VZCZCXYZ0014
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSQ #0347/01 1491228
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281228Z MAY 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7379

UNCLAS SKOPJE 000347 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PRM/MATTHEW R. JOHNSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PREF PHUM MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: TEXTBOOKS AND LENDING LIBRARY FOR ROMA 
REFUGEE CHILDREN -- APPLICATION FOR FY 2008 PRM JULIA V. 
 
TAFT FUND FOR REFUGEES 
 
REF: STATE 6779 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  Embassy Skopje proposes granting 20,000 USD of 
the FY 2008 PRM Julia V. Taft Fund for Refugees toward the 
purchase of school textbooks for 395 Roma refugee children. 
The textbooks will promote access to education for Roma 
students for the 2008/9 academic year, and the creation of a 
lending library of the texts will serve future generations of 
students.  Post proposes to implement the project through the 
local NGO European Civil Organization (ECO), and has the 
authority and capacity to award the grant to the implementing 
organization before the end of the current fiscal year. End 
Summary. 
 
BENEFICIARIES 
------------- 
¶2.  As of January 2008, the Republic of Macedonia has a 
refugee population of 1,860.  Nearly all refugees in 
Macedonia are of the Roma, Ashkalija and Egyptian (RAE) 
ethnicity and fled from Kosovo in 1999.  The target 
population for this project is a group of 395 Roma refugee 
children living the Shuto Orizari neighborhood who are 
seeking to enroll or continue in school for the 2008/9 
academic year. This population will be served by a new 
refugee educational/community center, modeled on the success 
of a similar center in another Skopje neighborhood. 
Beneficiaries will not be limited to the 395 Roma students 
expected to enroll for the 2008/9 academic year, as the 
lending library of required textbooks will also benefit 
future generations of students. 
 
PROJECT DESCRIPTION 
-------------------- 
 
¶3.  Difficulties facing Roma refugee children undermine their 
access to education. Lack of textbooks, tuition and 
transportation costs, lack of clothing, and difficult living 
situations and study environments often act as barriers to 
educational access among the refugee Roma population. Last 
year the Government of Macedonia approved a new work plan for 
developing an integration strategy for refugees in the 
country.  Education is a key component of the local 
integration of refugees. 
 
¶4.  Under the umbrella of a larger educational/community 
center, this project aims to eliminate the "textbook 
barrier," increasing access to education among refugee 
children through the acquisition of required school text 
books and the creation of a lending library for primary and 
secondary school students in the under-served Shuto Orizari 
neighborhood.  With the assistance of UNHCR and NGOs 
including the European Civil Organization (ECO), Sumnal and 
the Red Cross of the City of Skopje, the new 
educational/community center will address a number of the 
other barriers to education, including tuition fees, school 
readiness, clothing, and adequate nutrition for the 2008/9 
academic year.  However, UNHCR funding is not sufficient to 
address the prevailing problem of a lack of textbooks for the 
2008/9 academic year.  Thus, Post proposes to close this gap 
in funding through a grant from the FY 2008 Julia V. Taft 
Fund for Refugees. 
 
¶5.  Post will implement this grant through the European Civil 
Organization (ECO) of Skopje, a local NGO implementing 
partner working closely with UNHCR on Roma refugee projects. 
ECO's staff of five persons has been integral in the 
development of the educational/community center and in 
creating and implementing projects and strategies for 
improving access to education and academic achievement among 
the Roma refugee population.  ECO has signed a code of 
conduct to implement UNHCR projects that is consistent with 
the standards set out by the UN Inter-Agency Standing 
Committee (IASC).  Post can provide a copy of the signed code 
of conduct. 
 
¶6.  ECO will work with the local schools to determine the 
final list of books required by students in each grade for 
the 2008/9 academic year, and will, on the basis of 
competitive bidding, select a publishing company from which 
to purchase the required textbooks.  The funding would cover 
395 sets of required textbooks for students from kindergarten 
through high school, with the largest number of students in 
grades 1-8.  In order to obtain textbooks, parents will be 
required to sign a statement committing to return the 
textbooks to ECO at the end of the academic year, allowing 
the books to be used for the next generation of students. 
Books will initially be distributed at the new 
educational/community center in Shuto Orizari, and the 
lending library also will be housed there. 
 
 
¶7.  Post intends to maximize public diplomacy opportunities 
related to the project, through press releases and press 
coverage of the distribution of the books, including possible 
participation of the Ambassador and other Post 
representatives at a kick-off event at the new 
educational/community center.  Post will also seek public 
diplomacy opportunities when a lending library is created 
from returned text books at the end of the 2008/9 academic 
year. 
 
¶8.  The proposed project would fill a critical funding gap 
that hinders access to education among Roma refugees in 
Macedonia.  Since education is a key component of local 
integration of refugees, assistance from the Julia V. Taft 
Fund for Refugees would both aid in improving educational 
access and achievement among Roma refugees, and also assist 
the Government of Macedonia in making important progress 
toward integrating refugees.  Therefore, Post requests 20,000 
USD from FY 2008 PRM Julia V. Taft Fund for Refugees funding 
to implement this project. 
 
 
Milovanovic