Dokumentumok
Nyomtatóbarát változat
Cím:
Olasztelek
Szerző:
Tüzes Bölöni Ferenc
Ország:
A kiadás helye:
A kiadás éve:
2003
Kiadó:
SZEKE
Terjedelem:
Nyelv:
Tárgyszavak:
közösségfejlesztés, esettanulmány
Állomány:
Esettanulmányok, Közösségfejlesztési partnerségépítés Közép-Kelet Európában
Forditas:
Megjegyzés:
Annotáció:
Leltár:
Raktári jelzet:
E


En
OLASZTELEK

Study Case



Olasztelek is a small settlement with 750 inhabitants. It belonged, in the past centuries, to Bardoc district, and now it belongs, together with other three settlements they constitute Bardoc commune. Its population is almost enterely Hungarian, only a few number of Romanian, that speak Hungarian language very good. There are no other language speaking people in this settlement.
From the point of view of their religion most of people are Reformed, about 15% belong to other Church. The relationship among different Churches is very good. The Reformed Church has office infrastructure, and this may be used by people belonging other Church.
Years ago a smallcongregational room, today the Congregational House, built in 1994 with can be used by people belonging to other Church.
In the village there is a primary school (grades 1-4), with 2 groups and 2 teachers. Students continue studying in Barot or Bardoc. The percentage of those who continue their study in colleges anduniversities is quite high. But onlya few persons with a diploma could find ajob at home.
During the communist era in the village the forced economical centralization was characteristic. Coal mining was the only possibility for a job and earning money in the Barot Basin. In this situation in a period of 50 years 350 people left the village, most of them young people. The cause of moving people to town was the lack of spiritual freshness.
In agriculture mainly for animal breeding existed possibilities. Until the early 90s people could work only in the Agricultural Co-operative. In this situation ceased the natural teaching process of farming science.Young people could not have these information that were given from father to son.
After 1990 the agricultural co-operative was closed, the existing goods and the infrastructure were sold. Private farming started with difficulties, mostly as a situation with no other alternative.
Land was given back to their real owner, but it was too small for a family and it was difficult to make agriculture. Furthermore, for people agriculturewas a kind of ’second job’ untill somebody could have a full-time job at a company or institution. People could work land in their spare time, on holydays and legal vacation. Work was hard because there was lack of machines.
Starting in the above mentioned period, for today decline of coal mining has reached a very deep point.
Because of the decline of coal mining Barot Basin has been considered a disadvantaged region. But Olasztelek has not been included in the list of disadvantaged settlements. Insuch a situation could happen that economic competition among particular companies, at a distance of 4 km,was unfair.
In the early 90s a number of private companies had started, more than 100 new jobs were created, mainly in wood- and food industry. Unfortunately, after a couple of years most of them has closed. There were many reasons that have created this situation. On one hand the situation created by laws governing enterprises, legal and economical unsafetyness, on the other hand lack of entrepreneur-ship information as well as the aim of becoming rich very quickly. During the communist era the institutions of the village were very centralized,and this has a result even today in people’s way of thinking. Institutions as post office, city hall, physician etc. were only in the commune centre Bardoc
There is a culturalcentre in the village. Since decades, there take place weddings, burial ceremony comemorial meetings and other different events.
The settlement and the community was continuously proud of its past, every day life and results. Local people are very proud of living in Olasztelek, and people from neighbouring villages look with respect at them. It is due to Olasztelek villagers’ progressive way of thinking and hardworking. The other side of respect was that villagers were considered not spending too much money (saxon people), they could marry even between relatives, only not to part the goods and money gathered in a lifetime.
At the beginning of the 20th century nearly 20% of the adult male population left for the USA to work. Most of them returned home with the money earnd there. That is why this village was given the ’Little America’ name by people living in the neighbouring villages. This meant, maybe, not only material, but spiritual benefit for people living there, for the community.
There was a vivid community life some decades ago. These were amateur theatrical performances, balls, community performances, and the revivel of traditions. In some cases people had done all these activities because of the existing propaganda, but not because it was compulsory.
Slowly, all these began to disappear about twenty years ago, before the social, political and economical changes. After 1989 they have reached the minimal level. People started to hate working for community, theydid not trust one in the other. Working togather was changed by competition. Fortunately, this is not true in agricultural work, as people by circumstances are forced to work together.
In the 90s community and cultural activities were mainly school and religious performances. The Church was the basis for informal youth activities.
There was a great success the meeting of people born in the village (that moved all around the world), organized yearly by the Church. Unfortunately,it could not be extended to the whole community. That is why the importance of this began to decrease.
