According to the Mayor of Carei, Jenő Kovács, education and jobs are needed for the integration of the Roma, so the municipality is developing more than six million in initiatives to help the local Roma community in closing the gap.
The municipality builds housing and social centres, but it also focuses on education and employment. The municipality has been providing meals for Roma children for many years, and after school-programs are organised by social workers. As part of a recently won project, the school building will be renovated and a sports hall will be added.
According to the mayor, as a result of the measures, more and more children are completing primary school and enrolling in vocational schools.
School buses are expected to be purchased to reduce early school leaving. In addition to these measures, they are also planning to buy 78 houses, where young families can apply to live. In addition to the apartments, there will be a social centre with laundry, communal area and kitchen.
The mayor added that he did not want to take away the Roma identity, but to promote coexistence.