Fundación Secretariado Gitano

In 2020, we helped to improve the lives of more than 34,000 people and refocused some of our activities to assist the people in most urgent need due to Covid-19 [editar]

• Communication
• Acción Institucional
• National level

The activity of the teams which make up the Fundación Secretariado Gitano was affected in 2020 by the serious effects on the Roma population of the Covid-19 public health crisis. The pandemic had a very negative impact on the already precarious situation of many Roma families, and this required a rapid response from us. We carried out an initial needs analysis by means of a telephone survey with 11,000 families: 40% reported that they were unable to cover their basic needs, including food.

This led us to create the Social Emergency Fund “Close to Roma Families”, with private and corporate donations, allowing us to offer direct aid to 4,900 families and provide IT equipment to 1,600 children to enable them to continue with their studies.

During the pandemic, we helped with the processing of almost 9,000 Minimum Income applications.

Programmes adapted to continue assisting Roma families

In 2020 we adapted our normal programmes in the areas of training, employment, education, housing and fighting discrimination and inequality, using new tools and methods which allowed us to continue supporting families despite the social emergency. We delivered 600 programmes and assisted more than 34,000 people, helping to defend their rights.  

Our vocational training and employment programme Acceder is the initiative with the greatest impact on social and labour market inclusion for Roma people in Europe. In 2020, we assisted more than 21,236 people with this programme, and 2,768 of them obtained a job. Last year the programme celebrated 20 years of operation, its results demonstrating its impact and success (more than 90,000 work contracts in this period). As well as Acceder, we continued to run programmes involving dual training in work settings, with a particular focus on the technological sector.

Our social awareness-raising campaign, #BreadForTomorrow, highlighted the need to invest in active employment policies for young Roma people, offering training and opportunities to ensure that no one is left behind. Likewise, we launched a campaign in support of street trading, #ISupportStreetMarkets, as this is one of the sectors which has suffered the most in the recent crisis.

Online classes for Roma students

Over the last year, it has been necessary to adapt our educational programmes to offer online support to our more than 3,400 Roma student participants, at various educational levels, so they can continue and succeed in their studies. The Promociona programme has enabled increasing numbers of students to complete their secondary education and go on to post-compulsory education, achieving an 88% success rate despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic.

We continued to combat poverty

Through our programmes to combat poverty and exclusion, we assisted more than 16,700 people in families whose difficulties were exacerbated by the devastating effects of the pandemic. We helped 319 families to access decent housing and worked with 2,500 girls and boys in situations of particular vulnerability.

Roma women, at the centre of the fight against discrimination

Through the Calí programme for the equality of Roma women, we gave special attention to the multiple forms of discrimination many Roma women suffer. 939 women participated in socio-personal plans.

We advised and supported 633 victims of discrimination and trained 1,114 key agents. Over the year, we also conducted strategic litigation in 25 cases of antigypsyism, we published the 16^th Annual Report on Discrimination and the Roma Community, and we continued to coordinate the Support Service for Victims of Racial or Ethnic Discrimination. 

To achieve these results, the Fundación Secretariado Gitano has relied on the vital collaboration and support of the European Social Fund, personal income tax subsidies, local and regional authorities, collaborating organisations such as the “la Caixa” Foundation, and companies such as Accenture or the Orange Foundation, as well members and donors.

Annual Report in different formats

The Annual Report 2020, containing the Fundación’s main financial and activity data, can be consulted in digital form at FSG Annual Reports or in summary leaflet form (hard copy and pdf), and is also summarised in a 4-minute video.

The Fundación Secretariado Gitano is a NGO of national scope with a presence in 14 regions, 73 local offices, and a team of 891 professional staff and 346 volunteers

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