northern great plain and cigánd district

ABOUT PILOT AREA

The Cigánd district is located in Hungary, in the North Great Plain region, in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén country. It is situated in an extremely isolated location, directly next to the Slovak border, including 15 settlements. It is one of the most disadvantaged areas in the country. Agriculture is one of the main economic activities in the area. Unemployment is a major problem, nearly one in four people are unemployed, and also, there is a shortage of skilled labour. Early education is not available due to the shortage of places, primary schools are not available in all settlements, and there’sno high school in the district. Public transportation and road networks are very poor, and the underdevelopment of infrastructure exacerbates the isolation of the region and increases the vulnerability of its residents.

The region lacks a common legal framework for supporting social economy enterprises, with support relying more on municipal funds. Important initiatives include programs supporting social enterprises and rural municipality-based social cooperatives. Priorities include fostering artisan workshops and promoting sustainable local agriculture.

ABOUT VULNERABLE GROUPS OF THE PILOT AREA

The two vulnerable age groups in Cigánd district are children and the elderly, while the largest minority ethnic group is the Roma population. In Hungary 77% of Roma people are at risk of poverty which in the pilot areas pairs with spatial segregation as well. The share of people living in severe material and social deprivation or at-risk-of-poverty is almost twice the national average, and child poverty is a serious problem. Many children struggle with learning and behavioural problems due to their disadvantaged backgrounds. In a number of settlements, the rate of disadvantaged children in primary schools is extensively growing and even reaches 90%. The population of the district is less educated and often lack crucial labour-market competences, thus the share of unemployed and inactive persons is high. Public employment and the municipality-focused social economy has major role in tackling structural unemployment.