Romano Missio in English
Romano Missio is a national child welfare and social service organization. It also produces Christian and educational services for the Romany (Gipsy) people. Romano Missio cooperates with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, united Christians, municipalities, state and Romany organizations. Romano Missio is the oldest national Romany organization, established in the year 1906.
Child welfare
We maintain large children’s home what is located in the Southern part of Finland in Hämeenkoski.
Social services
We help Roma people by counselling in housing, employment, educational and social issues in order to develope the life conditions of Romany people.
Christian ministries
We offer Church services in Romany language. The liturgy, hymns and sermon are all held in Romans. The very first Romany Church service was held in 1995 in Marias’ Lutheran Church in Turku. The archbishop John Wikström held the ceremony which was translated to Romans. Other Christian activities are summer camps, meetings, Bible studies in Romans, etc. according the needs of the Roma people.
Education
We support the Romany children and adolescent’s opportunities to vocational education and to the better possibilities to succeed in the working life. We maintain a scholarship fund for young people who want to educate themselves.
Information services
We inform in Romany cultural and other issues in different educational institutes, schools, and local and state authorities.
We publish a Romany newspaper five times a year by name Romano Boodos, which in Romans means “Romany message”. The newspaper contains cultural, Christian and social issues.
Projects
We organize project working among Roma people in Finland. There are four projects going on at the moment. The family project helps and develops the services for young people and families. The other projects are Skoola ta kenti-schoolproject and a prevention project of displacing young Roma people. The project supports young people in their educational matters. EQUAL-employment project has started in cooperation with Jyväskylä town.
Financing
Our Child care welfare is funded by the local municipalities. The social, Christian and project services are funded by Lutheran Churches, RAY (Finnish Slot Machine Association), Social Affairs and Health Ministry and by private donations.
PROJECTS
Eväitä arkeen
– Roma family work project
Roma Family work project is funded by Stea and managed by Romano Missio. Operating time is 3,5 years and its operating area is Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo. The project employs four people from Roma backgrounds.
The aim of the project is to develop a family work model that best supports Roma families. The model is compiled in a manual that is distributed to operators in the field. Development work is done by doing family work in families and collecting information on the effects and results of the action.
The families that we work with have same problems as any other families: challenges in day-to-day management, in schooling for children, in parenting skills and also in substance abuse issues.
The aim of working is
– supporting parenthood
– supporting schooling
– strengthening the confidence of families in social services
– increasing Roma inclusion and equality and preventing exclusion
Through family work, we have been able to reduce the number of child protection announcements and and the need for children’s substitute care.
Terne Apre
– Nuorten vuoro -project (Youth`s turn) 2018-2021
TARGET GROUP
Young Roma people aged 13-29 in Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo.
Other target groups include authorities and other special youth workers, youth leaders, and the Roma community, with whom they work closely together.
WORKING METHODS
Youth are met where they spend time, for example, in shopping centers and in train stations.
Terne Apre organizes three small-groups per year for young Roma people, in which subjects and themes are based on the interest’s and needs of the participants. Each small group lasts about three months and are arranged in different places around Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo.
One part of the work is to train authorities, youth workers, polices and security to meet Roma children and in issues related to Roma culture.
AIM OF THE PROJECT
• Encountering, advising and helping the Roma youngsters on the streets.
• Increasing the inclusion of Roma youth in youth services.
• Prevention of harmful survival measures.
• Strengthening a positive Roma identity.
• Directing Roma youth into good hobbies and studying.
The project is funded by STEA.
The project is managed by Romano Missio Ry, the oldest Roma organization in Finland, founded in 1906.
Project manager: Mertsi Berg.
050 4646 525, mertsi.berg@romanomissio.fi
Youth-leader: Angelica Vironen.
050 5954 638, angelica.vironen@romanomissio.fi
Youth-leader: Jussi Ärling.
jussi.arling@romanomissio.fi
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