Our Partners

Pučko otvoreno učilište Čakovec

Pučko otvoreno učilište Čakovec is a town’s institution for education. By its type, it is a public and non-profit institution. There are 4 permanently employed workers there that, on a daily basis, perform tasks in the areas of adult education and in the area of the school of languages. The focus of the activity is adult education and a lifelong teaching with currently over 90 different programs in progress in which there are involved, because of its complexity, hundreds external expert associates for particular programs in the areas of school employees for different professions, like, for example, veterinarian, doctor of agronomy, master of science of psychology, pedagogue, economist, engineer and so on. Programs are both verified and non-verified, intended for different target groups and individuals with the aim of raising the level of their general competence through the development of the key competences and with the special emphasis on their education and qualification for particular vocation with the regard for labor market. The education institution puts big emphasis on the constant research of the real needs and interests of the residents on the local and regional level with the aim of creating target programs that will allow for knowledge and skill acquisition required for easier employability, larger competitivity on the labor market and thereby, decrease in the level of unemployment.

The education institution has achieved partnership in formal and non-formal form through agreement of cooperation with partners on the local, regional and national level.

POU Čakovec has employees that possess skills and experience required for implementation of EU projects, but also has contracts with teachers for all kinds of programs.

The education institution has carried out many different EU projects, from which we single out Educross 2007. Educational institutions for lifelong learning Pučko otvoreno učilište Čakovec, as a carrier of the project and Pučko otvoreno učilište Varaždin, as project partner, have carried out project in pre-accession program Phare 2006, as part of the program INTERREG IIIA – Program for neighbourhood Slovenia-Hungary-Croatia 2004-2006, under the name EDU CROSS 2007- “Through Cross-border Education to Faster Development of Border Areas”. The goal of the project EDU CROSS 2007 was to organize free education programs for nine deficit professions which will enable development of human potential, better preparation for labor market and thus, provide larger economic competitiveness.

As a partner it is carrying out the project “Give Them a Chance!” (Erasmus, KA2) in co-operation with the leading partner LU Lendava, Zvezda Romov from Slovenia, association Uzor and association Amrita Obk. From Pécs, worth 118.645,00 €.

POU Čakovec is currently conducting a project co-financed from ESF fund under the name “Prvi sam izbor na tržištu rada – obrazovan, kompetentan i lako zapošljiv”, worth 1.264.035,45 €. There is a project currently being carried out under the name “ISKRA – ISKUSTVO KREATIVNIH AKTIVNOSTI” in cooperation with POU Zagreb (ESF) and the project “Istakni se, osvoji posao 2 (ESF)”, until March 2020, and the project Gastroturisteduca worth 1.992.994,63 Kuna, until the end of the April 2021. Expertise of the education institution is in the areas of the programs for vulnerable and marginalized groups, like the Romani people and other national minorities. In that context there are significant results achieved in the programs of adult primary education for the Romani people (over a 1000 Romani people included into the program of primary education and continued with the qualification for particular vocations). Innovation of the program in the domain of new knowledge and skills required for new vocations are in constant focus of the education institution’s agenda in the areas of adult education and lifelong learning. Education institution puts great emphasis on the adult education and research of the deficit vocations, and significant results have been achieved in cooperation with neighbouring countries. Education institution as an institution whose founder is the town of Čakovec, has a constant support, not only in programming area of adult education and lifelong learning, but also in the field of logistics. In that sense the institution possesses quality educational classrooms and other accompanying spaces for realization of all types of the activity. The institution is equipped with contemporary teaching tools and aids (three modern informatics practicums, specialized foreign language classrooms with interactive whiteboards) and other educational programs.

Ljudska univerza Lendava

Ljudska univerza Lendava is based on a high quality educational services with the aim of achieving the largest possible number of satisfied attendants of various programs of qualification and training. Vision: In future we want to highlight our role in the area of adult education in the region, primarily through native and foreign partners, with whom we participate in various projects and to spread current educational offer. Employers of KLU Lendava foster following values: quality, kindness, discipline, adaptability and professionalism.

LU Lendava follows novelties in the area of adult education in both formal and non-formal form. It carries out programs for lifelong learning. Therefore, attendants of the program gain knowledge within the following educational forms:

  • Education for knowledge gain
  • Vocational-technical education
  • Vocational training and qualification
  • Education in informatics
  • Retraining
  • General education

Under the aegis of RIC we conduct Hungarian language examination on the basic and higher level. Besides regular, they offer individual programs of studying foreign language.  In the school year of 2005/2006 Ljudska univerza Lendava has enrolled into the project POKI – Nudimo obrazovanje odraslih za odrasle, which is developed by Slovenian pedagogical school with the support of MES and ESS with the aim of improving adult education quality. Since the year of 2006 LU Lendava carries green badge POKI, which proves that all the employees regularly take care of quality education development in our public institution. Our quality depends on: satisfaction of those that study with us, our partners and employees; on broad range of educational programs for all generations in accordance with the guidelines of the Republic of Slovenia (LPIO) and the European Union, and according to the needs of local community and its residents;
-friendly relations towards each individual with the emphasis on the individual work;
-encouraging entrepreneurship and determination for good results;
-care for encouraging surroundings for the learning process;
-professionality and professionality of all the employees;
-connecting with all the strategically important partners.

