Description of the Target Area: the project "Unità di strada" in which the volunteers will be involved it is settled in Rome. Rome is the capital of Italy nd the country's largest and most populated municipality (central area), with over 2.7 million residents in 1,285.3 km. The city of Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber river within the Lazio region of Italy. In 2006, 92.63% of the population was Italian, either born in Rome or coming from other cities in the country. The largest ethnic minority groups came from other European countries (mostly from Romania and Poland): 3.14%, East Asia (mostly Filipino): 1.28%, and the Americas (mostly from Argentina): 1.09%. Rome is also the seat of international agencies of the United Nations, such as the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
As stated before, the project is addressed to the inhabitants of the so called "spontaneous settlement".
Target Groups: Roma communities from Romania settled on the territory of Roma (Italy) experiencing a situation of serious social and economic exclusion that leads to the phenomena of ghettoization, social disintegration and the risks of submission to illegal practices and collusion with the criminal economy. One consequence of this situation is that among the Roma community there is often a direct relationship between intensity of social needs and access to local services to meet those needs and prevent more serious forms of exclusion and disaffection (first of all 's access to school for children).
During the mapping of settlements in the target area, Popica Onlus operators come into contact, in October 2008, with the community of Romanian Roma being located in Centocelle, Rome. The community was then formed by a group of about 90 people, half of whom are children. On 11 November 2009, the final day of the evacuation, there were 336 Roma in the settlement and romnì. Any of the child was educated and even among adults, the rate of illiteracy was much higher than 50%.
Popica Onlus embarked on an innovative path of self-recover. The project aims at facilitating the following areas:
" School
Activities: The main activities of this project of self-education were 1) autocensus of the same community 2) sensitizing the families on the fundamental role of the education 3) vaccination of the children 4) contacts with the school professionals 5) registration of children 6) accompaniment of the students to the school 7) monitoring the school attendance.
Results: 1) high school attendance of the children: 5 of them have obtained a scholarships for attendance demonstrated 2) full compliance with school rules and civil life by children and families 3) the punctual observance of hygiene rules, despite the unbearable sanitary conditions of the settlement 4) the willingness of families to work with the educational institution 5) the creation of important social ties between families of Roma children with families of classmates and teachers themselves
" Worth living
All the activities planned mainly concern: 1) the rejection of the current condition and any other precarious housing solution free services and conditions of habitability 2) absolute opposition to life prospects within the so-called "camps equipped" as not worth living situations to meet and lacking of real guarantees of liberty 3) Recognition of their own life as settled and nomadic 4) willingness in living in houses
" Labour Market
The project idea, born from the desires of the community, consist in the creation of a social cooperative who can take care of minor operations such as wineries to evictions, removals of small and medium size. The main purpose would be to improve overall socio-economic situation of the whole community and the regularization of those working outside. After an evaluation of the skills acquired in previous work experience and other skills intrinsic to the Roma culture, was chosen to develop a pilot project to promote themselves and may have benefits not only the members that they could actively be part of, but also on the entire population of the community.
" Health
The activites are almost focused on training, paying a start-up support services. The Roma and romn were sent to the specific services in accordance with their necessities; this happened through the coaching of Popica volunteers to those who needed it
To reduce the incidence of not requiring intervention, the project aims to put field a proactive intervention strategy, through actions such as a street unit (UDS) and a cabinet door can monitor the area, early detection and social needs intercept the request expressed or unexpressed interventions.
Operational objectives
?? make a complete and updated monitoring of admissions and social needs in Roma settlements;
?? inform and educate the community on Roma rights and opportunities offered by local services relation to schooling, adult education, health, employment, social integration, etc.;
?? encourage the involvement of the school community and other local resources, preventing the onset of serious discomfort.
For convenience below we distinguish between actions and those of ATM from the UdS traveling; However, we must note that these actions will be strongly interrelated. The UdS will always consist of at least three people, including a linguistic-cultural mediator, with the use of a vehicle. The actions taken dall'UdS will be: - Explore the area of the lot and build a constantly updated map of admissions and
settlements;
- Make contact with communities and raise awareness of the project and opportunities
other land resources;
- Perform in case of need to accompany the project is aimed at services and territorial resources. Furthermore the routine, the UdS may also make timely interventions targeted awareness, social mediation and promotion of emergence at the request of extraordinary Commission and Department XI. It will also be made a one-stop touring that speak about relevant situations identified by UdS work, door or other legal arising under or records of the City other relevant regional actors. The one-stop touring will feature targeted groups first orientation about legal and social message - to all questions worthy of study. The door will be active at rotation settlements Roma principal, or in any case where it is found (Thanks to the work of mapping by UdS) a greater need.


