An estimated 40,000 people from the Roma minority live in substandard conditions in Italy; around 9,000 live in Rome, many in fenced camps located far from basic facilities such as health, education or play spaces. This case study shares promising practices and lessons learnt from a project to promote the inclusion of Roma families with young children in Rome, carried out by Associazione 21 Luglio and ABCittà between 2012 and 2015. It is also available in Italian below.
Being a woman and being Roma, I wasn’t ONLY an example to the women but mostly I represented an example for the younger children. My presence was an input, I think it was a stimulus for them to say: ‘I also have a tomorrow and I can be somebody’.
(Roma facilitator)
This publication is part of a collection on the empowerment and support of young Roma families, produced together with the International Step by Step Association (ISSA).
This collection compiles key findings on Roma inclusion in the context of early childhood development.