Roma Community Center “DROM”

Центар за Ромска Заедница “ДРОМ”

Ahmet Jasharevski Chairman

The Roma Community Center “DROM”, in short RCC "DROM", is a Roma NGO founded in Kumanovo, Macedonia in 1997. In Romani language, "drom" means "road". For the organization’s members, this means road to development, to obtain human rights, to democracy, to education and integration. The RCC "DROM" cooperates with relevant institutions in and out of the Republic of Macedonia. It advocates, motivates and actively works for higher living standards and higher level of integration of Roma in the social life through projects and programs of educational, humanitarian, social and emancipation character, as well as respect for gender differences. Following the working program of DROM, the activities are realized through conferences, seminars, tribunes, symposiums, media presentations and public press organs, preparations of publications, formation of educational centers, etc. The project activities are not based only on official state information for the condition of Roma, but also on the own researches of DROM and the everyday contacts with the target group about education, health, housing, employment, economy, infrastructure and other areas where the problems of Roma people are focused. The RCC "DROM" is a member of FUEN since 2017.

In the 2002 census, 53,879 people self-identified as Roma. Other sources claim the number to be between 80 000 and 260 000 Roma in North Macedonia or approximately 4 to 12% of the total population.