Almeria learns that supporting small steps; led by the Roma community; can have big impact

The School of Mothers emerged within the Municipal Nursery School Los Almendros, in the neighbourhood of "Los Almendros", Almeria, where the population is 100% Roma. The neighbourhood has serious problems of unemployment, school dropout rates and marginality. In 1986, a group of mothers decided to undertake this project, supported by the staff of the local school, with the idea of creating a meeting place for Roma women from the neighborhood to receive training and feel empowered through the development of their self-confidence. At that time, nobody could imagine how this school would have power to influence and be a role model for the neighbourhood and the entire city. Currently, the school has been working for 28 years in order to integrate and empower Roma women, to reduce truancy, to train Roma women in matters such as education and health, and to promote the acquisition of social skills that enhance self-esteem. The result of this joint working between the school and the local women emerged in 2010 with the Mothers Association “Camelamos Naquerar" which means “We want to talk”. The Association was borne due to the mothers themselves: asking for training and the opportunity to carry out initiatives to improve the neighbourhood. It was in this spirit that in 2014, they mobilized all the neighbours and promoted an environmental project to improve the state of the streets of the neighbourhood. Especially, the street that leads to the school, in order to help to reduce truancy. They said “We wanted a more attractive path to school for our children in order to encourage them to go”. Moreover, during the 2013-2014 school year, they went a step further and launched a formal training course. Many Roma women wanted to have the opportunity to obtain a certificate of secondary education. To do so, the women of the Mothers Association contacted a Professor from the Department of Education of the Regional Government of Andalusia and started all the necessary procedures to be able to have classes every morning. This way, Roma women from “Los Almendros“ could attend classes while their children were at school, enabling them to develop their own education and become role models for the children. Within the Roma-NeT II Delivery Pilot , the Municipality of Almeria worked, through the Municipal School, with “Camelamos Naquerar” allowing their staff and providing means and resources to support their initiatives. Now, through because of the project, representatives of the association had the opportunity to present their project to the Roma-Net project partners and collaborate with the City for future actions. The Municipality of Almeria and Roma-NeT II has now funded some scholarships for the training course. With the experience of the School of Mothers, and later the Association “Camelamos Naquerar”, in Almeria we learnt that the best practice for inclusion is the empowerment of the Roma community, to have their own voice and actions. As a result, thanks to this experience, we know that small projects can have great results and the big results come from small beginnings.