INNOVATIVE LOCAL INITIATIVES FOR INCLUSION
Case Study
New potential by social enterprises in Cserehát
Jyostna Patel, AEIDL
This case study covers two examples of projects generating community empowerment and job creation in Hungary. The objectives of both projects is to alleviate the extreme poverty and exclusion of vulnerable groups such as Roma by implementing community-led and integrated local development.
The projects are located in the Cserehát Region, which includes the four poorest areas in the north-east of Hungary. It has a population of around 100,000 people, and in some areas, half of the people are unemployed. Thus, sustainable economic activities and job creation remain critical priorities.
The projects were initiated in the context of a national programme, established by the Hungarian Government in 2007, called ‘Elimination of area-based poverty in the 33 most disadvantaged micro-regions in Hungary’ or LHH for short.
LHH was an innovative programme designed to integrate EU funds to finance complex area-based development projects that addressed social, economic and environmental challenges. The first set of approved projects operated between 2010 and 2012. The regional actions plans that were drawn up targeted the following development priorities:
- Identifying services and products that would fulfil needs in the regions;
- Increasing the employment rates by fostering flexible forms of employment;
- Facilitating the development and building the capacity of the social services infrastructure in the regions such as public services, health care, education and social services;
- Maximising the use of local resources to attract investors from outside the regions.
Generating social change in Fulókércs, Hungary
The main objective of the community projects carried out in the village of Fulókércs , with a majority Roma population, was to develop and empower residents through increasing educational opportunities and job creation: These activities are being developed within the framework of the concept Együtt Egymásért (‘Together for Each Other’). To read more about the initiative please click here.
The mayor of the village is Imre Mata, also known as Zorro, of Roma origin ; he was elected in October 2014. Zorro brings a new style to the role of mayor. He is committed to promoting participative democracy at the local level and insists that all the inhabitants of the village should be consulted on key decisions, as he believes that this process will increase the empowerment and sense of ownership of the local people.
In order to foster this sense of ownership, Zorro has set up small working groups to manage and to provide direction on key projects in the village, such as the:
- community owned pig farm
- greenhouse to grow fruit and vegetables
- management of water resources
- construction of housing, public buildings, etc
- fund-raising
Zorro has a budget of 4 million Hungarian Forint (around €13,000) from the Hungarian state to manage the village, this includes: the salaries of municipal employees, maintenance of public buildings, running the community centre and the kindergarten.
The state also provides some aid in the form of grants and subsidies to fund social enterprises in the village, for example, for:
- the pig farm
- the greenhouse
- the subsidised grocery shop
- preserving fruit and vegetables
Some of the employees in these projects are financed by the Public Works Programme which is run and funded by the state. The Együtt Egymásért foundation has used a mixture of EU and national funds to finance projects in the village: ESF, EAFRD, LEADER.
Zorro has plans to improve the basic infrastructure in the village, such as for utilities, better educational facilities, easier access to both everyday and urgent medical care (the nearest doctor is in the next village), and improvement in the frequency of the public transport services.
Zorro in his role as mayor is committed to applying equal opportunities and has supported initiatives to set up a women’s group (which is also known as the ‘fire group’). The women’s group is in charge of running the greenhouse and the nursery, but is also a forum where issues such as domestic violence can be raised.
Zorro also strives to combat common stereotypes of Roma people, such as that they don’t want to work, that all Roma families are problematic.
Community centre for the most vulnerable
The community centre of the village is a social centre which cares for the more vulnerable members of the community. It is open every day and provides meals for the older people of the village and meals for the children in the kindergarten. For older people who are not mobile, meals are delivered to their homes.
In total, the centre provides around a 100 hot meals per day: eight people are employed to cook and to work in the centre, some are of Roma origin. The Roma workers are ‘cultural mediators’ who provide an important link with the Roma elders and children who eat in the centre.
There are about 25 older people who are clients of the community centre, of which about 20 are of Roma origin. Rome elders in general, tend not to have pensions and live on a low subsidy provided by the state, which is around €80 per month. Although the food is subsidised, the village elders are required to pay about €7 per month.
