Mladi Romi NGO calls for education and employment to combat Roma poverty

The NGO Mladi Romi – Herceg Novi has highlighted the persistent challenges faced by Roma and Egyptian families, emphasizing that education and employment are essential to escaping poverty. Despite some progress, significant disparities remain between these communities and the general population.

According to MICS research data, 89.5% of Roma settlement residents faced at least three forms of material deprivation in 2018, compared to 34.8% of the general population. More recent data from 2025–2026 indicates that only 16% of children in Roma settlements attended preschool or started school a year before the official age, whereas 79% of the general population did so. While the percentage of Roma youth aged 20–23 who completed secondary school has risen from 3% to 16%, the organization stresses that these improvements are insufficient.

The NGO argues that temporary projects cannot replace a functional systemic approach. They call for increased investment in early childhood education, better housing conditions, and the creation of legal, safe, and dignified employment opportunities, particularly for those currently engaged in informal labor such as secondary raw material collection.