Description (EN): The penitentiaries in Romania and Serbia have two very important missions – to ensure custody of incarcerated persons and to support the social reintegration of inmates. The reintegration of former inmates, especially on the labour market, is difficult in the cross border area on one hand due to lack of jobs, very low salaries and mainly discrimination upon employment. This project envisages to prove practical knowledge and skills to the inmates by a non-formal education program in the area of producing dry fruit, vegetables, herbs, and medicinal plants. By this project, we are increasing the chance of inmates to become small agriculture producers. At the same time, by organizing two events of promoting employment chance equality concerning former convicts, we want to draw the attention of the local community and business environment in that area on the importance of that aspect for diminishing the recidivism and increasing the safety of communities.
The project has the main objective of supporting the increase of social inclusion chances of inmates incarcerated in Timisoara Penitentiary and Pancevo Penitentiary by acquiring knowledge and skills for producing and selling dry herbs and medicinal plants, fruit and vegetables.
Within the project, the staff of the social reintegration area from the two penitentiaries and an expert of the coordinating organization will develop in common an educational program on drying medicinal plants and herbs, fruits and vegetables and selling them. By using that educational program, in the two penitentiaries training sessions will be organized for 20 inmates, for one month of theory teaching (12 sessions, 3 per week) and the practical part of two months (frequency 2 days per week). The program will contain also information on opening a small business in that field. During the practicum, the convicts will engage in drying and packing the produce, including by the use of industrial equipment specific to that procedure, in the workshops arranged and endowed for that within the project.
The main results of the project will be:
-educational program on drying and selling herbs and medicinal plants, fruit and vegetables in electronic form in English, Romanian and Serbian;
-40 inmates trained in that field, of which minimum 10 of Roma ethnicity or other cohabiting nationalities;
-developing in the penitentiaries a workshop with modern equipment and tools for drying and packing that would allow making dry herbs and medicinal plants, fruit, and vegetables; in the workshops, produce will be made that could be used for feeding the inmates, especially during winter, as well as further training supplied to other inmates that would want to learn that technological process;
The project will use the experience exchange between partners. CPIP is the partner holding the biggest experience in implementing European projects in the educational area and Timisoara Penitentiary is well experienced in developing and implementing educational programs meant for the inmates. As well, Timisoara Penitentiary is first when it comes to involving Romanian inmates for work-related purposes. Pancevo Penitentiary brings the general experience of Voivodina population concerning the making of dry produce, vegetable combinations, as well as the experience of the area in developing small agriculture activities. The border area inhbaitants mainly develops agriculture activities, with several small independent producers that never went through the collectivization process as the Romanians did.
The project is new because it envisages to provide knowledge on drying medicinal plants or herbs, preserving fruit and vegetables by drying to the inmates incarcerated in the Romania – Serbia border area. That kind of knowledge is extremely useful for supporting the inmates after their release to develop such an activity that could provide the finance and use of own cultivated land produce. As well, it is important that those persons employ the learned method for self-sustaining.
Read more Achievements (EN): The penitentiaries in Romania and Serbia have two very important missions – to ensure custody of incarcerated persons and to support the social reintegration of inmates. The reintegration of former inmates, especially in the labour market, is difficult in the cross
border area due to lack of jobs, very low salaries and mainly discrimination upon employment. This project envisaged to improve the practical knowledge and skills of the inmates through a non-formal education program in the area of producing dry fruit, vegetables, herbs, and medicinal plants. Also, through the project, the chance of inmates to become small agriculture producers has been increased providing them new opportunities on the labour market. At the same time, by organizing the two events on promoting employment chance equality concerning former convicts the attention of the local community and business environment on the importance of diminishing the recidivism and increasing the safety of communities through the integration of the former convicts has been increased.
Achieved results:
1 Educational Program (English, Romanian, and Serbian).
30 participants with increased knowledge on equality of chances for ex-inmate employment.
2 adequate modular units for workshops.
2 fully equipped, functional fruit and vegetable drying and packing workshops.
1 small cargo utility vehicle.
1 Website created (https://necesini.eu)
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Expected Results (EN): PA1- RI1 Active population more satisfied of the access to labour market. (Innovative services assisting job seekers permanently established, information on job opportunities available in marginal areas, disadvantaged groups receiving assistance and information about job opportunities through information points and dedicated tutors.)
Read more Expected Outputs (EN): Within the project, 40 inmates (20 of each country) will be trained during a non-formal education program in the area of producing dry fruit, vegetables, medicinal plants, and herbs. The skills and knowledge they would acquire would increase their chance to become small producers. At least 60 participants in the events of promoting chance equality on the labour market for former inmates will be better informed and will understand better the importance such an aspect holds for society.
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