The volunteer will be actively involved in all the Popica Onlus activities foreseen for the correct and daily implementation of the Project "Unità di Strada". The volunteers will have the chance to deep the Italian culture, in all its complexity and contradictions coming from a controversial context such as the one of Rome. The volunteers will mainly be compromised with inter-cultural dialogue. For this reason, they will receive a language course to reach an adequate level of Italian and, possibly, of Roma language to gain at least a basic communiation skills. Moreover the volunteer will have the chance to:

- Deepening Inter-cultural communication. The volunteers will be formed about the difficulties present in the communication between different cultures and the methodologies to use in order to overcome these obstacles
- Conflicts resolution. The volunteers will learn the methodologies of crisis management. They will receive specific training helded by professionals and will count on the constant support of Popica's workers in order to provide the any needs or difficulty found in the project.
- Methodologies of intervention while working with youth and children. The volunteers will learn to use the educational tools practised by Popica's staff in each project.
- Working methodologies with local community and public institutions. We want that, at the end of their volunteering period, the EVS volunteers have a clear idea of the project's development in non profit sector and the tools that this sector can use to work efficiently together with local communities.

To ensure volunteers' integration in Popica's staff and in the social life of the city, a personal mentor will be assigned to each volunteer. The mentor will help the volunteer in any kind of problem. The mentors will meet the volunteers regularly (at least once a week) to verify the progress in learning process and to solve eventual problems.
The volunteer will mainly partecipate in:
1. training courses on Roma history and culture, with particular attention to the Roman context
2. core courses in Italian about the organization and management of paths of self-determination of Roma communities reached by Popica Onlus
3. analysis of the region through mapping and visiting some spontaneous Roma settlements in the whole territory of Rome
4. drafting of documents for the analysis of the reached area
5. analysis of associative networks and local institutions
6. research and analysis of worthy and safe living spaces to overcome the logic of the camps
7. organizing social events aimed at facilitating social interaction between Romas and the society
8. training for children's parents on the importance and the necessity of goodwill school
9. family support in starting school reached
10. start-up about self-assistance in health care and legal affairs
11. orientation at jobs opportunities
12. educational support to children reached
It is foreseen a weekly meeting between the volunteer and the staff in order to schedule any kind of proposal from the volunteer about new kinds of activities or ideas related with the project activities. He/she will be working for 5 days a week for about 6/7 hours per day. He/she will haveensured two free days a week. During the free day Popica Staff will be able to organize or suggest touristic trip in Rome or groups actitivity. The volunteers will be hosted in an appartment close to the place where he/she will be involved in EVS activities.


There are no specific requirements or specific qualifications reacquired. The call for volunteers will be posted on the Popica Onlus web-site and through the major social networks and web-sites dedicated to EU- young mobility. The selection of volunteers will be totally transparent and independent whithout any preferences about nationality, qualification, sex and age. The first valuation of applications will be carried out on motivation's letter. The second phase will be the interview (by Skyper or any Social Network in case the volunteer cannot come personally. However it is desirable:
1) Strong interest in the field of education
2) Strong interest in the field of minorities
3) Predisposition to hourly flexibility
4) Availability to intervent in a high risks situations
5) Good interpersonal skills

Popica Onlus can host no more than 2 volunteers at the same time, in order to be greatly coherent with all the quality and welfare standards forecast by the EVS charter.

Unfortunately Popica Onlus is unable to accept volunteers with disabilities


Before their arrival and during the carrying out of activity, Popica Onlus will provide to volunteers a specific training about the place of service and security and safety procedure. The training aims to the acquisition of knowledge and tools by volunteers. It allows a relevant approach towards the main theme and it would give widely knowledge of specific activities, besides theoretical and practical tools.
The tutor's role is fundamental for the resolution of critical, professional or physical problems. The volunteer will have in each moment the right and the chance to ask question and doubts to the Tutor. The tutor will be available 24 h a day in order to help volunteers in case they need. Moreover the volunteer will save on its mobile phone emergencies numbers (police, first aid, etc.). The volunteer will have also a Tutor in the Sending Organization as referents.
Each volunteer will be 'given an information kit containing:

