Colorful celebration of the International Roma Day in Fushe Kruja

Like every year on the 8^th of April, ADRA Albania and the Roma Community of Fushe Kruja celebrated the International Roma Day together. This year, it was the special case that the Reflect project could be combined with the project “Reflect Resilience” in which the two schools “Qemal Stafa” and “Bakushe Visha” are included.

It was a sunny day in the town of Fushe Kruja when the ADRA staff from Tirana arrived. They could already hear music and see people in the yard of the community centre. Facilitator Mira had hung a big Roma flag over one window and had put chairs in rows on which 45 pupils and their teacher were waiting.

After some last preparations, the program with the moderators Kasandra (from the Roma Community) and  Arlinda (from “Bakushe Visha”) could start.


 

The first on stage were the Roma children. All of them were dressed very chic, some in traditional clothes some in another way. They sang songs about politeness, children’s rights and animals, furthermore the two boys Orgito and Mario recited a poem and the girls Rozalinda, Kasandra and Ornela danced their beautiful ballet to the music of “For Elise”.

 

Two students from “Bakushe Visha” played a sketch for the audience. One played a Roma man who was begging for money in the streets. The girl came by and took the chance to talk with him about other options for his life like education and proper work. The sketch got a lot of applause, also from the Roma people that had come in the yard time after time.

The moderator Kasandra took the microphone after the sketch and interviewed the Roma women Moza. She is out of the poorest families in the community but she liked to speak in this event because through ADRA she got aware about her right to speak. She told everybody how important it is for her that her children are going to school.

“Qemal Stafa”’s presentation was performed with a lot of students. They brought self-made posters and three girls took the microphone to explain their meaning and to point out their opinions. All of them wanted the Roma to know that in their eyes they are all equal and all humans, that they are having the same rights and should have the same possibilities and that they all should work hand in hand.

After a short speech in which facilitator Mira thanked everybody for coming and examined that not only today we should worry about the Roma issues but every day, the Roma women entered the stage to end the show with a dance. Leaded by Suela, they danced an Indian dance in traditional clothes. When they had finished, everybody was invited to dance with them and the program ended in a colorful crowd.