Empowerment and progress through education
The village has a well-equipped and well-run kindergarten. But Zorro, the mayor, recognises that access to education and educational attainment is a vital element in the empowerment of poor communities and in diversifying employment opportunities. Therefore, the village has organised Saturday school for Roma children so that they can catch up or consolidate their learning from mainstream schools. The Saturday school is attended by up to 45 children.
Sustainability and Transferability:
The projects for empowerment and job creation in the village are sustainable for the following reasons:
- The process of empowerment of adults and children through education will ensure that the upcoming generation will sustain the progress made.
- The knowledge acquired about both national and EU funding can be transferred to others in the village, either through training or through the written word.
- With regard to job creation, this is more difficult to quantify. However, the social enterprises of the village will at least ensure that people will have food security.
The concepts and projects developed by the village are transferable but may need to be adapted to the specific context and needs of a village. Clearly, Zorro and his wife were the initial driving force of the village community developments, but such development needs more than a few individuals to be sustainable. Thus the idea of training community coaches who can support villages in their endeavour to develop sustainable activities could be the key for the successful transfer of concepts and projects.
Organic farming through social cooperative in Hernádszentandrás
The objective of the farm was not only to create jobs and to promote organic gardening, but also capacity building and empowerment through education on healthy food in schools and communities.
The farm is funded by a combination of different EU funds (ESF, LEADER ) and national grants (the public works system for social enterprises): on the whole, it was not too problematic to combine the different EU funds.
At the beginning of the project, the cooperative members learnt through experimenting but also by using academic experts on organic farming. However, the cooperative could not pay the type of salaries expected by experts so it has invested in building up capacity and knowledge through hands on learning.
The aim of the social enterprise was to provide economic activities and create jobs for local people, for example, local gardeners can sell their surplus produce through the farm. The farm concentrates on produce which is marketable, such as, organic fruit and vegetables.
The farm sells produce directly to local people, but their produce can also be ordered on-line, in addition, restaurants in the region source their ingredients from the farm. For example, some herbs and spices are grown especially for restaurants.
The market for the farm produce includes local people, but through the website, products are also sold nationally and to residents across the border in Slovakia. In addition to edible produce, the farm has diversified its products and started making products such as handmade herbal pillows, moth repellents, baskets, etc.
The aim of the cooperative is to upscale the organic farm model to other areas in the region.
Other projects for the future include:
- develop products for tourists who visit the region;
- promote organic gardening in the community;
- promote healthy eating;
- develop and strengthen partnerships with restaurants in the region and supply them with fresh fruit, vegetable and herbs;
- the cooperative is also exploring with regional restaurants the possibility of creating a ‘gastro tour’, which would showcase regional products and cuisine.
The project is well-established and thus sustainable over the long-term: there are plans to expand the existing orchards. The initial aim of the project was to create jobs for long-term unemployed people. But, in order to do so, capacity building measures had to be in place first, to build the confidence of local people.
This is why the project also invests in training on leadership, conflict management, etc.
Sustainability and Transferability
The idea of an organic farm project is not only sustainable but also very transferable, as long as specific contextual factors are taken into consideration, for example: the rural and agricultural heritage of the region; alleviating poverty through sustainable job creation, empowerment through capacity building, the marketing of a regional product or cuisine; meeting the needs of regional restaurants and institutions which need a regular supply of fresh produce, etc.
A taste of the regional produce
At the end of our visit we were invited to a delicious lunch, which showcased the produce of the farm: there were freshly made potato fritters infused with herbs, yogurt-based dips, with garlic, with puréed red peppers, a jar of preserved green tomatoes, shredded cabbage, a bowl of baby spinach leaves in a light vinaigrette, and a paste of spicy red peppers. To drink, there was freshly made lemonade flavoured with stevia and mint, and home-made tomato juice. The lunch was memorable for being delicious, delightful to the senses and healthy.
As a leaving present, we received hand-made herbal pillows and a stevia plant: a very pleasant reminder of our visit to the farm.
Contact Us!
If you agree with our goals, we invite you to send us your own development stories, for sharing and connecting with others through this site so that together we can reinvent Europe as a welcoming place for everyone who lives here.
We also wish to benefit from the views, technical know-how, experience and commitment of dynamic partnerships and advisors from the civic, governmental and private sectors.
Please fill the form to submit your stories, inquiries and expressions of interest.