LU Lendava has applied in the year of 2009 for the proposal for the project “Obrazovanje i osposobljavanje stručnih suradnika u obrazovanju odrasli 2009-2011“, sub-project “Osposobljavanje za samouevaluaciju o obrazovanju odraslih u okviru aktivnosti Osposobljavanje novih savjetnika za kvalitetu.”

In the year of 2011 we have joined the new project which continues to the quality in educating adults and thus become one of the members of the Consulting network for quality in adult education. It is a network in which there are currently 23 qualified consultants. The network is a bearer of the broad knowledge about quality and the center of searching for the approach for better adult education in their organizations, but at the same time the connection to the organizations in educating adults in searching answers to the questions like “What is quality adult education?”. The main purpose of the project is to prepare consultants for quality which will in partner organizations consult in the area of work for quality and stimulate the improvement. In its regular meeting, on 17th March 2008, Vijeće ljudske univerza Lendave has adopted the quality strategy or Povelju o kvaliteti Ljudske univerza Lendave which all the employees of Ljudska univerziteta Lendava want to follow and develop the quality of our public institute. We believe that we have to offer quality services from year to year so that we can concur on the current market. The assessment of quality is a complicated and long-lasting, but is still the best indicator of our progress and position on the market. Quality strategy is based on the constant care for quality work of all the employees in Lu Lendava. The main guideline of our behavior in planning and developing quality is successful achieving of developing goals of our institute. In Lu Lendava we have been conducting “Poseban program za romsku etničku skupinu” (PPERO). It is intended for the participants with unfinished or finished primary school or lower professional qualification that have been unemployed for a long time or have not been a part of some lifelong teaching or education.

University for Lifelong Learning Vanco Prke

University for Lifelong Learning ” Vanco Prke” is an institution for adult education.

The institution deals with the following activities:

  • primary adult education
  • secondary adult education in the area of mechanical engineering, auto mechanics and electronics
  • training for the skill and knowledge gain through non-formal education
  • training for conducting trainings for getting security clearances

The institution currently has 6 employed people, from which two are school professors, two  English teachers, one professor of history and geography, one German language professor and 45 external assistants (4 Macedonian language professors, one Biology and Chemistry professor, one Physics professor, two Mathematics professors, two professors of P.E., four English language professors, one French language professor, one Russian language professor, one Albanian language professor, one Music professor, one professor of Fine Arts, six Electronics professors and three informatics professors. In addition, we collaborate with three hairdresser teachers, one for male hairdressers, one for pedicure and manicure, one make-up artist, a beautician, a firefighter, a welder and a carpenter. We have 35 years of experience in working with Romani people in education, especially non-formal education on a national level. We have employees with expertise for educating for adult education activities, however, there is a need for an upgrade and strengthening the capacity of the employees:

Literacy program from 2000 to 2018 for 1235 Romani people that have finished the primary adult education.
Secondary education from 2015 to 2018 finished by 98 Romani’s.
Training for cutting and sewing from 2010 to 2018, finished by 272 students which all have jobs today.
Training for hairdressers from 2010 to 2018 – finished by 46 Romani people
Training for pedicure and manicure from 2010 to 2018 – finished by 21 candidate
Training for butchers from 2010 to 2018 – 4 candidates
Training for the cooks from 2010 to 2018, 8 candidates
Training for beauticians from 2010 to 2018 – 6 candidates
Training for welders from 2010 to 2018 – 14 candidates
Training for isolation construction for PVC joinery from 2010 to 2018 – 10 candidates
Training for bricklayers from 2010 to 2018 – 36 candidates;
Training for assemblers of dry construction from 2010 to 2018 – 14 candidates;
Training for facade from 2010 to 2018 – 14 candidates;
Training for forklift from 2010 to 2018 – 21 candidates

Association for the Romani minority development – “Preporod”

