RROMA attended the MTV SAF training in London

RROMA was part of the training organized by the MTV Staying Alive Foundation in London. Facilitators of this training were the cool Gents and Ladies from Restless Development. We are really thankful for their sessions and time.

The Participants

The participants of this training were from Bangladesh, Poland, Russia, Pakistan, India, Egypt and of course Macedonia.

We had the opportunity to learn and share our experience on Organizational planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Financial Management, Fundraising and Partnerships, Media and Marketing.

It was great to recap and learn something new about M&E tools, development of log frames, data-flow diagrams etc. Also, to get to know your donor and prepare yourself ahead.

We had the chance to watch a documentary called "Me, myself and HIV", as SAF grantees were the first to have a look at it. Some quote from the documentary "If you are positive, be positive, If you are negative, don't be negative!"

The last evening before our departure we attended a Reception in honor of all SAF grantees. At this reception we met SAF staff members, as well board members and donors. We had the chance to talk to all of them.

We left London with a lot of new experience and new friendships. We are glad to have met all of the wonderful people there.

The most important thing that we learn from the training ... planning, planning and always plan ahead.

Mustafa Jakupov, Sara Piot, Daniela Janevska

RROMA creative methods and campaigning training

From the 8-th until the 10-th of October, RROMA was having a training in Prilep about creative methods and campaigning. The youth had the chance to learn about campaigning, why campaign and how, and also to practice campaigning.

Their creativity was challenged by RROMA's team through various exercises as for example to create a logo for their awareness campaign by using only 10 coins, a piece of paper, their mobile phone and a pen.

The youth had a lot of fun and through fun and learning, we manage to create a logo, our creative actions for our campaign, to create our first video footages for our campaign videos and our campaign materials.

Starting from the 1-st of December 2010 (World Aids Day) you will have a chance to see and be part of the RROMA actions. Enjoy in some of the photos! ;)

RROMA youth working on youth programs

The 1-st and 2-nd October were very important dates for the RROMA youth. It was the weekend were they learn about Program development and how to create their own programs and presenting them in front of their local self-governments.

The workshop was held in the hotel Cresevo Topce in Probistip. The youth had the opportunity to learn what a program is, analyze the problems, making their log-frame and in the end merge everything in one document.

At representatives from the municipalities of Kratovo and Probistip were also presented and help the youth by giving the advices from the aspect of working the local self-governments.

What is a program and what is not a program?

The programs that were created from this workshop are going to be proceed and presented to the local self-governments and councils in order to vote for the acceptance by this institutions, so the youth can have support to realize their ideas stated in these papers.

Analyzing their needs and presenting their problem tree

Researching the Roma communities ...

In the frame of the MTV SAF project, RROMA's coordinators collected data on HIV awareness in the municipalities of Kratovo, Probistip, Kocani, Veles Berovo and Vinica. All these communities are situated in the North-east region of Macedonia. Since, there was no data before, RROMA started to assess the knowledge in this region and to create the necessary data itself by doing a survey. 600 surveys have been printed out and given to Miki, Merlin and Bilent to proceed them. Each of them did 200 surveys.

This method helps RROMA to create a data, which has been not created before and up-date it on regular basis by having the RROMA youth doing researches, surveys, questionnaires etc.

Miki Mitevski, Merlin Jakupova, Bilent Kundevski

Coordinators of the MTV SAF project

We are collecting data in order to present it to the officials in order having them to react and prevent before it is too late. In this way, we are also promoting Roma youth as agents of change.

All the surveys have been returned to the RROMA office and data-processing has started. We will keep you up-dated with the findings of the research.

GOOD NEWS!!! MTV SAF approval!!!

As some of you already know, RROMA was preparing an application for the MTV Staying Alive Foundation (SAF). The whole idea came from the youth, who thought that is about time we break the taboo and stigma that this community have regarding certain topics as sexual intercourse and diseases and start to address a serious issue concerning the health of the people. The issue was AIDS, the HIV virus and STD.

We found out on the internet about the MTV SAF application and sent out a resume of 300 words, just to check out our luck and see if these people would be interested to hear about a small Roma NGO from Macedonia and their idea. The people from SAF liked it and sent us a whole application form, which meant that we were in the second round for their award. After sending out the application we got notified that we are in the third and final round, before getting approved, so we had a interview via phone with MTV SAF and on the 27 of May we got notified that our project got approved.

This means RROMA will work one year under the logo of MTV SAF on an awareness campaign regarding AIDS, HIV and STD.

As you know RROMA's vision is Roma youth to become promoters of positive values. This is more than positive :)) this is great. Because for the first time a NGO from Macedonia got an award from MTV and the NGO itself is a Roma NGO. This project gives Roma youth the opportunity to be leaders of a change and to break the stigma and taboo not only for them selves, but also for the others around them. Roma youth will have a leading position and the chance to be assertive and leave the shadows of "passiveness" behind.

Link

RROMA sharing their experience on youth and information

RROMA's president was invited from the local youth club "Young Initiatives of Kratovo" to share the experience regarding youth and information, but also youth inclusion in problem solving that concerns this target group.On this event, which was held in the Municipality of Kratovo, were also present young people from around the town and local NGO representatives.

Beside RROMA, on this public debate, another speaker was the editor of the local Newspaper "Aberdzija", Oliver Arsovski, who explained to the youth how important it is to be informed.

The president of RROMA continues saying that it is important to be informed as a young individuals, but only having the information and not acting on behalf of it, leads to have a passive youth. The youth needs to be assertive according to him.

It was a very interesting event and we hope that the youth from Kratovo will act and become more assertive regarding problems that concern them as young individuals.

RROMA service

On the 24-th of May 2010, RROMA had their meeting with the youth, were a program for their service was created.

The RROMA service is group of young Roma leaders who are doing non-formal education of their peers. The aim is the young Roma that will attend this meetings of non-formal education to become active citizens, but also the vision is those young individuals to become active members of RROMA.

The service will be an after-school activity during school year in five Municipalities, using the active members of RROMA to teach their peers when the school years starts. The topics will be various including human rights, minorities rights, lobby and advocacy, but also daily school problems that bother the youth.

We looking forward to have you there :)