Roma artisans in handicraft fair

Tirana, 8 April 2011 – The United Nations in Albania joined forces with the Municipality of Tirana, Ministry of Labour Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports to hold a series of cultural events to mark the 8th of April, International Roma Day. The day serves as an opportunity to celebrate Romani culture and raise awareness of the issues facing Romani people.
As part of the day’s activities taking place in Rinia Park, central Tirana, that included traditional Roma music, dance and performance, the One UN Joint Programme Empowering Vulnerable Local Communities of Albania supported a Roma handicraft fair that showcased the work of Roma artisans from across the country.
The fair was aimed to strengthen the Roma craftsmen network, and support the marketing of Roma handcrafts in Albania, bringing together a diverse collection of handmade artwork produced in a wide variety of materials including paper, fiber, wood, glass, metal and cotton. The fair drew the attention of a number of passers-by and provided a good opportunity for Roma artisans to sell their unique products, while also raising awareness of the Roma community’s unique contribution to Albanian cultural life.
In addition to the activities in Rinia Park, the One UN Joint Programme organized a two day reading activity in the community of Bregu i Lumit in Tirana. Around 100 Roma and non-Roma children, benefited from reading activities and an interactive puppet show virtue of a mobile bibliobus that travelled to the community to mark April 8th.
As part of the Joint Programme, the United Nations in Albania, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, is working to strengthen the scope and quality of pre-school education throughout the country. To date, 900 pre-schools have been provided with reading libraries, while 220 teachers have been trained in the use of pedagogical practices and active learning methodologies.