The association for the Romani minority development – “Preporod” is established in the small town Hudeje in November 2013 on the Romani congress. It was entered in registry in February 2014, meaning that it has been running for over a year now, and in the meantime, with its numerous activities on the local but also national level, it has confirmed its work acceptability. There are currently 17 organizations and individuals joined to the association with the aim of continuing the path and vision of their creation, which is built on the development of the Romani community in Slovenia. The association does not exclude its members, but tries to integrate their membership to their project suggestions within the partner organizations of the association. Mutual collaboration can use all the personnel and infrastructural resources for conducting all the activities. The president of the association is a longtime Romani councilor and one of the most active Romani’s, Darko Rudaš, who has been working on various projects in the past. There are other professionals collaborating who take care of professional execution of all the activities. Within its work, the association performs works and regular operations of the program Ureda za narodno manjino Vlade RS, and thus the association “Preporod” has become one of the most prominent Romani organization in the country. The coordinator of the project within the association “Preporod” is an expert project leader, who has, up to now, taken part in more than 15 European Union projects, which will enable professional execution of the activities. The association “Preporod” will be responsible, within its activities, for mutual connecting and contacting Romani associations and public institutions. That will also benefit the association itself, because it will broaden its network of partner organizations with which it takes part in accession, acquiring new activities, new skills in helping to solve problems in the Romani community. For the organization, it is important to gain the experiences in the execution of the international projects. “Preporod” still has not taken part in the international projects. It regularly takes part in the national competitions. Until now, we have conducted 8 projects regarding the financing the Romani cultural projects within The Ministry of Culture and three one-year projects within the Romani association programs financed by the Agency for nationalities, on ground of which the association has gained valuable knowledge and skills.

Uzor – Udruga za obrazovanje Roma

Udruga za obrazovanje Roma – “UZOR” is an association with the head office in the Romani village Orehovica. Until now, it has started several successful projects for working with children and young adults. It can prove its management capacity by numerous projects in which they have participated.

The activity of the Association according to the Statute:

  • education and advancing Romani people on the social level
  • protection of the standard and social status
  • connecting and cooperation with other associations in the area of Međimurje district, Croatia and in foreign countries
  • International cooperation
  • dissemination of intercultural education and care in various national areas
  • organization of cultural and sports activities with the emphasis on the integration of the Romani community itself with the majority of the population.

The head of the UZOR association has been employed in the Primary School Orehovica from 2001 and he took part as a mediator in the workshops regarding the inclusion of the adult Romani people from 2013 to 2015. The aim of the workshop is for adult Romani participants to start actively participating in the education of their children and to start encouraging and supporting them to finish their education. The member of the project team UZOR possesses quite an experience in participating in the implementing and assisting in execution of the projects co-financed by various EU fonds and has been actively participating in working in the area of protection of the minority rights for many years.

We participated in the following projects:

  1. Establishing of the cross-border cultural and tourist transversal: “Drom” and the development of the integral Romani cultural and tourist product (acronym ROKIC: “DROM”). The project lasted from July 2009 to March 2012. Orehovica district was the host, and Udruga za obrazovanje Roma ”Uzor” was the project partner. The project was financed by “Operativni program IPA Slovenija-Hrvatska 2007.-2013”. Both partners successfully conducted set activities, which were: presentation of the traditional Romani occupations, music and dances.
  2. The members of the association participated in the activities regarding the planning and realization of the construction of the utility infrastructure in the Romani small town Orehovica.
  3. Project: “Program zapošljavanja nacionalnih manjina Republike Hrvatske (2010.-2013.)” is a project to which the association “Uzor“ and Osnovna Škola Orehovica were project associates.
  4. Project: Erasmus+ (the initiatives and exchanges of the young adults) used the support of UNDP Croatia for education and mobilization of young activists.
  5. Project “Romski kotač na putu obrazovanja” – host OŠ Orehovica, and UZOR as a project partner. The purpose of the project is development of human resources, and integration of disadvantaged groups into the regular school system. The general aim of the project: promotion and creation of the equal opportunities in the approach to education for the disadvantaged groups through promotion of providing relevant services.

Specific aims of the project: Improve the school achievement and involvement of the Romani students in the extra-curricular activities and enhance the growth of multicultural environment in school and the small town Orehovica and implement ecology education. The execution of the project would last from 21st of August 2013 to 21st of February 2015.

  1. Project Gastrostart: Carrier of the project is Centar za socijalnu skrb Čakovec and partner are OŠ Orehovica and UZOR. The purpose of the project was to enable the access to the job market to the longtime unemployed people that are a part of the social care system. Eighteen out of twenty enrollees of the Romani national minority obtained the qualification program for the assistant cook. The general aim of the project is promotion of the social inclusion of the longtime unemployed users of the social welfare through the support of their entry to the job market. The specific aim of the project is to enhance the competitiveness of the users and prepare them for the entry to the job market through education and gaining new knowledge and skills for the assistant cook. Just like the users, there were longtime unemployed Romani national minority people involved in the project (20), which have finished primary school and are receiving some sort of longtime social welfare. There were 18 candidates who successfully finished it, out of which 13 were from the district Orehovica. The overall worth of the project was 148.184,57 euros, and the duration of the project was from 28th of November 2013 to 29th of November 2014.

The association UZOR was motivating the enrollees and had the employers during the project. We maintain that we played a key role in accomplishing this project.

