The village of Žehra

Village is located in the area under the Spiš castle, which is very attractive for tourists, in the vicinity of the protected natural territory called „Dreveník“. The church of the Holy Spirit included in the List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage UNESCO is also worth mentioning. These are the reasons why the municipality and its surroundings are visited by a large number of both foreign and home tourists.

Today, the municipality of consists of three independent localities: the village of Žehra itself (about 20% of inhabitants), the locality „Dreveník Residential Area“ – including the Roma settlement Dobrá vôľa – with about 70% of inhabitants, and the part Hodkovce (10% of inhabitants).

The present situation of the numerous Roma community in the municipality can be characterized by a high level of unemployment (almost 100%), low level of education and problems connected with crime, usury, and booze and drug addiction.

In order to reduce and later completely eliminate these negative impacts, the civic association Community centre SPOLU  in Žehra, which develops voluntary activities of a group of Roma people from the year 1998, activities of the project Phare 98 „Improving the Situation of Roma People in the Spiš Region“ and the initiative of the CA SPOLU, have decided to establish a community centre in the village. The main objective of the civic association CC SPOLU in Žehra is to create conditions for improving social, economic, cultural, spiritual, educational and work possibilities of the Roma people and increase their initiatives in solving their own problems.

The municipality joined the YOUR SPIš Fund in May 2003, and in the following grant round it received funds for the project of a sidewalk construction. Cooperation of the Secondary Apprentice School of Forestry in Bijacovce with the local Community Centre CA SPOLU and the municipality of Žehra has resulted in the opening of a remote class for Roma boys and girls from the settlement Dobrá Vôľa in September 2003.