Dolna Banya, July 5-7, 2022
After two days fulfilling work on leadership and advocacy with unbelievable roma young people from Lom, Dupnitsa and Byala Slatina problems in respective communities were identified. Discussions in searching the best decisions were led; image of the target groups and stakeholders was created and the needed communication skills on leading a successful campaign were discussed. Role plays, practical cases and individual video presentations with messages were commented.
The health mediators Tanya Kirilova from Lom, Daniela Ljubenova from Dupnitza and Mirena Bocheva from Byala Slatina are real mentors for the young people from the communities they work for. The three of them, together with Dr. Rada Stamenkova, Pavlina Filipova and Ralitsa Zgalevska from BFPA team actively contributed to support the motivated and well-prepared young people, enthusiastic to advocate for better health of people from their communities. In the coming months the team will continue to work on building their capacity as leaders and to help them with expertise and guidelines.
In the frame of the training we spoke about the personal and organizational basis of power and influence; about the kinds of leadership in advocacy; about the need of charisma of opinion leaders; about role models we need to follow in our life; about the difference between ‘leader’ and ‘mentor’; about leaders in life and about world leaders, as well about fake news - how to recognize them and why do they exist.
The LYRA project (Launching Young Roma Advocates, 2021 – 2024) aims to identify young leaders and to contribute on overcoming inequalities in marginalized Roma communities, especially in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The initiative is supported by the Berlin regional office of OSF and gives focus on often underestimated and not stimulated great potential Roma youth have and on insufficient implementation of the universal health coverage for Roma minors, insufficient recognition of adolescent and teenage age children in national preventive programs in the field of maternal and child health and other public health programs.
