Budulai Mișcoi: the community mediator helping Roma youth find jobs and opportunities

Budulai Mișcoi is a dedicated community mediator and founder of the Public Association ‘Zdorovii Gorod’ (‘Healthy City), a non-commercial organisation created to support youth and vulnerable communities in the Republic of Moldova. 

Through his organisation, Budulai Mișcoi has coordinated projects with a significant impact in some of the most sensitive and complex fields, such as supporting refugees, Roma communities, orphans, widows, and people in situations of vulnerability or dependency.

Throughout his activity, he has promoted sports, tournaments, charitable activities and educational programmes, thus creating a safe environment where young people can develop and discover their potential.

“For almost a decade, every Saturday, we have organised sports activities and trainings for young people, and now we work with the third generation of participants. Through our youth club we offer billiards, table tennis, movies and personal development sessions – a space where young people feel accepted and supported,” says Budulai.

Supporting the Roma community

His activity in the Roma community began in the context of the Ukrainian refugee crisis in 2024. His organisation, together with other partners, initially provided humanitarian assistance, and later support for social and economic integration. In this process, Budulai observed the vulnerability of the Roma community and the lack of opportunities for integration.

“I noticed that, although Ukrainians managed to move from meeting basic needs to integration and employment, the Roma remained in the same situation. They have the same need for inclusion, education, and professional opportunities. I strongly believed that they also deserve a future, so I accepted the challenge of becoming a mediator responsible for the Roma,” he explains.

EU4Youth Phase III: Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship

Recently, Budulai participated in a training session organised by the EU4Youth programme, strengthening his competences in the field of supporting youth and developing community initiatives. The experience proved a defining moment in strengthening his skills as a mediator. The training brought together representatives of public authorities and community mediators, focusing on identifying the barriers that hinder the social and economic integration of Roma youth, while exploring effective methods of communication and facilitating access to education, vocational training, and employment. Here, Budulai established connections for future projects and received valuable information for his work.

“EU4Youth provided the necessary conditions for everyone to unite around a common issue, creating an atmosphere where civil society organisations, mediators, and state institutions came together. A favourable environment was created through shared tables, coffee, communication, trainings, and various activities,” says Budulai.

Mediators acquired knowledge and practical tools to provide more effective support for the integration of Roma youth into the labour market, through an approach centred on trust, inclusion, and inter-institutional collaboration. They learned to recognise and combat antigypsyism in recruitment processes, understanding how unconscious biases and stereotypes can influence Roma youth’s access to employment.

The training also provided a better understanding of the historical and systemic context that generated distrust of institutions among Roma communities, helping mediators approach the community with empathy, respect, and cultural sensitivity.

Finally, the mediators began to develop concrete strategies and action plans.

“I created a coordination group with state institutions – the National Employment Agency, family doctors, and the healthcare system – and organised a meeting with the Roma community. After launching the educational programme, I will personally visit businesses to motivate them to offer jobs and internships,” says Budulai.

Obstacles Roma youth face in employment

A major obstacle remains the labour market: many employers are either uninformed or unwilling to hire Roma youth. At the same time, many young Roma face shame, lack of confidence, and educational barriers, and the mediator’s role is to support them step by step.

“Material support is not enough – young people need trust, safety, and constant communication. One young person told me he was ashamed to go to work because he does not know how to write. In response, I created a mechanism through which a teacher will teach him these basic skills,” says Budulai.

Another barrier is the lack of family support in education. Children go to school without help from home and often face discrimination among classmates. To remove this barrier, Budulai proposed introducing additional lessons for Roma children and wrote recommendations for including dedicated budgets for Roma and vulnerable groups.

“Roma are increasingly open to society and see that, when there is real support, young people want to participate, learn, and get employed,” notes Budulai.

The mediator in the Roma community: impact and concrete results

Budulai considers that the mediator’s role is not only to provide services but to build bridges of trust between the community and institutions, between parents and schools, and between young people and their future. Through his work, he aims to eliminate structural barriers and promote equal access to services, education, and employment for all citizens of Moldova, regardless of ethnicity.

“My goal is for all citizens, including Roma, to be integrated into society, to have equal access to opportunities, and at the same time to preserve their cultural identity. This is my mission,” Budulai concluded.