Roma people are the largest minority population in Europe (about 9 million people), 70 percent of whom live in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). They have faced high long-term unemployment, segregation, social exclusion and discrimination while also having little access to education and decent housing. The World Bank in partnership with the Open Society Institute initiated a Decade of Roma Inclusion (2005-2015) and, with more than 20 donors, established the Roma Education Fund (REF). The governments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia have subscribed to the initiative.
The Roma Education Fund (REF) was established in January 2005 as part of the commitment of the OSI and the Bank to the Decade, with initial funding of US$5 million from the Development Grant Facility (DGF), to help close the gap in educational outcomes between Roma and non-Roma people and to disseminate best practices on policy reforms and programs. The REF was registered as a Swiss Foundation in 2005 and as a Hungarian Foundation in May 2006. The head office is in Budapest. In less than two years, the REF became a transparent and accountable institution with a nine-member Board overseeing its operations.
Currently, the REF works across 12 countries including the original countries of the Decade, as well as Albania and Moldova and it is starting operations in Ukraine and Turkey. The REF provides demand driven grants to improve education for Roma and support policy changes in participating countries; a policy development and TA program; a communication and advocacy program; reimbursable grants to access EU structural funds; and a Roma scholarship program. The REF annual commitments amount to about US$ 10 million.
In three years of operations, the REF has proven to be a very successful partnership working in a challenging and complex environment, and become a functioning and well-organized institution – committing approximately US$18 million to grants for Roma education projects. The REF is run by 20 staff (of whom 70 percent are Roma), and has clear operational guidelines, which are available on the REF website, and put in place a comprehensive M&E system supported by a management information system.
The REF is becoming a clearing house for best practice on Roma education issues and has been successful in advocating inclusive policies, such as the recent adoption of school desegregation policy by the Bulgarian government, developed based on 10 REF pilot projects. However, there are still many countries where policies toward the Roma minority need improvement.
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