Provadiya
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Provadia Municipality is located in northeastern Bulgaria in the western part of Varna District. Provadia Municipality is part of the 12 municipalities of Varna region and its area of 573.60 sq. km ranks first among the twelve municipalities of the district, which is 13.61% of the district. The municipality unites 25 settlements, one of which town (Provadia) and 24 villages.
The economy of the municipality consist from companies working in the field of trade, followed by the share of agriculture, processing industry, hotels and restaurants.
The ROMACT Process
ROMACT Process started in May 2021 with the signature of the Letter of Agreement.
The Taskforce for Roma inclusion was created following Mayor's approval in November 2021.
The Municipal Action Plan for Roma inclusion was adopted by the Local Council in June 2022.
The Municipality benefited from ROMACT expertise to apply for the following project:
* Strengthening the municipal capacity - Funded by HRD Program 21-27 - Budget 55 079 € - Status: under evaluation
The expertise provided by ROMACT for municipalities involves training and guidance on preparing project proposals and implementing inclusive policies aimed at improving the living conditions and social integration of vulnerable populations, including the Roma.
Trainings
ROMACT experts have provided the following training and coaching sessions since the start of implementing the programme:
For the local authorities:
* Including priorities and measures for Roma communities in the Integrated stratedies for territorial development
* Participation in a public consultation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan of Bulgaria
* Consultation on the preparation of the Municipal Action Plan on Roma Integration
ROMACT Small Grants Scheme
ROMACT offers small grants scheme to support the efforts of the municipalities and Community Action Groups to respond together to the needs of the most vulnerable and to multiply the good practices across ROMACT municipalities.
Under the scheme of small grants, the following project was supported by ROMACT between February 2022 - May 2022:
A beam of light for children – Provodiya Municipality
ROMACT supported the municipality with 2112 €, reaching 22 children from vulnerable families with extremely dire financial situation in the villages of Bozveliysko, Manastir and Zhitnitsa. The project targeted to cover the basic clothing needs of children for winter and reaching out to their families to inform them about social benefits and job opportunities provided by the Labour Bureau and Social Aid Department. The children received protective winter jackets, clothing and boots which boosted their morale and confidence. Their mothers attended meetings to learn about procedures to apply for jobs and social benefits.