As its chosen pilot project within YOUMIG, the municipality of Sfantu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy in Hungarian) has relaunched the website www.sepsinet.ro. The site targets young migrants planning to return home as its main readership. They will be offered stories to read about the reintegration of young people who have already made the move home after a stay abroad. The site will also post interviews with leaders of local institutions and local news that may be of interest to those who are contemplating a return and who need help with reintegration. Sepsinet was launched in October 2018 and new content is uploaded regularly.

Building an online community

Videos, Interviews

The website presents videos and interviews about the stories of young people who lived abroad at some point but then decided to move home. The individual stories can serve as an example to others. Interviews with leaders of local institutions can also be found on the site, presenting how these institutions address the challenges linked with migration locally.
 
Among other stories, you can read about the story of a young man who moved from Dubai to Sfântu Gheorghe, and is currently managing his own marketing company with his wife. The online community is built by sharing thoughts, responding to and commenting on the different stories published on the website. The content available on the website is also available on the Sepsinet Facebook page.

News

The site contains news about the city of Sfântu Gheorghe for everyone who may be interested in returning home or have already moved home but are still adjusting to the change. Municipal programmes that specifically help young people settle in are presented, such as the Came home programme that offers free lots for building a house, or another scheme where discounts are offered to those who have more than three children. For example families with at least three children can park free of charge in the city, or enjoy a discount at leisure facilities, cultural venues and other events.

Events

The site contains a calendar featuring upcoming cultural events in Sfântu Gheorghe. This is a unique initiative, because there is currently no platform for collecting such events in the city. The information is provided by local organizations and is updated regularly.

Virtual One Stop Shop

The site includes a virtual One-stop shop (OSS) service, that is currently operated as an informational point for migrants in the registry office of the Municipality of Sfântu Gheorghe. People visiting the platform can find useful information regarding medical, educational, cultural and economic services.

The OSS menu is still in the making, welcoming recommendations from institutions, companies and citizens on the content development of the virtual OSS, these can be sent directly to us through the contact menu point. The categories specified by us are also open to change and we are upgrading the site as we go.
 

Plans for the future

Sepsinet aims to build an online community that wants to establish a connection, a sense of belonging, and an animated flow of information which may result in people coming home. The site aims to demonstrate through concrete examples that in Sfântu Gheorghe is a place worth living in. The platform is meant to help strengthen the sense of community among young people who intend to move home and those who have already moved home by helping them to reintegrate into the local hustle and bustle.