SOCIAL INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH FROM ECONOMIC UNDERDEVELOPED REGIONS

Project “Social inclusion of children and youth from economic undeveloped regions” is continuation of the activities and achievements of the project “Street children/children on the street”. Main financiers of the project “Social inclusion of children and youth from economic undeveloped regions” are King Baudouin Foundation–Belgium and Foundation Open Society Institute- Macedonia. Foundation for Educational and Cultural initiatives Step by Step is responsible for overall project’s implementation, administration and monitoring. Period for project implementation is 3 years (January 2002-December 2004).

The main goals of the program are:

• Ensuring to the maximum possible extent the psycho-social development of children and youth from families from the undeveloped regions,
• Strengthening capacities of the local NGO’s and communities to deal with such a complex problem,
• Developing a collaborative network between NGO’s whose role or interest is focused on the development and assistance of children and youth in rural and underdeveloped communities,
• Raising public awareness for importance of education for children’s psycho- social development.

• Improving of parental skills/emotional environment in the poor family,
• Supporting children and youth by families and society,
• Promoting number of activities that value education (NGO’s),
• Informed “Public” (government, donors…) about poverty/children’s problems.

Project involves supporting NGOs implementing program “Social inclusion of children and youth from economic undeveloped regions” providing training for the stakeholders from local community and institutions and as well as round table discussions, debates and campaigns with aim rising awareness for the problems poor children face and building capacity of local community to deal effectively in way of preventing and solving problems.

Due to the complexity of the program, many institutions and individuals are included in the whole program cycle: Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Ministry of Education, The Centers for Social Work, the University, NGOs, Local Governments and other relevant institutions.