Our Mission
MIR is an independent and non-profit civil association created and driven by the mission to realize, protect and reconcile Roma interests and rights as well as to promote activities for the improvement of the living conditions of the Roma people in the Republic of Macedonia.
Roma community of Topaana
Education, health care and social protection are the rights of every citizen in the Republic of Macedonia and, at the same time, it is an obligation accepted by the State but often not fulfilled. According to the 2001 census the Roma population of Macedonia numbers around 50,000 people (though unofficial figures put the Roma population at around 135,000). The Roma community suffers the highest levels of unemployment, illiteracy and poverty of all ethnic communities in Macedonia.
The Humanitarian Organization MIR works in the area of Topaana, in the Chair Municipality of Skopje, where Romas constitute approximately 90% of the local population. Out of around 4000 Roma people living in Topaana, 37.5% are under 18 years old, and some 90% are labelled “social cases”, and therefore are eligible to receive a monthly allowance from the social welfare system. However, a lot of Roma adults and children do not even have documents to prove their rights as citizens and therefore they lack access to the free health and social care afforded to Macedonian citizens.
Our work
During the ten years of its existence, Mir has implemented many humanitarian campaigns and projects: 150 refugee families from Kosovo and 400 socially burdened families in Skopje have received humanitarian help; more than 200 people have been provided with rights to health insurance; about 100 Roma children from the Topaana area were vaccinated; 50 plus children have been repeatedly immunized during the last 3 years; 45 Roma children were brought in from the streets, registered at school and helped with their education.
MIR mobilizes humanitarian resources for improving the socio-economic situation of the Roma community in the Republic of Macedonia. MIR also promotes awareness and a sense of philanthropy among Macedonian citizens in order to support the above mentioned actions.
Phone / Fax: +389022618050, Mobile: +38970350086
Email: mir_sk@mt.net.mk, Skype: humanitarian.organization.mir