Bumbești-Jiu

The city is divided into two distinct urban areas: Bumbeşti and Valea Sadului (called by locals the “colony”). Bumbeşti is the former village Bumbeşti Jiu marked by architecturally old houses, specific to the sub-mountain area. Valea Sadului is a neighbourhood of apartment buildings and commercial establishments built around the years 1940 – 1950 to house workers brought from around the country at the weapons factory. The city has a population of 8932 inhabitants of whom 325 are self-identified Roma according to the 2011 census.

In Bumbeşti-Jiu there are Roma communities in the villages of Tetila, Cutişoara, Lăzăreşti and Bumbeşti- Jiu city. Roma communities can also be found in Sadu town, Bumbeşti downtown area, where a social assistance housing facility exists, and in Tetila, a village about 5 kilometres away from Sadu. This Roma community used to deal in the past with the manufacture of bricks, but they gave up this craft.

Education

There are 4 schools that serve the Roma communities: School no. 1 of Bumbeşti-Jiu (10% Roma children), School of Curtişoara (17 % Roma children). The primary school from Tetila (12 % Roma children), and the primary school from Lăzăreşti (7% Roma children). The main problems in terms of education are school dropout caused by early marriage, poverty, and external migration. Other problems concern the lack of a school mediator, of Romany language courses. Adult education levels are low, most having between 4-7 years of schooling.

Health

In Bumbeşti- Jiu there are several medical facilities. In the Roma community from Tetila village a medical centre was built by means of PHARE funding “Support for the national strategy designed to improve the situation of Roma in terms of health” (the financing cost was EUR 47,000, to which the local City Council Bumbeşti-Jiu contributed with EUR 7,000). The Roma community of Tetila, Lăzăreşti and Curtişoara receives free access to consultations and advice on the way in which they can register in the health care system, and on patient’s rights. Besides doctors, in Tetila they have a nurse and a health mediator. Doctors believe that the biggest problem is the lack of health insurance and Roma parents’ reluctance to vaccinate their children.

Housing and Infrastructure

There are 76 Roma homes in the community, of which 70 have no ownership documents. Many houses are built with the help of earnings obtained during the external migration process and therefore they use quality building materials. Meanwhile, Sadu housing block has unsanitary living conditions. The Roma community has electricity, gas, drinking water, running water, sewerage and sanitation services. The local public / private transport serves the community. The roads are paved.

Employment and Income Sources

The major employers in the area have developed activities in trade and in the clothing industry. The authorities have identified potential investors and the desire of the Roma community representatives to start their own business ideas.

Entrepreneurship and Community Development

The Roma community has shops and an area where a mushroom drying facility operates, where the villagers work as day labourers. In Sadu there is a second-hand market, where the Roma from Bumbeşti-Jiu area sell various items. Also, there is an expert on Roma issues, but no locally active formal or informal organizations in the Roma community.

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