Along with Pučko otvoreno učilište Korak po Korak from Zagreb we have established Reyn network on the national level whose aim is advocating the inclusion of children into the early school education and we participated as the members of the association in the execution of the project (IPA) “Kvalitetno obrazovanje za romsku djecu”.

  1. Project “Mapiranje potrebe mladih Roma”. After the conducted project we arrived do certain important data which could be of great help to the overall population. At the same time, we activated the young adults and formed a group that will try to accomplish its needs through public advocacy.
  2. We participated as partners in the project Erasmus+ under the number: 2016-1- SI01-KA204-021624, GEM Give them a Chanc. LU Lendava (Slovenia) was the host, and the partners were POU Čakovec (Croatia), Amrita OBK from Pécs (Hungary) and Zveza Roma Slovenia.

KHAM Delchevo

NGO „KHAM“ from Delčevo is a non-governmental, non-partisan and non-profit organization which consists of three free citizen associations for realization, protection and coordination of interests and beliefs, but also for conducting activities for raising the level of education and improving socioeconomical conditions of marginalized groups, promotion and development of civil society and democracy. Citizens which are a part of the association NGO “KHAM” from Delčevo for ensuring the broader public interest where vision, mission and general and specific aims are defined in particular documents for general politics and strategy of organization.

Vision: the citizens of The Republic of North Macedonia are equal, dignified employees, with the right to health and complete inclusion into the educational procedure and other spheres of social life.

Mission:
NGO “KHAM” is an association of citizens which through information, education and influence on politics and providing services helps Romani people and marginalized groups to obtain their rights in order to gain better education and find themselves in better economic position.
NGO KHAM Delčevo works in the area of East Bregalnica, currently employing 13 people, and 19 freelance people involved in the activities of the association. The main office of KHAM is situated in Delčevo, but has offices in the village Crnik – Pehcevo, and in the district Vinica. According to the organizational strategy we currently cover 5 sectors: education, employment, health, civil rights and civil engagement.

Long-term goals:

  • Enforcement of human rights and respecting the non-discrimination principle
  • Elimination of the negative prejudices about the Romani people as workers and humans and improvement of their competitiveness in the job market
  • Increase of the regular attendance of the educational programs and enhancing poor achievements of the Romani people in the educational process
  • Constant implementation of the health care laws and application of the preventive health programs among the Romani communities
  • Inclusion of the Romani people into the current social events on the local and national level

Project “Primijenjeno obrazovanje za mlade Rome” solves the most difficult problem: low level of education among the Romani population, which results in poor competences and social status. Thanks to this program the level of education amongst the Romani young adults is increasing, and the biggest percentage of the Romani people from the eastern Macedonia are finishing high school, from which many enrolled to the universities. Immediate users are 420 Romani children in 4 years and about 200 non-Romani children (for sports activities, knowledge quizzes, multiethnic workshops and similar), 40 teacher and about 120 Romani families, 120 in relation to 420.  The number of newly recruited students ranged from 12 to 15 children, and all of the users were form the local primary school.

Privatno pučko učilište Vanco Prke Delčevo

Project “Tečajevi za prekvalifikaciju Romkinja”, through Program inicijative Zajednice was carried out in order to contribute to raising the level of their economic life. There were 40 Romani girls from socially disadvantaged families that went through the training program.

Project: Equal educational opportunities 2,3, this project was supported by “Zaklada Otvoreno društvo Makedonija”, whose aim was to ensure equal chances for education of the Romani students, better accomplishment from the 1st to the 4th grade and increase the number or the Romani students from the 5th to the 8th grade. The target group were the children from the both local schools from the district Delchevo – OU Vanco Prke and SV Celiment Ohridski. The total number of the Romani children covered by this project was 460 throughout the period of three years in both schools and around 60 teachers from the afore-mentioned schools. 2010-2014 Project: “Dobar početak” – this project was supported by the European commission and is carried out by Fond za obrazovanje Roma with KHAM Delchevo as a non-government project partner. The project is taking place in four European countries: Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Macedonia, and the goal is to provide longtime and effective support to the Romani children aged 0-6, in the phase of their early development. The association KHAM as a partner organization is conducting activities on the three locations: Delčevo with the village Trabovitishte and Crnik in the districts Pehčevo i Vinica. The project was conducting activities which contributed to the realization of the project goal: including the Romani children to the pre-school institutions, visits to the Romani families (from door to door), events in the community, and above all, for parents to have children this year (educational and health) and equipping child institutions in the afore-mentioned places. The project “Dobar početak” has completed the adaptation of the stagnating facility in the kindergarten in the village Crnik, district Pehcevo and a new useful area of 100 square meters in the kindergarten “Goce Dolcev” in Vinica. The project provides direct support of including the Romani children to the 119 Romani families.