OUR MARKS: Projekt DOM.ov
17.10.2023
Jana Pleuková (Financial and project manager)
How do you perceive the implementation of the project over time?
Awarding of clients of the self-help construction program in Bôrka during Info Day.
How has your project evolved after the conclusion of support from the Active Citizens Fund – Slovakia program?
Our goal is to continue empowering our clients and guiding them towards independence and responsibility in areas of life related to finances, housing, community building, and the like.
As our organization aims to participate in the transformation of living conditions for people residing in marginalized communities, the work of the entire team is not focused on the short term but rather the opposite.
What results have you achieved thanks to the project?
We teach residents of marginalized communities how to manage their finances, guide them toward regular savings, accompany them through the self-help construction process, and subsequently provide them with advice and assistance during the repayment period of the loan intended for the purchase of construction materials for their homes.
Thanks to the support of the ACF Slovakia program, we had the opportunity to secure financing for the self-help home construction program into personal ownership over a period of 12 months.
Houses in Bôrka
Have you been able to achieve the goals you set at the beginning of the project?
We implemented the project in the districts of Rimavská Sobota, Rožňava, Revúca, and Poltár. We found that our expectations were not met to the extent we anticipated. When defining our goals, we did not anticipate that the differences in the regions regarding the issue of exclusion of Roma communities within the relatively small territory of Slovakia would be so dramatically different. The perception of Roma housing issues in the southern and southeastern regions of Slovakia is primarily influenced by the fact that the residents of these areas live on territories where spatial exclusion is not as visible of a problem. Roma people predominantly live in dwellings that are more suitable for reconstruction than for building new houses. Living in shacks on illegal land is not as characteristic for the regions of southern and southeastern Slovakia.
Awarding of clients of the self-help construction program in Bôrka during Info Day.
What achievements have you attained thanks to the project and the support of the Active Citizens Fund – Slovakia?
What was the project’s impact on the target groups and the community?
In the project, we planned to qualify approximately 10 individuals for the construction phase, and they would start building their homes. However, we managed to complete the construction of 3 homes in Bôrka and 1 home in Chanava. One client who qualified for the loan and obtained a building permit had the opportunity to start the construction but decided to withdraw from the program.
These experiences do not deter us, and we continue to map out locations and assess the potential of the self-help construction program. We are also exploring how to address the housing needs of people in the regions effectively.
A house built in the village Chanava
What experiences has your organization gained from the implemented project?
Clients must undergo preparation, financial education, and a savings phase to qualify for a microloan for housing. Subsequently, they will receive assistance in building their homes and support from the municipalities in providing the necessary technical infrastructure for the houses. The process also includes providing employment counseling to program clients, which will be provided by the project partner, the Agency of Employment BBSK, n.o. Another significant collaborating entity is the bank Slovenská Sporiteľňa, which, as part of social banking, will provide project clients with a loan for construction materials.
House built in the village Chanava
Prepared by: Jana Pleuková, info@projektdomov.sk