Despite prejudices and difficulties, four members of a Roma community family in Kosovo have become a “source” of passion, making their dreams of a normal life come true.
Father and son have been opening their hair salon every day for years, welcoming clients from various nationalities. Meanwhile, the mother, with a sewing machine at the corner of the room and two crochet hooks, takes orders for weaving different types of bags. The daughter of the family, besides working with fabric, expresses her creativity in nail art.
“I remember that first haircut I barely managed to do, but my father encouraged me,” says Enes Eminoviq, in his twenties, recalling how he first picked scissors at the age of seven and started learning haircutting techniques.
Eminoviq states that despite prejudices, clients of Albanian, Serbian, Roma, and other nationalities choose their salon for hairstyling.
“I have clients from various nationalities. I get Roma, Serbian, and Albanian clients, and even foreigners, especially in the summer when tourists visit. So, we serve people of different nationalities,” explains Eminoviq.
Eminoviq says that his younger brother also wants to learn the craft of haircutting. However, the eldest son of the family reveals that besides hairdressing, he also has a hobby in video editing and production.
Although the only daughter in this Roma family did not want to speak about her art on camera, her brother, Enes Eminoviq, proudly says that she has a promising future in the profession she has chosen. She is passionate about painting and is involved in nail art, a profession considered profitable.
The mother, Muhabera Eminoviq, shares that she enjoys making bags and other handcrafted items. She sells her products at fairs and through an association, as well as on social media, where she receives most of her orders.
She emphasizes that her craft contributes to the family budget. However, despite this, she wishes to receive more orders and shares the prices of her products.
However, the goals of this four-member Roma family do not stop here. They state that they will continue to work in the professions they love to achieve their dreams. (This product was created in collaboration between CFID and KosovaPress. within the framework of the project: “Countering negative stereotypes about Kosovo Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities through media initiative” , which is funded by UNMIK)
