UNKNOWN HEROES

Funded by Implemented by

The European Union Roma Active Albania

NOMINATION FORM EU Award for Roma Integration in the Western Balkans and Turkey, 2019 - “Unknown Heroes”

NOMINATION FORM
EU Award for Roma1 Integration in the Western Balkans and
Turkey, 2019 - “Unknown Heroes”

The EU Award on Roma Integration 2019 is dedicated to Roma women who brought significant changes
to their communities, and alternatively to key Roma women in civil society organisations.
The EU Award on Roma integration is a direct encouragement of the work done by Roma grassroots
women, in the Western Balkans and Turkey, who are the “Unknown Heroes” of their communities.
Being the key actors to improve the social integration of Roma and the empowerment of Roma women.
Roma integration continues to be a key priority in the enlargement process. The 2019 Award shows the
commitment of the European Commission to support and recognize not only the work done on Roma
integration, but also the role played by Roma women.
Twice before, the European Commission (EC, DG NEAR) has awarded prizes to Roma integration. The
first one recognised the important role played by CSOs working in the area of Roma integration; the
theme of the second was Roma youth. The EU Roma Award aims to boost commitment and political
support for Roma integration in Western Balkans and Turkey. This year we are putting a specific
attention to Roma women, setting the spotlight on the efforts of local Roma women activists as the
“Unknown Heroes”, fighting for Roma integration in the Western Balkans and Turkey and achieving
tangible changes in the living conditions of local communities.
The award is funded by the European Union (IPA Funds) and implemented by Roma Active Albania
(RAA).

1
As it is most commonly used in EU policy documents and discussions, the term "Roma" refers to a variety of
groups of people who describe themselves as Roma, Gypsies, Travellers, Manouches, Ashkali, Egyptian, Sinti
and other, without denying the specificities of these groups.

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NOMINATION FORM EU Award for Roma Integration in the Western Balkans and Turkey, 2019 - “Unknown Heroes”

1. Nominee information
Full Name of the nominee: Fatma Bajram Azemovska

Date of birth: 17.10.1977

Place of residence: Bitola, Skopje, Macedonia

Contact information: sumnalb@yahoo.com

Describe the community of the nominee, the main changes that happened in the last three years in the
community and how did you get to know the nominee. What are the main initiatives that the nominee
had under/during the activities that she was involved in?
(Please keep in mind that this information can be used for publication).

Fatma Bajram Azemovska lives in the last 8 years in Bitola in Macedonia. Prior her life in Bitola, she
has been the driving force of Roma early childhood development in Skopje in Topaana. Since Fatma
moved to Bitola she moved her passion and will to contribute to development of Roma’s community
to Bitola. With her persistence and strong will she has managed to open a Center for early childhood
development in Bitola too. The center is active and accommodates community supportive activities
in Bitola in the last three years. She is making the center visible and alive, home for the community
and not only for the kids but also for the parents and elderly persons.

In spite of the financial obstacles, personal family issues, regular job, Fatma continues with her
activities in the community in Bitola, contributing to the education and early childhood
development, promotion of the Roma integration in everyday life in the town, working with
community to strengthen its position and improve life and living conditions, work with elderly
persons and adults.

Fatma is not only the main driving force of Sumnal – Bitola, she is also a woman that support the
community, secure funds and help for the families in need and supports the education of Roma
children and youth. There are generations of young people who obtained higher education due to
Fatma’s efforts and beliefs in the power of education for the community.

2. Nominator’s details
Name of the nominating person, civil society Liljana Tanevska Arsova
organisation or public institution
Full address Ul Mit. Teodosij Gologanov 98/2/28
Contact person/ person in charge Liljana Tanevska Arsova

Short description of you, the organisation or institution

Im a person who has been working in the last 19 years in the field of community development,
integrated local development with specific focus on social issues and environmental issues. I hold a

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NOMINATION FORM EU Award for Roma Integration in the Western Balkans and Turkey, 2019 - “Unknown Heroes”

Master degree in Local development form University of Trento, University of Regensburg, Corvinus
University and University in Ljubljana. My extensive working experience includes various positions
with leadership, experts and monitoring and evaluation functions in programme and project
development.

I know Fatma since 2001 when I met her on a summer school organized by Nansen Dialogue Center,
where she was outstanding as a person and co learner. Since than she has done many projects
activities and provided not only to community as whole but to individual community representatives
to improve their life and supported them through the path to better life. She is promoting human
rights and promoting women rights among Roma Women. She is the real activist in protection of
Roma community rights with number of reactions to public prosecution office and government
institutions for discrimination of Roma community. She is the one who does everything to integrate
her passion and profession and contribute for improvements of her community.

3. Nomination justification
Please describe in which way the nominee meets the criteria set out in the award rules and what the main
motivation for this nomination is.
The nominee is grassroots Roma women activist and a Roma women founder and active member of
CSO Sumnal Skopje and CSO Sumnal Bitola.

Main motivation for this nomination is her dedication, constancy, and endless work in the
communities where she works. She is employed by public library in Bitola but her dynamics is always
in the dynamic of the Roma community and activities of the organization. Her initiatives for
improvement of conditions in Roma community are coming out and are realized once she notice
some needs or problems that need resolution and should be tackled. The activities do not only
include technical implementation and practical solutions on short and midterm, but her activities
also include policy making and design along with local self-governments, and public national
institutions and ministries. It includes education and social and labor affairs, health, human rights.

Her energy, dedication and will are strong and that the motivation for this nomination. Especially as
now in spite of the issues at home she continues to work with the same passion and energy for the
community. She is big community hero.

4. What are the main changes brought in the community of the nominee, related to any of the
following fields?
 Human Rights: improvement of the status of the Roma community in Bitola municipality by
interactions with the local self -government representatives and establishment of dialogue
between the mayor and the community- Adressed issues at the public prosecution office for
violation of human rights; addressing the government in regards to
 Education: inclusion of the Roma children in early education system in the country, Integrated
multiethnic education in schools in Macedonia, Increasing the number of kids and literacy
among first graders in Bitola thanks to the early development center, education of mothers –

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NOMINATION FORM EU Award for Roma Integration in the Western Balkans and Turkey, 2019 - “Unknown Heroes”

resocialization and integration of women in education process; sharing and motivation speeches
with role models from Roma community in reaching higher education for kids. Establishment
of extraschool activities for integration of Roma kids in the regular school system. Enhancing
the high school education for dropouts from the high school with the Public institution Adult
Education Center and the Roma education fund.
 Housing.
 Healthcare: promotion of healthcare and immunization of children, delivery of immunization
plans and information on free public services in healthcare. Organization of workshops for
cancer prevention, Organisation of free healthcare checkups.
 Gender equality/empowerment: Adoption of the local action plan for the municipality Bitola
2015-2020 for employment, housing, education, health and Roma women for 2015-2020.
 Antidiscrimination: work with the elderly Roma population – victims of holocaust, and elderly
in general by provision of various social, health, legal services.
 Fighting antigypsyism,
 Employment: improvement of the employability of Roma youth with employment agency and
private companies. Volunteering activities for young Roma Graduates to get experience and
obtain jobs. Mediation of the process for job shadowing and on the job training project for young
Roma persons. Development of Skills on the job.
 Civil documentation: support to the community with documents and filling forms.

5. What are the main activities in which the nominee has been involved in the last three years?
What was the goal of the activities and the objectives that were met? Who were the people involved and
benefited from the actions? Please give information on the number of people involved in the activities,
and how the things have changed in the community. What was the contribution of the nominee?
The activities described by fields and areas are numerous, which are led by Fatma Bjaram Azemovska
and the team in Sumnal, both in Skopje and Bitola. The nomination of Fatma Bajram Azemovska cant
be differentiated in only one area as she is active in the community as whole with all the areas of
community life. Therefore here elaboration of the activities that were done in the last three years
will be presented:

Main goal that’s achieved by the work and activities of the nominee is: Improvement of community
life of Roma population in Macedonia. The benefits of the activoites undertaken both in Skopje,
Bitola as well in the whole country is over 10000 persons. Only the benefits for the elderly are
estimated on above 5000 persons around the country. In regards to the children and youth the
number goes beyond 5000 including the early childhood development programme, integration of the
students from pedagogy in non- formal education system, attendees of the early childhood
programme, attendees mothers and women in the centers in Bitola and Skopje, Youth employability
activities with the on the job trainings, work with youth on the volonterring prohramme, work with
the high school dropouts and return for finishing the VET secondary eductation.

The activities that are changing community from perspective of the person who looks from the side is
that Fatma Bajram Azemovska with the enthusiasm and the long term team she is leading manage to
contribute to community changes on long run. It’s a privilege to listen witnessing from young
university graduates that their career nowadays is good and life improved because of the early
primary school days spent in Sumnal Skopje and with Fatma Bajram Azemovska. Nowadays the story
continues in Bitola. The dedication to the cause of education, support and integration of the

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NOMINATION FORM EU Award for Roma Integration in the Western Balkans and Turkey, 2019 - “Unknown Heroes”

community makes Fatma Bajram Azemovska the hero of the community that never stops realizing
the dream of integration and better life for Roma in Macedonia.

Fatma dedicates her time, energy, and will in achieving the aim she has set ahead of her in early 2000
when she started with the idea of having a center where she will engage the community and improve
the conditions of the Roma in Macedonia. The impacts in the last three years are visible as well the
results of the activities performed in the last three years which are numerous.

6. How do you see the role and position of the nominee in the community for the future?
Fatma’s role as driving machine in the community is already established and recognized by the
community in Bitola and Skopje. Her role in my opinion should be extended on the higher level that
the local communities only as her capacity is not only linked to the localities where she implements
her activities and serve the communities but the country wide. Her engagement in Bosnia in 2005
was a real picture of her ability to expand her activities share her knowledge and expertise in the
region of Western Balkans and wider. Her modesty and at the moment personal struggle with the
health problem in the family is preventing her from lot of activities but she has capacity and still
undertakes activities and work with the local community. She has perfect knowledge for a higher
position in the society and policy making institutions.

7. What is the actual support that your organisation has provided to the nominee and what are
your expectations from the nominee if awarded?
Since Im a individual who had opportunity to work with Fatma in many programmes and projects and
have seen her as strong community worker, the support I have provided to her comparing to what is
she is achieving is maybe minimal. If the nominee is awarded I think it will enable her in the difficult
time she is now to rebuild her strength and continue even harder to work for the community and
maybe start a new activities nation and region wide.

Her child: Sumnal as organization can handle the community projects, but Fatma Bajram Azemovska
should act with her capacity to improve the overall Roma position in the region of Western Balkans
and wider.

Supporting documents
Nominators are invited to provide additional supporting information as available, and encouraged to
send documents in electronic version whenever possible. Supporting information may include:
- Video clips, photographs;
- publications (leaflets, brochures etc. promoting the initiative/project);
- links to websites related to the initiative/project (to be mentioned in the application form);
- media coverage (if any);
- any other material and proof of the impact of the initiative implemented by the applicant for the
prize.

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Application deadline: 15 February 2019

Please submit your application at the latest by 15 February 2019, 23:59 Brussels Time.
Submission of applications shall be via e-mail in the address: Nomination_EU_Award_2019@raa.al.
The title of the email must contain the acronym of the nominator, the initials of the nominee and the
country of origin.
Nominations, along with the supporting documents, can also be sent by post at the address:
Roma Active Albania - Rr. “YlbereBylykbashi”; P. 25; Shk. 2; Ap. 4; Tirana, Albania
In this case, only the nominations received by us within the deadline will be considered. Nominations
reaching by post later than the set deadline, shall not be considered for evaluation.

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