Model programmes such as those operating in the South Heves sub-region are proof that the Government’s social inclusion policy is correct, because it achieves results, stated Minister of State for Social Affairs and Inclusion Károly Czibere from the Ministry of Human Resources declared in Heves on Wednesday.

Károly Czibere was briefed on ongoing projects within the region and on the state of the city and the surrounding settlements, and he held talks in the local Roma Community House and at the local community centre. He said that week after week he visited sub-regions whose programmes were worth drawing the public’s attention to. “It is an important message for society that there is hope, opportunity and a solution”, he pointed out, adding that “when we talk about extreme poverty and Roma inclusion, many people shrug their shoulders saying the situation is hopeless, and it is almost impossible to make tangible progress”.

For this reason, the Minister of State regards as important the promotion of particularly important model programmes such as those operating in the South Heves sub-region, which raise awareness of the fact that “if we gain a closer view of these experiments, they will convince sceptics that the Government’s inclusion policy is correct, because it achieves tangible results”.

Mr. Czibere emphasised that there is an extremely diverse and efficient set of models available in the Southern Heves sub-region, as 26 programme elements help create inclusion chances for children in need living in extreme poverty.

Balázsné Bene, professional director of the sub-regional “Children’s Chance” programme, said that at the moment there are three parallel inclusion projects that are being implemented entirely with EU and state funding in the city of Heves and the surrounding area at a cost of some one billion forints (EUR 3.2 million). In addition to the so-called Komplex settlement programme and a project aimed at eliminating extreme poverty, the Children’s Chance programme, which helps children escape extreme poverty, is the most significant social inclusion programme operating in the settlement, she pointed out. The latter, 571 million forint (EUR 1.8 million) series of measures was launched in 2010 and will close in late September of this year, comprises almost all fields of everyday life from education, sports and carrier orientation to healthcare, and is aimed at improving the daily lives of children in need.

She also pointed out that one third of the 35 thousand residents of the sub region’s 17 settlements are of Roma origin, while according to surveys 70% of schoolchildren in the area are Roma. This is why initiatives that create opportunities for Roma children are extremely important, and they would like to find a way of continuing the programme together with the State Secretariat for Social Affairs and Inclusion, she said.

(Ministry of Human Resources)