Instead of the traditional cultural events staged on the occasion of the International Romani Day marked on April 8, representatives of the ethnic group ask for a meeting with Prime Minister Pavel Filip. In a news conference at IPN, Marin Alla, secretary general of the Coalition “Voice of the Roma”, said the last time representatives of the Roma met with the Premier on April 8, 2015 and the promises made at that meeting weren’t delivered.
According to Marin Alla, since 2015 the problems of the Romanies have been unchanged or even worsened. The delay in creating a governmental body on the problems of the Roma makes this ethnic group to be vulnerable.
Ion Duminica, executive director of the Chisinau-based association “Porojan”, said only the initiative to employ community mediators in Roma communities is more or less implemented. Currently, there are 24 community mediators and 24 more such mediators are to be employed this year only as the necessary money was allocated only now. As regards the commitment to offer 150 social dwellings for the Roma, this was made the task of the local authorities, which announced that they do not have money for such measures.
Silvia Feraru, head of the community association “Langa noi” of Carpineni, Hancesti, stated that among the serious problems faced by the Roma are the low level of education, lack of training seminars and employment, low salaries and employment without work contracts.
Tudora Loghin, head of the Cimislia-based association “Andrei Brudaru”, noted that migration reached a climax among the Romanies who go abroad to look for better living conditions. “We thought that if we go towards the EU, life will improve, but the changes here, in Moldova, are few in number,” she said.
Elena Sarbu, head of the Platform of Romani Women “Romni”, stated that 80% of the Roma do not have a health policy. Most of the Romani women during pregnancy are not under medical supervision. There are also stereotypes related to the Romani women and some of the doctors refuse to examine them. Owing to the poorly developed infrastructure, in most of the cases the ambulances do not reach the Roma communities. To see a doctor, the Romanies have to walk several kilometers to reach a medical center in another village.
The census of 2014 showed that the Roma represent 0.3% of Moldova’s population, but the Coalition “Voice of din the Roma” said the number of Romanies is much higher and comes to 150,000. According to Valeriu Caldararu, director of the National Association of Community Mediators, the authorities intentionally decrease the number of Romanies in order to avoid dealing with the problems faced by these.
