Forum Roma Serbia has been working for years against the precarious living situation of Roma in Serbia and aims above all at expanding access to education for Roma children in order to create perspectives and strengthen the social participation of the minority. The children often fall out of the Serbian school system simply because of their language. The closure of schools and online classes during the pandemic have exacerbated the situation. With funding from the International Relief Fund 2020 of the Goethe-Institut, the German Foreign Office and other foundations and cultural intermediary organisations, Forum Roma was able to maintain teaching for various Roma settlements in Bor, Novi Sad and Požarevac.
The project under the title “Education for All” has been implemented in Bor, Novi Sad and Požarevac since September and runs until the end of the year, for the duration of the International Relief Fund 2020. The aim is to support socially disadvantaged children in coping with the school programme. This was prompted by problems schools had to deal with during the current pandemic. At least 40 children in each of the three cities are to be supported through the project activities. Active support is planned for all school children, with a focus on children of primary school age.