1. information about basic services useful for a suitable residence in Rome volunteers;
2. information about cultural and social aspects of Italy and Rome and communities' Roma on the territory;
3. information about legal issues that volunteers might encounter in their work;
4. administrative and logistical information on the accommodation;
5. introduction on the history and the cultural aspects of the association and its members.
The kit will be presented as 'a thorough training course aiming to introduce in the volunteer service with the basic cognitie ability' for best performance possible, through lectures and use of audiovisual materials.
Each EVS volunteer will be 'assigned a mentor who will be' responsible for his entire stay and will be able 'to refer to another person with whom the volunteer will be able to' communicate if not satisfied with the relationship with your mentor or create conflicts with it.
The volunteer will be introduced from the first moments inside the organization and will attend meetings of the technical and organizational project 'UDS" 'to be held weekly.
During the first meeting will set out clearly the tasks within the association to be discussed with the volunteer trying to reconcile his attitudes, needs 'and abilities'.
In case the volunteer will not have sufficient knowledge of Italian will be 'required to attend free language courses specially prepared by POPICA Foundation.

Our Association pursues the principles of equality, solidarity and social cohesion by developing and promoting international and national cooperation project as well as non-formal and informal education, entertainment activities and sensitivization toward young ROMA people in Rome. The European programme "Youth in Action" provides key instruments to fulfil those aims. We guess that the projects of international voluntary service (EVS) allow youngsters from many parts of the world to live experiences that are truly important for their personal growth.The contribution that the volunteers bring certainly provides an added-value to the relational aspect of our projects, which our organization has always regarded as heavily important. Popica Onlus runs for the first time the way of the EVS but has experience in the active involvement of volunteers in the city area of Rome. We are constantly looking for young volunteers to be involved in the field regarding our projects with the Roma community. Moreover the volunteers are integral part of our human resources frameworks. We strongly believe in the contribution of our volunteers, in their capacities, initiatives and in the many stimuli that they can bring to the organization. This Is the reason why we are interested in take the road of international volunteering. To establish a path of mutual growth and mutual confrontation with different personalities, competences and qualities from all over Europe. The volunteer will be able to deal with the "diversity" and with a rich, as well as controversial, urban context as the one of Rome.

Popica ia non-profit organization founded by a group of university students in 2006, following the experiences of volunteer work with street children in Romania. The Association is a recognized NGO, non-sectarian and non-party, founded on the values of anti and respect to all cultures.
Popica in Romanian means "pawn" derogatory nickname which is called a child like many others of Sighetu Marmatiei orphanage in Romania, daily living situations of scorn, neglect and violence. The name Popica represent the mission of the Association: able to transform this name synonymous with discrimination and suffering as a symbol of rebirth for these young lives
Popica Onlus pays special attention to the issue of child abandonment in Romania. Furthermore Popica Onlus is active on the field working with ROMA communities in Rome, providing educational activities, entertainment and housing. Popica Onlus has currently three ongoing projects:
1) Project "Quadrifoglio": born in the summer of 2001 in Sighet,Transylvania, in response to two major emergencies in Romania: orphaned or abandoned children, who often "live" precariously on the street and child prostitution. The Project mainly aims at recoverying, growth, education and training of poor/street children in order to improve their chances of re-integration into society and into the labour market.
2) Project "Stradalternativa": the project born in 2009 in Satu Mare (Romania). The specific objective of the Project is to facilitate the social integration of children and young people living on the street creating a specific intervention plan aimed at the solution of the problem. The target group consists of 50 children and young people aged between 0 and 35 years living on the street within the Municipality of Satu Mare.The indirect beneficiaries of the Project, on the one hand, the other members of households and families in which children live and work and, on the other, the local community.
3) Project "Unità di strada": Popica Onlus is referent and actively partecipating at the project in the field of innovative and additional activities presented by the "Casa dei Diritti Sociali" concerning the macro-project "Education for Roma children "sponsored by the City of Rome Department XI.
The project is addressed to the inhabitants of the so called "spontaneous settlements".


Popica Onlus is composed by a Steering Committee formed by 10 young professionals and 1 President. Furthermore Popica Onlus has 1 Executive Coordinator and 2 Project Coordinators. Around 50 young volunteers are constantly participating in Popica's activities on the field.

Popica Onlus operates by networking with other associations, including: Amnesty International, Arci Roma, House of Social Rights FOCUS, Stalker OsservatorioNomade Association July 21, Stea Romania, Solidarite Enfance Romania Foundation Magis.
It also collaborates University of Rome 3 and 126 Academic Circle of Rome