Latcho Dives 2.0: Support for Roma/Romnja survivors and their descendants
© Viktor Chovka
© Viktor Chovka
Survivors of the genocide against the Roma/Romnja are particularly hard hit by the consequences of Russia’s attack on Ukraine – a war that is in violation of international law. In their day-to-day lives, the very elderly suffer great poverty, as well as being subjected to displacement and re-traumatization. In addition to providing vital humanitarian aid, the program Latcho Dives 2.0 gives them access to medical, legal and social services.
Through this program, the Foundation also promotes projects which benefit future generations, as well as supporting self-organizations that seek to improve the social participation of Roma/Romnja, raise the visibility of their history and culture, and/or further develop their own collective. The two program clusters are also aimed at Roma/Romnja self-organizations based in the Republic of Moldova.
1. They suffer less material hardship, their health is stable, they have access to and use social, medical and/or cultural services.
2. Genocide survivors take part in the social life of the community and feel valued.
3. Roma/Romnja participate as equal citizens of the society in which they live. They stand up for their rights, combat antigypsyism and strengthen the resilience of their communities.
4. Roma/Romnja are familiar with their own history and that of their persecution. They keep alive memories of the victims of the National Socialist genocide.
5. Roma/Romnja organizations are functionally effective; they are recognized both within their own communities and in their surrounding region. They develop strategies to respond to current and future challenges.
© Serhij Chichak
The project supports survivors, including internally displaced persons in Uzhhorod and the surrounding area (Transcarpathia, western Ukraine), so as to ensure that even in wartime circumstances they enjoy material stability, health resilience and social well-being. At the same time, the Romani structures are strengthened and the participation of communities in the region is improved.
34 Roma/Romnja survivors in Uzhhorod and the surrounding area receive humanitarian goods, their homes are repaired, and they regularly take part in community life. 32 young Roma/Romnja in the region are provided with training in the area of rights, activism and leadership and are also engaged in the project. A regional working group consisting of Romani stakeholders and representatives of municipal structures addresses the problems of local communities and participates in the implementation of the national Roma/Romnja strategy. The project partner collaborates with Roma/Romnja activists as well as with municipalities, authorities and NGOs in mainstream society.
Supporting survivors of National Socialism is one of the EVZ Foundation’s key tasks. The war in Ukraine has made this social and political mission even more urgent. Based on its longstanding experience, the project partner is familiar with the target group’s problems and knows how to alleviate them. It is equally important to build a new generation of activists within the Roma/Romnja community. The organization’s multifaceted partnerships enhance resilience and boost the standing of the Roma/Romnja in the region who are actively engaged in the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Project partner: NGO “Society of the Roma/Romnja of Transcarpathia”
Funding period: 2024-2026
Funding amount: EUR 74,900
Funding country: Ukraine
Website: -
© Nina Cușnir
An additional effect of Russia’s war against Ukraine has been to worsen the humanitarian situation of Roma/Romnja genocide survivors in the neighboring Republic of Moldova. What is more, discrimination of the entire minority has increased, and their plight has worsened. The project seeks to improve survivors’ living conditions in four Moldovan cities and contribute to greater empathy on the part of mainstream society.
50 survivors of the Roma/Romnja genocide in Basarabeasca, Cimișlia, Rîșcani and Soroca (southern and northern Moldova) receive food, hygiene products and coal, which is delivered to their homes. Volunteers support them in the household and in receiving state benefits. Students at the film school are making a documentary film about the Roma/Romnja genocide in Moldova featuring interviews with project beneficiaries and commentaries by Romani historians. This film will subsequently be shown at regional administrations and schools throughout the country and published online. In several villages where Roma/Romnja live alongside the majority population, a researcher from the community will give talks on Roma/Romnja history and culture in Moldova. Also, the project partner will provide project implementation training for the employees of a local self-organization which lacks experience.
There are virtually no other Romani self-organizations in the Republic of Moldova that, like Tarna Rom, have demonstrated a longstanding commitment to helping survivors of National Socialism within the community. The development of a self-organization that is not yet active based on a learning-by-doing approach contributes to the expansion of civil society structures. The memories of the last survivors of the National Socialist genocide against the Roma/Romnja in Moldova are to be documented for future generations, and the Romani view of their history and culture is to be communicated to the public at large. Greater knowledge will promote increased empathy and tolerance for the Roma/Romnja in society.
Project partner: Association of young Roma/Romnja “Tarna Rom”
Funding period: 2024-2025
Funding amount: EUR 59,900
Funding country: Republic of Moldova
Website: -
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Senior Project Manager
Tel.: +49 (0)30 25 92 97-47
E-Mail: valtchuk@stiftung-evz.de
![[Translate to Englisch:] Engagierte halten eine Flagge der Rom:nja](/assets/_processed_/9/b/csm_Gesellschaft_Roma_Transkarpatien_fd0a969e45.webp)
![[Translate to Englisch:] Engagierte beraten sich während eines Workshops](/assets/_processed_/7/9/csm_Tarna_Rom_97d51b17aa.webp)
