the miracles housing and education project
‘Roma’ The Poorest of The Poor is a painting by Theo Ellert representing the Romany families now being re-housed by Miracles Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The Roma Community in Bosnia are the Poorest of the Poor with no homes, no status and no rights.
MIRACLES is now taking them out of the hovels which served as home and building them proper houses with their own workshops and allotments. There is also a MIRACLES’ staffed Community Centre and a nearby school where their children can be educated and the whole family can build a future worth living.
To date MIRACLES has relocated six families from the Roma Community in Zenica who had been living in make-shift shelters, slums on the river banks and disused factory buildings.
These families have 26 children between them, for most of whom this is their first opportunity to have an education.
Working alongside the Zenica Municipality and Social Services, MIRACLES has formed a local committee to ensure the welfare and future of each family long term.
In anticipation of expansion MIRACLES now owns the land and has laid the foundations for a further six homes to be constructed as soon as the funding is in place …
But there are hundreds more families still waiting and hoping that MIRACLES will find a way to help them all.
MIRACLES HOUSING AND EDUCATION CENTRE—ZENICA, BiH
Ul. Bollinger Street bb, PUTOVICI, PEREN HAN, 72000 ZENICA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
The Miracles Housing and Education Project was officially opened in November 2008 thanks to the generous backing of Judith and William Bollinger.
After the Bollinger’s visit in July, Judy’s letter outlines their thoughts on the project:
“Bill and I are passionate about open access to education. We believe the gift of education is a life-long treasure that benefits not only the recipient but all of society. When we learned that the Roma children in Bosnia were denied access to education because they were unable to provide the authorities with permanent addresses, we wanted to see if we could help. We worked with Miracles to provide housing for six Roma. In exchange for the housing, the families must keep all of their children in school.
When we visited the families one year later, we were deeply moved by what we saw. There was 100% participation in school attendance. The houses were in immaculate condition – in fact, they were cleaner than my own house in London. The children were confident, energetic and quick-witted. They were thriving in their new routine – school instead of street begging.
After spending time with the families, we saw that these parents had the same aspirations for their children as we have for ours: they want their children to pursue their dreams and to have a higher quality of life. Although many outsiders regard the Roma as street people who will never fit into mainstream life, we discovered that when they are treated with respect and given opportunities to learn, they respond with enthusiasm.
Bill and I wish that every outreach project was as successful as the Miracles housing project in Bosnia. This is a project that dramatically improves the economic position of previously marginalised people.”
Miracles is deeply grateful to the Bollingers for their ongoing generosity and support.
Pictures include:-
One of the Roma children in front of the old barn which now houses the chicken farm funded by Marie-Antoinette Pereire when she visited the project in July. In the background is the Miracles’ Community Centre which is managed by Aida Saric who also supervises the pre-school children and helps the older ones with their studies, and Judy Bollinger with one of the younger residents of Bollinger Street, the name now given to the first row of houses.
The Miracles Roma Housing and Education Development Program
An overview by Project Director, James Burton.
The Miracles Combined Housing and Education Intervention Plan (CHE-IP) was devised to address inadequate education issues within the Roma community and to alleviate an immediate housing crisis in the city of Zenica where there are approx. 300 impoverished families with no long term housing solution.
Our aim is to provide secure long-term homes for Roma families developing the conditions and support networks that will allow them to assimilate into society with a rewarding and dignified livelihood and a proper education for their children.
The project is designed within a secure framework that will ensure each family has the opportunity to own their home (free of charge) after 10 years - under certain agreed conditions.
Over this 10 year period we aim to house and establish consistent education for approximately 50 Roma children. The long term beneficial effect this will have on their community as whole will be significant – from empowering them to raising their own expectations long term.
The Program currently comprises of six semi-detached houses alongside a comprehensive community centre, which is entirely at their disposal. The community centre administrator – employed by Miracles - is responsible for ensuring that each child’s long-term educational needs are met as well as helping develop the project to ensure community inclusion and success
The first six families moved in during the autumn of 2008 and were able to face the cold winter in brand new accommodation, fully furnished and with a good supply of winter fuel.
Each child has access to the local schools and with the help of the Miracles’ educational administrator they can receive dedicated long term additional educational support. Through the community centre, too, their parents can develop a voice within the community and help direct their children’s future.
MIRACLES NEEDS YOUR HELP TO CREATE A BETTER LIFE FOR THE ROMA CHILDREN OF ZENICA ...
Lack of money for clothing and books keeps up to 90% of Roma children from school and every day—and every night - whatever the weather, Roma children can be seen begging on the streets.
Roma children do not go to school in Bosnia-Herzegovina because poverty forces them to spend all their time collecting material for recycling and resale—or simply begging.
To make matters worse, non-Roma parents all too often object to having Roma children in the same class as their own children—and their voices are heard whilst Roma’s are not.
The Committee on Roma with the Bosnia Council of Ministers believes that there are two things that are making it hard for Roma children to attend school. The first is that cantonal education authorities have not kept their pledge to provide free text-books and school materials, while the second is that Roma parents are reluctant to send their children to school while living in cardboard shacks.
Exclusion from the education system contributes to the extremely high rate of unemployment among Roma in Bosnia. This makes their integration within society and economic consolidation particularly difficult. Developing social, housing and educational programs for Roma should be a priority in the effort to make the Roma national community full and active members of society.
Many of these children have never attended school before. They have spent their lives begging in the street—vulnerable, abused and forgotten. We are changing all that now but we urgently need your support to provide the essential basics such as school-books, writing materials, school clothing—and the occasional treat.
Every penny you commit will go directly towards the children’s welfare and ensure the long-term success of this vital project.
The Miracles Roma Project deserves your support. Please help us to help the poorest of the poor.
Part Two: Zenica
On Wednesday 2nd June we were up early and ate chocolate and crisps for breakfast, then we drove for a long time to the Roma Housing Estate where we met some children. We took left over cake and the children ate it and enoyed it too.
We gave them bags of Lego and Meccano and we played together making things. They were so happy to play with my toys.
I went outside with some children and we fed branches to the sheep. Mummy and Daddy looked round two of the houses and saw the concrete bases for another lot of houses when Miracles can afford them.
On the way back to Mostar we saw some children by the side of the road looking hungry so Mummy gave them some crisps to cheer them up.
We had alovely time in Bosnia and I look forward to returning there one day.
Max Bean, that's me with my thumbs up!