The village of Rudňany

is located in the district of Spišská Nová Ves. In the past it used to be an important mining town of the Middle Spiš region. Termination of mining industry in the 90s of the last century contributed to a significant raise of the rate of unemployment in the municipality and in its surroundings. At present the Roma minority in Rudňany represents one third of the total population.

Despite problems at the beginning related to the coming of the YOUR SPIš Fund (FTS) to the municipality, the purposeful and patiently implemented community work has stimulated the establishment of four community groups, which associate volunteers – people interested in work for improving the living conditions of their fellow citizens (future potential Roma and non-Roma community organizations). One of them is the informal group of tenants in the locality 5RPII., which, by means of grant support from the Fund, improved the surroundings of newly built apartment blocks – for example by constructing sidewalks, repairing rain gutters or constructing sheds for wood storage. The Roma Club Zabíjanec established in the Roma settlement Zabíjanec, implemented the project of communal waste disposal in the settlement, as well as educational activities in the area of the environment. The Civic Association ZORE delivered several courses of sewing and handicrafts for both Roma and non-Roma women, and organised volunteers for landscaping and improving village surroundings. Funds raised outside the Fund were used to support a course of bobbin lacing, wire knitting, and own resources without any external financial support were used to finance a course of baking and knitting socks. A local mining organization The Mining Guild of Rudňany is working on the reconstruction of premises for the Archive of Mining and materials that serve as documentation of mining in the Spiš region.

The objective of all non-profit organizations is to mobilize local people to improve quality of their life and decrease tensions between the majority and the Roma minority, thus creating conditions for a better cooperation with the local government.

The pre-school preparation of Roma children is being implemented also in Rudňany, in the Kindergarten 5RPII.

At present the community life of Rudňany has its seat at the premises of this Kindergarten in the 5RPII locality. Currently running projects include the project „Drinking water Zabijanec„, which solved insufficient supply of water into the Zabijanec settlement and another project called „Children’s park – the Kindergarten 5RPII„. Within this project a children’s park called Slniečko (A Little Sun) was built at the new Kindergarten in the locality 5RPII. This project was submitted by an informal group Vašo sikade čhave and the whole community of the locality 5RPII has been involved.

The official opening of the park Slniečko was held on 6th of October 2004, with the presence of the mayor Mr. Blišťan, as well as Mrs. Mačáková, a chairwoman of the Assembly of members of the YOUR SPIš Fund, members of the municipality government and representatives of local press.

In 2004 the „Internet and Computer Centre„ project was implemented.

This Internet and computer centre in Rudňany has been established with an aim to give access to informational technologies – computers and the Internet to the wide public, mainly the group of people who had a very difficult and limited access to these technologies. At the beginning it was planned that the centre would be located in the premises of the Mining archive. However, a room was freed after the branch of the Slovak Savings Bank had left the building of the Municipal office, and this room was more suitable and better met the requirements of a modern computer and Internet centre. From its very beginning the centre has regularly been visited and used by the local community for community activities – writing projects, making reports and organizing various courses. It was opened for the wide public on 1st of February 2005. The basic equipment of the centre includes 3 computers, a printer, a multi-functional device and a copy-machine. After a month of its operation, based on great interest of children and young people from Rudňany in computer games, this centre received new computer games and steering wheels with pedals designed for playing car racing computer games, which pleased mainly local boys. Once a week informal re-qualification courses for beginners and intermediate take place in the centre. Also these courses are in high demand. The opening hours of the new Computer centre were planned for 2 to 2.5 hours a day, four days a week, in the afternoon.

However, from the very beginning the centre was opened daily for more than 4 hours due to great interest of the wide public.