BucharestNorth of ’, Berceni’de Valentin and Gabriela Alexe and their two daughters have been happily living at home for a year. Because of Valentin’'s low income, they had previously been living with their parents, where it was very difficult to live together.
Valentin, “, when they threw us out, I slept in the car for three days until I found an apartment to rent; It says me, my wife and my daughter ”.
“Then when I rented it, I didn't have much money left because it was too expensive. Let's say I had enough money for food, but for the rest of it, for clothes, for example, I didn't have any money at all.
Gabriela says life is getting harder and harder: “, the situation was getting worse, mold was starting to form on the walls, and my child went to the hospital. I stayed in the hospital because the house was so dirty. - ”
Thanks to the NGO Habitat for Humanity,Gabriela and Valentin, who help low-income families by building shared homes with the help of volunteers, will be able to host for the duration of their volunteering and the appropriate rent for 20 years. Once an unattainable dream.
Gabriela, “, even now we can't believe she belongs to us, she's changed our lives for the better, ” says.
A helping hand
Valentin says he feels deeply grateful: “I want to share and help other people who have moved here, and even when my volunteer work hours at Habitat’ are over, I will say this: ‘I'll help you, let's do it!”
The project is supported by the city of Berceni, which provides land and grid connections thanks to the private sector. and European funds.Today, three buildings were built that housed twelve families. Cosmina Pandele, Mayor of Bercini, says the project aims to create a normal community life for people:
“This is a chance not only for those who currently live in these dwellings, but for everyone who will be born in these families. What we're trying to do is enable these people to reach a normality that will allow them to grow, thrive and become adults we can trust, ” says.
Twenty million children in the European Union are at risk of poverty; The goal is to reduce this number by a quarter by 2030.. By the way, the European Child GuaranteeIt aims to ensure that all children have access to education, health care, healthy food and decent housing. It is among the many initiatives implemented to support social rights.
A socially just Europe
So what is it What is the European Union's plan to achieve ’'s social goals?Almost nine out of 10 Europeans say they want a strong social Europe with fair working conditions, participation and equal opportunities. (The Europeans are %the 88 ’i – The Eurobarometer Survey, 2024).
The 20 principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights serve as a compass to achieve this. To reach this point, the European Union has prepared an action planIt is built on the core goals that must be achieved by 2030. These targets include at least 20 to 64-year-olds. %The study of 78’in found that adults had at least ’ receive education every year and at least 15 million people, including at least five million children, reduce poverty.
The new EU legislation to protect platform employees and ensure adequate minimum wageTwo examples of concrete action. The rise of artificial intelligence, green and digital transitions, and demographic changes are redefining the business world, while policies for improving skills and improving social cohesion are likely to play an increasingly vital role.
Investing in people
Skills European Union is at the heart of ’'s prioritiesEncouraging investments to facilitate adult education. Rodica Ionas, 49, an English teacher at a school in ’, wanted to learn something completely new: the computer technology.
“This was a chance for me; Not only because I really want to learn this, but also because the course is funded by the Ministry of Education, ” explains.
Rodica is undergoing a two-year training program in partnership with the Polytechnic University of Bucharest’nde World Bank. The aim is to combat dropout rates and Improving the skills of teachers.
Rodica, “We've learned a lot about the methodological approach of computer teaching, says ”. “We made a game for our students, they were very happy while playing.”
Improving teaching methods for Rodica is the biggest reward: “I'm generally better at teaching. My students will love the lessons more because we've learned a few ways to make the class more attractive. They should be motivated to come to school, ” says. Such partnerships are encouraged by the EU through initiatives such as: European Year of Skills,2023’te 200Supported near ’e program.
Zero Unemployment Target
On the other side of the ’, France struggled with another important problem. “Zero Long-Term Unemployment Zones”It's an experiment. Launched in 2016, the project aims to create jobs in rural areas such as Pipriac, where Tezea employs more than 60’ people.
The Tezea employee Marie-Fabienne Lavoisier explains how this benefits: I'm about to turn “58, and I've been working at Tezea’ for almost three years. Mostly I sort things out and put them in the store, and occasionally I work in the warehouse to pick up donated items when people bring something in.
“, I had cancer eight years ago, and I lost my husband to cancer three years ago. So it was far from a guarantee of getting a job at the age of 55, because this is an era when we are no longer profitable for many companies, ” adds.
Marie-Fabienne says The program did more than provide a profession: “ brought me back to social life. It also gave meaning to my life and daily routine. We need to return to solidarity and human values because that's what allows us to overcome challenges.
To this day, Tezea offers close to thirty activitiessuch as recycling, grocery business and cutting firewood. This model, which is implemented in about sixty regions, is already inspiring four other European countries.
Serge Marhic, director of Tezea’, says “This is an idea that allows us to try what we call the transfer of the cost of unemployment. By financing part of the salary, we are able to create lasting jobs, create wealth, and stimulate production.
In “Pipriac %Unemployment rate of 13 %We dropped it under 5’. If we want to ultimately tackle long-term unemployment, this is one of the only models that shows it can be done.”
“Zero Long-Term Unemployment Zones”Powered by the project the European Social Fund Plusan important source of funding for its promotion EuropeSocial rights in ’The total budget is 142.7 billion euros. This fund allows each member state to implement initiatives based on its own socio-economic needs and investment priorities agreed with the EU.
In the future, adequate funding for these initiatives and a strong collective commitment to these goals will be vital to the construction of a social European ’.
