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| Gatali and Altini |
In
Roma culture children are used to get married in a young age. The
appropriate age to get married in the Roma culture for girls is 9 to
12 and for the boys is 13 to 15 years old. Another Roma interesting
fact is that the Roma girls are promised
as brides since they are 4 or 5 years old, for a different amount of
money.
The
legal minimum age for marriage in Albania is 16, but ADRA have
noticed that the practice of school-age marriages remains common in
the Roma community, and the authorities normally turn a blind eye.
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| Roma children in traditional Albanian costumes |
Through
ADRA trainings about early marriages and pregnancies the Roma girls
and parents are reacting about this issue. This is a great success
that the “REFLECT” project has achieved. A story of success is
the Roma weeding that was organized on
21th of September in the Roma community of Fushe Kruja. The bride and
the groom are two beneficiaries of REFLECT project. Adelina Gatali is
17 years old and she has been attending “REFLECT’ project since
its beginning. Even the groom Altini (18 years old) has been a
regular attendee of this project.
They
invited ADRA’s staff on this special day. All the Roma present in
the wedding expressed their happiness that ADRA staff took part in
this event because for them it was the first time that non Roma
people were present to celebrate with them. The bride and the groom
were the only ones that were not laughing and enjoying because
according to Roma culture they have to give the perception of someone
who have left the childhood behind and is matured.
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| ADRA staff with the bridal couple |
Music
was the most important part of the celebration. The Roma are talented
to dance beautify under the music and for them music signify “Life”.
