Roma children visit Gjirokastra’s hamam, as CHwB draws attention to its cultural and heritage values
On the occasion of International Day of Roma (April 8), Cultural Heritage without Borders (CHwB) organized this past Wednesday an activity with the Roma Children of “Shpresa Demaj” kindergarten in Gjirokastra. The goal of this activity was for the kids to get to know better their city’s cultural and historical heritage. CHwB staff gave the children a tour of the local hamam, informing them on its history and its value, national and historic, monument. The children, filled with excitement, were able to identify the seven fountainheads and match hamam’s elements with geometrical forms.
The activity, as a part of CHwB’s E Ka Kush E Ka children’s activity series, did not stop with the visit to the hamam. Upon the return to their classroom, the children got hands-on with the booklet The Hamam in Gjirokastra: A Monument By the Water—drawing the fountainheads, coloring the hamam and finding the types of linings in the hamam drawn in the booklet.
Roma in Albania are recognised as an ethnic-linguistic minority and there are close to 120,000 Roma in Albania. The biggest communities are found in Tirana, Durres, Elbasan, Fier and Gjirokastra. April 8 is International Roma Day to bring to attention the challenges that face the Roma people.