Current Activities – November 2011

In the course of November 2011 Secretariat for Social Care continued with the activities drafted in the Action Plan.

Meetings with the representatives of all five new settlements were held on a regular basis. Regular visits were conducted as well as talks with displaced persons in order to help them solve current issues and gather valid documents required for signing of contracts for usage of mobile housing units.

Regarding the relocation of informal settlement at Blok 61, the representatives of the Secretariat attended the meeting at Human and Minority Rights Bureau on which occasion final lists were made of families that the City of Belgrade and Commissioner for Refugees are in charge of. They also participated in consultations of Roma families from Blok 61 with NGOs. In the second half of November lists were made of the families from Blok 61 who are registered as residents of Belgrade.

In all five settlements residents were given hygiene packages. In settlements where hygiene was found not to be satisfactory lectures on hygiene will be given again and packages will be distributed (from Pharmalogist donation).

By the second half of the month adult literacy course was completed for Roma at new settlements. At the beginning of December tests were organized by professors from the Faculty of Philology and representatives of citizens’ association Civil Initiatives, as well as Belgrade University students who had carried out this literacy course.

Apart from these regular activities, the representatives of the Secretariat have organized winter clothes charity activity for elementary school children.

Numerous sports activities and workshops have been organized. In November children attended volleyball training course, visited the Anti Terrorist Unit with Serbian Police Department, attended break dance workshop given by Recognize Crew dance group and the talented got the opportunity to attend break dance school free of charge. The children also participated at the drawing contest Princesses and Heroes, organized by Belgrade Arena. The ones who participated at children’s poetry reading got books as presents, while the most talented were picked out to participate at the children’s show organized by the Secretariat.