The Government hopes that the success of the Kadarkút-Nagybajom microregion social inclusion programme, which received European Union funding of some 600 million forints (EUR 1.9 million) and was aimed at helping disadvantaged children, should mean that further EU funding should be forthcoming for the continuation of this and similar programmes, Minister of State for Social Affairs and Inclusion Károly Czibere said at a press conference on Wednesday in Kadarkút, South Transdanubia.
The project runs from March 2013 to February 2015 and the results so far are very promising, Mr. Czibere said. Mayor of Kadarkút József Karsai (FIDESZ-KDNP) said that certain elements of the Programme should continue beyond the project schedule, and this requires further funding.
The project is a complex inclusion initiative for mostly Roma children living in the region, with the participation of the state, municipalities, churches and NGOs. It includes three “Safe Start” houses, a community centre, a learning centre and ten meeting points for the young.
Roma organisations especially praised the initiative for its depth and complexity. Hungarian Maltese Charity Service mentor Csilla Pandur said such programmes should not be restricted to showing children what life could be like, but must run for an extended period of eight to twenty years to have a real impact.