1 Januar – 31 December, 2020
Maribor

Since 2012, the Association EPEKA, Soc. Ent., has been active in the field of social entrepreneurship. We are mostly active in the field of inclusion of Roma in the social entrepreneurship and then on in the labour market, because they have been excluded for a while and mostly recipients of social financial support.

When we have established the first Roma restaurant Romani kafenava, we found out that it’s an absolute necessity to prepare for the entrepreneurship initiative by training staff for work and carrying out of different tasks.

In the project Social Entrepreneurship for Roma our role will be to:

  • include 10 people from vulnerable groups in mentoring schemes
  • employ 1 person from vulnerable target group to promote social entrepreneurship
  • establish two new social-entrepreneurship initiatives in the Western cohesive region

The first intiative is regional in the field of experience tourism i. e. Roma glamping aka Roma Camp, that will offer the passersby in the Styria region a chance to experience a Roma way of life right by the motorway: sleeping underneath the stars, dancing, cooking and experience culinary wonders by the open fire, accompanied by the Roma music. It goes without saying, that we there will be no modern technology i. e. smartphones!

The second initiative is pan-European: establishment of European Capital of Roma, where one city will be named a European Capital of Roma. Roma are the most numerous European minority or rather a stateless nation. Because Roma live in all the countries of the EU, they deserve such a title. In selected city, various activities will be held, tying together everything from cultural and art interventions of artists of Roma and representatives of major population, educational, activities such as awareness raising and other workshops, sport events, structured dialogues between NGO’s, decision makers and general public that will promote and establish social-entrepreneurship initiatives etc. Indubitably, both initiatives continue our successful work in the field of inclusion of Roma ethnic minority and labour market while at the same time disseminating European consciousness and becoming good practices of inclusion on the EU level.

Given the suitable mentoring scheme, these models could certainly develop conducting business on the already established social entrepreneurship and inclusion of Roma in social-entrepreneurial initiatives. By expanding connections, we will upgrade the existing business model, we will be able to provide mentoring scheme in the areas that the existent enterprise needs (in the area of marketing, promotion, establishment of new articles or enrichment of offer in the field of foreign languages) and add new knowledges such as material and intangible herritage, development of turist products, social innovation etc.

Intention of the operation Social Entrepreneurship for Roma is one hand to ensure mentoring schemes to educate people, already employed in the social entrepreneurship, with additional competences; on the other hand, to give training to 10 people who are currently excluded from the labour market and are recipients of social financial support. With mentors and participants, we will also prepare business model for two social-entrepreneurship initiatives. The goal is to reach at least one employment after the project for a members of Roma community. Successful realisation of project would, alongside greater social inclusion, employment and increase in knowledge among the members of Roma community etc. With positive projects we want to fight stereotypes, prejudices, racism, hate speech and similar negative situations of nowadays.

The project is supported by the European Social Fund and Ministry of Economic Development and Technology.

The Association EPEKA, Soc. Ent., is supported by: