70 percent of Roma in Serbia live from waste collecting

In Serbia, 70 per cent of the Roma population live from collecting waste. Coronavirus crisis affected this group of the population most severely as they collect waste to contribute to the household budget that mainly depends on limited social benefits. During the lockdown, Roma waste collectors could not earn additional money for the families which caused a serious impact on their home budgets and overall living standard.

In cooperation with the SKRUG Ligue of Roma and with the Swedish support, Help organized and implemented distribution of food and hygiene parcels for 490 the most vulnerable Roma families of waste collectors in six municipalities in Serbia.

Distribution of parcels took place on 25th, 26th and 27th of May 2020 in Obrenovac and Pirot, while the League of Roma started deliveries of the most needed items to direct beneficiaries within 24 hours.

The sets of food and hygiene items were delivered through the SKRUG League of Roma focal points in Obrenovac for families in Pancevo, Sremska Mitrovica, Sabac and Bogatic, and Pirot for Pirot and Babusnica. The League of Roma estimates that over 2000 family members will benefit from this immediate response to COVID19 caused crisis.

The waste collectors didn’t work for three months and the situation in which they have found themselves is dire having in mind, say in the League of Roma, that the price of secondary raw materials fell three times, in the meantime, making this assistance more important.

The lockdown is over, but still, there is a lot of fear among people how to continue with their lives with the virus still present. Especially having in mind that their everyday job is collecting waste and risking health to provide for their families and that they heavily depend on social benefits, say in the Pirot local Roma association ”Teneripe”, in charge for the delivery of parcels to families in Pirot and Babusnica.

The total value of the Swedish support for 490 the most vulnerable Roma families of waste collectors in six municipalities in Serbia amounts to 400,000SEK, i.e. 37,000 EUR.

The immediate response to COVID19 was implemented in six EISP municipalities in Serbia within the Sweden-funded Help project “Poverty reduction through employment opportunities for Serbia’s EU accession”.