There was no opportunity for the village community to discuss problems together and to make plans. The quite rarely organized village meetengs were about hiring a persons for cow herds. For people it was natural that others decided instead of them. All they could do was to make comments upon other’s decisions.
In September was organized – with the occasion of the meeting of people born in Olasztelek – a community discussion. Its aim was to look for opportunities, future planning, problem identification and problem solving. There were about forty people, it was organized by the Reformed Congregation, and the discussion was lead by Zoltan Balla. This was the place where I came into contact with the idea of community development. Mr. Balla is the leader of Human Reform Foundation, and he organized in the same year a community development training,where Aniko Mate was a participant from Olasztelek.
On the community discussion he had used the method of community interview, the questions put were for the identification of strengths, weaknesses, ideas for problem solving and promises of persons. Following this, participants tried to draw a kind of future for themselves.
It was characteristic for the community discussion that identification of problems started quite slowly. The first result was that people began telling their thoughts. Maybe this was the first time when people were talking about their problems in community and in public. People had not really promised to do something for the community.
It can be considered a result, of second importance, that following the community discussion in the life of the community people were discussing quite a long time about it. It was a ’black point’ for us that people were looking for a guilty person. But after not much time people became sure that the only thing that we wanted to do was to solve problems. Later, when we started community interview,people’s attitude changed completely. They were glad to be participants.
The community development process started in Olasztelek on November 2000. The Reformed Congregation asked the Regional Community Development Association of Szeklerland (SZEKE) to start the community development process in this settlement.
During the interview making (two days) about 60 persons were asked: those named by the priest, and later visited persons.
The data gathered there were put into order, followed the community discussion. There were invited persons visited before and villagers. The number of persons that took part was about 30. Here persons made promises.
Seven persons have started to edite a local newspaper, as there was a lack of communication between the community and the local government. Its name was ’Messzelato’. From about 250 families 200 has bought the newspaper. About 150 persons pay before.
A young lady – she is an economist – started to teach, as a volunteer, English language. During 2 years, 20-30 high school students attended the course. It has to be finished, as the trainer has moved from the village.
Two young girls started a fitness-gimnastics circle, with 10-12 persons, forabout 1 year,mainly in spring and in autumn. In winter the difficulty consisted in the lack of a proper room. There were a misunderstanding about the musical material, and that is why the trainers did not continue working.
A computer science course started with the assistance of the Reformed Church. The trainers belonged to the Human Reform Foundation. There were 16 participants, and at the end of the course all of them have got a certificate
After a few month, the editing group of the newspaper has founded the ’Messzelato’ Association. In this way they wanted to have a legal background for the initiatives that serv the interests of the community.
They organized yearly a traditional dance performance as well as young people’s day, with programmes according to the necessities of boys and girls.
Once in 2-3 month were invited educated persons to share new information with villagers interested in scince and arts.
They have written applications for different grants. In such a way,one of them was financed by an organization to build a memorial for a famous person born in the village.
They took part in organizing the meeting of persons born in the village, and organizing community programs.
They signed a contract with the local government in order to use the cultural centre for different activities. Their aim is to start regular programs. A folk dance group has been founded, where young people are tought by twovolunteers.
There appeared problems when they wanted to make a school committee in order to solve problems created by the small number of first grade students.
In July 2002 started a community development training in the Middle East European Partnership Project. SZEKE being a partner in this project, it seems to start working a regional (Erdovidek) community development workshop.
After a break of some decades there was re-founded the local soccer team. It has good results, and it is sponsored by a group of local entrpreneurs.
With the assistance of the above mentioned entrepreneurs and the local government was put in 2002 a traditional carved Szekler Gate at the entrance of school, church and cultural centre. For the success of this action have contributed materially and phisically
Through volunteers were made toys in the schoolyard.
Generally speaking, in these activities community assistance has to be mentioned, including volunteering andoriginal ideas. But finally we can say that more people are consumers than those who work in self-organizational qactivities.
But this is a beginning and the first steps have been made.




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