Project environment:

The project will take place in Palencia (83,000 inhabitants). Palencia is a Spanish city in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León, at the Centre-North of Spain.

Castilla y Leon is the biggest region in Spain with 92,000 km2. It's capital city is Valladolid (350,000 inhabitants), near Palencia (50 kms.). The region has a low population density (2,500,000 inhabitants). Climate: continental Mediterranean climate, with long, cold Winter and mild, short Summer. This is the result of its location, in the interior of the country, surrounded by mountains and with most of its land at an altitude of 800 metres.

Palencia and its region are very important for the constitution and development of Spain since the Middle Ages. This includes a large historical and cultural heritage (origin of Spanish language, Romanic Art, the Jacob's Way,...), as well as cities like Salamanca (university city), Segovia (with a Roman aqueduct), Avila (with its wall), Burgos and Leon, with their impressive Gothic cathedrals,... as a sample.

Traditional economy basis: agriculture. The changes of the past centruty have lead to loss of the social and economic importance of the region, with decreasing demographic rates due to the migrations to other industrial areas and to the capital cities.
This is the general situation of the whole region, also of Palencia. The rural areas are full of small towns (with between 20 and 3,000 inhabitants) suffering decrease of population, are getting old and youth live with scarce resources.

The city of Palencia is an administrative and service capital, with some important industries, such as Renault, with low demographic growth and offering services in its environment. It is well communicated with Madrid (90 min.) and the north of Spain by high speed train and road. International airport in Valladolid, 50 kms. away. It also has enough museums, libraries, exhibition halls,... and a cultural and leisure programme throughout the year.
Total population of the province (8,000 km2): 173,000 inhabitants. Romani population: 1,508 people (1.85%).
This is a young population which grows quickly. 54.77% is aged under 25, and only 3.91% is older than 60 years.
During the past decades the quality of life of the Romanies has improved due to their access to the systems for social protection, health, education and housing.
Nevertheless, FSG works paying special attention to some fields:
-Prejudices and stereotypes against Romanies.
-Housing problems.
The past years have brought a lot of advances in this sense, as in 2009 the last shanty dwelling was eliminated. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of problems in this field, such as reluctance to rent flats to Romani families, overcrowded flats, flats in bad a situation,... The Romani community is still living in situations of special inequality and and disadvantage.
-The poverty and risk of social exclusion of part of our community.
-Employment and vocational training.
Many Romani people still have a lot of difficulties to find a job or vocational training. This is one of the main reasons for inequality and social exclusion. The decline of their traditional activities, such as peddling or gathering scrap, together with their lack of qualifications have lead to their expulsion from the working market. An educational advance, in general, and vocational training, in particular, are necessary for the members of the community.
For this reason, we want to continue advancing with the same criteria, enabling the coordination and development of the areas for women, education, employment and youth.

SPECIFIC AIMS:

Fields:
Youth:
" Bring the young Romanies in Palencia near FSG as a resource and way for their active participation.
" Plan social participation and leisure activities making them play important roles and feel as citizens.
" Training of specific groups with determined needs.
" Monitoring for the prevention/detection of future needs.
" Carry out cultural and leisure programmes: "Past and current Romanies"
Women:
" Programmes and actions for the promotion of the health of the Romani community, especially women.
" Raising awareness about the gender roles among Romanies and the stereotypes as a minority.
" Programme "Schools for the personal and professional development with Romani women" in the frame of the regional government's programmes.

Education:

Actions among primary and secondary Romani students:
" Actions towards the normalisation of the education (school assistance, habits and routines, challenges,...)
" School support programmes.

Health:
" Information about nutrition and quality of life and prevention of harmful habits.
" Actions using sport and games (basketball, five-to-five football,...)
" Importance of the workshops for Romani women.
.
Volunteers will participate in the educational, youth activities carried out, always be supported by the staff members.

Volunteers will live in a flat in Palencia, together with other youth, preferable other EVS volunteers. FSG is in charge of the hosting and lodging management and costs of volunteers.

Proposed activities for EVS volunteers

What we can offer to volunteers in terms of service and learning opportunities.

The organisation will provide volunteers with all needed training and knowledge to participate in our field of work. They will participate in training actions for volunteering. Volunteers have all our resources at their disposal.

Volunteers will receive language training throughout the project: starting with 3 h/week and decreasing to 1h/week. Training will be provided by qualified staff of FSG and complemented by Spanish classes given by educational entities in Palencia (secondary school and folk's university).

Role of EVS volunteers in the host organisation:

We want them to provide an added value to our daily activities; we would like a young, European and intercultural contribution.
Volunteers will participate in all actions carried out by FSG, guided by the professionals of the organisation, who will constantly be responsible for the volunteers.

We want volunteers to provide a personal project, compatible with the activities of FSG. We pretend to have a mutual enrichment and enable youth to develop their personality and creativity.


Activities in which the volunteers may participate and activities they can create in the organisation:
-School support with primary and secondary students (Programme "Promociona")
Since the school year 2004-05, we carry out school support for primary Romani students with special learning needs. A teacher helps them with their homework, reviews class material and tries to improve reading and writing skills of those needing it, at the same time as they improve their creative abilities in different workshops. Main aim: help children to improve their education supporting school and so favour their social and educational normalisation, promoting monitoring.

Creative workshops with youth.
Aim: promotion of mental, creative and affective development, as well as the development of values and basic social habits. To manage it, we carry out workshops consisting in manual activities and games, like puppets, pencils and t-shirts workshops, gymkhanas, newspaper workshop,... These take place Mondays and Wednesdays, 2 hours/day

Literacy of youth and adults.
Aim: improve reading and writing skills of adults, especially of gipsy youth and women. Levels according to public are established in order to organise the most suitable activities for them. A teacher in FSG is responsible for these classes. They are carried out in groups and the final aim is to take part in the free exams to obtain the primary school graduation.

Computer classes through the Youth Information Service (recognised by the regional government).
This is a project for the promotion of social inclusion for everybody using new technologies as a tool. We provide education in the new technologies. An entertainer is in charge of this course. This is part of the actions for youth and women.

-Entertainment and leisure activities with Roma young people (trips, training actions, sports, music, etc.).
Occasionally, we carry out other activities through our Youth Information Centre: trips, cultural, music, training activities,... in which volunteers may participate. Examples of activities we have already carried out: courses about associations, conference about the Romani culture, trip to the mountains of Palencia, among other.
Support the Programme to fight discrimination "Programme Acceder"

This will serve as training for volunteers. They will support with accompaniment, welcome and guidance at the employment service.

Proposed participation time of volunteers:
35 h/week Monday to Thursday, from 9 to 14h. and 16 to 18:30 hours; Fridays, from 9 to 14 h. This time-table will be adapted to the activities, respecting the agreed hours of participation; free time: 2.5 days/week.

Profile of the volunteer(s) and selection process:

Any European youth interested in working with and for Romanies.

Any organisation. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to work with organisations working with projects with Romani communities. We will give priority to serious organisations, aware of the importance of our project.

Number of volunteers hosted:

2