000 PLN from the local budget). At the moment there are only around 10 adults willing to attend the class.

Afternoon classes and therapy: An initiative by a local NGO. Afternoon extra-curricula classes (art, dances, etc), organised by professionals, and including the help of a therapist and a psychologist. 2001-2003 costs: 106,000 PLN (25,000 from the local budget).

"A Home of Support" ["Dom Wspierania Inicjatyw"]: An initiative by a local NGO. A program that is supposed to protect adults and children from families where there are problems with alcoholism, violence, etc. The help of specialists would be involved. 2001-2003 costs: 280,000 PLN (56,000 from the local budget). Not very likely to be established in the near future.

Supplementary nutrition for Romani pupils: This measure is already functioning. In the year 2000 a rule was established that a child loses the right for a free meal on a day that he or she is absent from school. 2001-2003 costs: around 601,000 PLN (120,000 from the local budget).

Combating unemployment. Plans exist to create a firm that would employ Roma. This is not likely to be established in the nearest future. The estimated 2001-2003 costs are 1,400,000 PLN (550,000 from the local budget).

Health initiatives. Appointment of a nurse: According to the plenipotentiary, employing a nurse who would work solely with the Roma is an extremely important task. She would notice diseases that are disregarded within the community. She would be responsible for vaccinations (currently, the Roma are rarely vaccinated against infectious diseases). She would also have educational duties, e.g. in relation to female teenagers who are likely to get pregnant. The estimated costs for 2001-2003 are 90,000 PLN (18,000 from the local budget), however it is already obvious that the local budget will bear a higher proportion of the costs than expected (at least in first year), because the other bodies are not willing to participate at the moment. It is likely that this position will be created at the expense of other parts of the program.

Measures against jaundice: Estimated costs for 2001-2003: around 71,000 PLN (14,000 PLN from the local budget). This is not very likely to be established, but there is a possibility that a national program will be run for the whole country.

Lectures on health matters. Estimated costs for 2001-2003: 3,600 PLN (750 PLN from the local budget). Not very likely to be established in the near future.

Anti-pest activities: Estimated costs for 2001-2003: around 55,000 PLN (around 11,000 PLN from the local budget). The activities are very important, because rats and insects are responsible for spreading of infectious diseases. In the plenipotentiary’s opinion, the city would very soon profit at fighting them.

Living conditions. Flat renovation: This part of the program is already being realised but on a very small scale. The estimated costs for 2001-2003 are 450,000 PLN (90,000 from the local budget).

New flats: The estimated costs for 2001-2003 are 2,700,000 PLN (540,000 from the local budget). Estimations were made according to need (30-40 families are in urgent need of decent accommodation), rather than the financial abilities of the participating parties. It will probably only be possible to realise a small part of this objective.

Additional social benefits: In addition to statutory welfare benefits the project postulates other ones, e.g. for clothes, coal, medications. The estimated costs for 2001-2003 are 720,000 PLN (144,000 from the local budget).

Additional staff member in the communal welfare centre: The estimated costs for 2001-2003 are around 79,000 PLN (15,000 from the local budget). It is already known that this will not be established in the near future.

Cultural activities. Extra-curriculum art education for children: This part of the program is the responsibility of the city cultural centre. In addition to the regular centre employees, a teacher of Romani origin is to be in charge of the program. The program should include an afternoon meal, because at the moment it is the best incentive for the Romani children to participate in the extra activities. The estimated costs for 2001-2003 are around 147,000 PLN (30,000 from the local budget).

Folk art, dance and music festivals: Not very likely to be established, because of the lack of resources and local specialists. The estimated costs for 2001-2003 are around 51,000 PLN (10,500 from the local budget).

Sport competitions: Not very likely to be established, because of the lack of resources and local specialists. The estimated costs for 2001-2003 are around 36,000 PLN (7,200 from the local budget).

Knowledge about the Roma community. The estimated costs of the position of the local plenipotentiary are 39,600 PLN for 2001-2003 (7,800 from the local budget).

Mobile Office to Give Free Civic Advice: NGO initiative. There are ten resident offices in Poland with their headquarters in Warsaw. The initiative is to create a mobile office for the Roma in the region of Nowy Sącz. Three employees would be hired, one as a resident employer with the access to office, library, and computers, and two others (of Romani origin) would travel among the Roma, gather information about all sort of their problems (e.g. legal or family problems), and offer advice. The difficulty is with finding a relevant NGO in the region of Nowy Sącz who could take the responsibility. There are also tensions between the Roma (regarding potential employees), as the Romani organisations are divided and in conflict. The estimated costs for 2001-2003 are 134,400 PLN (26,000 from the local budget).

Album on the Romani inhabitants of Nowy Sącz: To be published in the first year. Estimated costs 11,000 PLN (2,200 PLN from the local budget).

Creating a Romani sector in the local museum: Ethnographers would like to create an open-air Romani exposition in the local ethnographical museum. The estimated costs for 2001-2002 are 80,000 PLN (16,000 from the local budget).

Concluding remarks
The program of supplying this complex package of aid to the Roma of Nowy Sącz is urgent, because the community lives in extreme conditions. The project designed by the local plenipotentiary and his collaborators is oriented to the future, carefully prepared, and designed in detail. It is, however, difficult to implement because of the relatively large expenses that it requires, and also because of the ethnic tensions between the Poles and the Roma, and tensions between the Roma themselves. Costs were estimated on the basis of need, rather than the financial abilities of the participating parties, and some elements of the project have already been abandoned. The authors of the project are aware of the difficulties, but they see no other way of decreasing the poverty among the Roma population, and the very negative effects this has on the children in particular. In this author’s opinion, the greatest strength of the program is the very fact of appointing the local plenipotentiary for Romani affairs, as before the representation of the Roma minority has been virtually non-existent in the City Council. The long-run success of the project depends on the commitment of the key agents and sponsors.

Main sources of information:
Information obtained directly from the City’s Plenipotentiary for Romani Affairs; National Ombudsman’s Office report on protection of ethnic minorities’ rights; Ethnic Minorities & Ethnic Majority: sociological studies of ethnic relations in Poland, ed. Szczepański, M. 1997. Katowice: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego.