Fidani & Samira

In December 2020, when the pandemic had changed the world and social distancing had become the norm, two Albanians from Germany were looking for the same thing without knowing it – someone who understood life between two worlds. Fidan from Kerpen and Samira from Duisburg were ready to give up on dua.com, until they changed small detail that would change everything.

Fidan, 33 years old, is an entrepreneur and IT professional in Kerpen. Originally from Drenas in Kosovo, his family settled in Düren, Germany in 1995, when he was four years old. Besides his IT work, Fidan also runs the shop albanien.shop, where he sells traditional clothing and other products to keep Albanian culture alive in the diaspora. Growing up between two cultures, Fidan always knew he wanted a partner who shared not the Albanian language and traditions, but also the German perspective on life – someone with whom he wouldn’t have to explain why he does things a certain way, someone who understood without words.

Samira, 36 years old from Kaçanik, was the type of woman you wouldn’t meet in Albanian clubs or at weddings. With a bachelor’s degree in Holland, work experience in Dubai, and a master’s in Paderborn with a semester in Chicago, she was at the peak of her career. But family pressure was growing. “At age 25, they started telling me I was getting old,” she recalls with a smile 😆. “They wanted me to stop in the middle of my journey to ‘calm down’ and find someone.”

For Fidan, dua.com came as a recommendation from friends who had already found their partners there. They told him: “If you’re looking for an Albanian woman, dua.com is the solution.” So he decided to install it in 2020. “I had some matches and met some people, but I wasn’t finding the right person,” he recounts.

Samira, on the other hand, was “old school” – no Facebook, no Instagram, just LinkedIn and email for work. “A friend who had found a partner on dua.com and was now married told me about the app,” she remembers. “At first I was skeptical – me, who didn’t even have social media, trying dating 🤨?”

But Corona changed everything. “Until then I was working 12 hours a day,” explains Samira. “But suddenly, with part-time work, I started thinking: I’ve achieved so much in my career, now it’s time to find someone in life.”

Both had been using dua.com for months without success. The reason? They were looking in the wrong direction. Fidan always searched for younger girls, while Samira for older men.

In December 2020, during the holidays in Kosovo, “I was ready to uninstall the app,” recalls Fidan. “But at the last moment I decided to change the age filter.”

At the same time, thousands of kilometers away, on that cold December, Samira did the same thing. “Nuk po gjeja dot kimi me përputhjet që kisha në dua.com. Vendosa t’i jepja një shans të fundit, duke ndryshuar filtrin e moshës.”I couldn’t find chemistry with the matches I had on dua.com. I decided to give it last chance, changing the age filter.”

It was as if fate had waited for both to be ready to open their hearts beyond prejudices.

And that’s when the magic happened – Fidan saw Samira’s profile and remembers it very well. In the first photo, her silhouette was visible, so he had to move to the second. There she was with a kangaroo and looked so beautiful, it made a huge impression. “WOW” he recalls.

At the same time, Fidan’s profile appeared to Samira. “The naturalness attracted me,” she says. “Plus, his profile was complete, with 2-3 photos. In of them, his eyes looked so loyal and familiar.”

“Guten Abend” – that was Fidan’s first message. Simple, direct, no poetic flowers.

At that time, Fidan was in Kosovo for the holidays when they met. “Four or five days of nonstop chat,” he recalls. “Then we called for the first time. Her voice… was so beautiful, I could listen to it all day.”

Samira, who was always very selective when it came to voices, felt the same thing. “For me it was very important that I liked the voice. And I liked his voice immediately.”

Both admit that first phone call was the real test to see if they had real chemistry. “Because if you don’t like listening to the other person talk, there’s no chance you’ll continue with a meeting or something more,” they say.

“When I was still in Kosovo, Samira told me: ‘Let’s meet as soon as you get back, to see if there’s chemistry between us, not talk for weeks and months without seeing each other,'” recalls Fidan.

On January 11, 2021, a cold Monday evening, they met in Düsseldorf’s Medienhafen. Samira worked there, Fidan came from Cologne as soon as he finished work.

“I was very nervous,” admits Samira. “It was my first ‘internet date’ ever – me who didn’t even have Facebook!”

But the nervousness quickly disappeared. With a hot coffee in a thermos that Samira had brought, they started walking along the Rheinpromenade. That night they walked a full 14 kilometers – toward love and their future, without stopping< 3

“Instead of sitting in a café, we walked for hours talking,” explains Fidan. “It was still Corona time, but even if it wasn’t, this way allowed us to know each other deeply.”

What started as a first meeting became a ritual. For three months, Fidan drove from Cologne to Düsseldorf at least twice a week. Samira worked in Düsseldorf but lived in Duisburg.

“Every day after work we’d meet and walk for 5-6 hours,” recalls Fidan. “We’d do about 20,000 steps a day. We talked about everything – about God and the world, politics, philosophy, dreams, our connection and the future that awaited us.”

“At a time when everyone gets to know each other through WhatsApp, we were getting to know each other face to face, step by step,” adds Samira. “We discussed everything that made us who we are.”

This intensive period of getting to know each other convinced both that they had found the right person. “It wasn’t just moment,” explains Samira. “There were many moments – his commitment driving every day, the way he listened to me, how he was never annoying.”

In the summer of 2021, still during pandemic time, they decided to go on their first vacation together. Fidan’s proposal was clear: Albania should be the country where they would experience their relationship as a couple for the first time.

“Samira didn’t really like Albania from childhood memories,” says Fidan. “But I knew the South well and wanted to show her how beautiful it is.”

This trip became a real test of their relationship.. “We had fantastic holidays,” recalls Samira. “Fidan showed me an Albania I didn’t know – beautiful, modern, full of life.”

At the end of 2021, after more than 10 months of knowing each other, they decided to tell their families. “We didn’t want to rush,” explains Fidan. “We wanted to be sure.”

The reaction was positive from both sides. “My 75-year-old father was happy when he heard Fidan was from Drenas,” says Samira laughing. “He immediately asked about the surname and clan – completely Albanian style!”

“Samira’s family liked me immediately,” adds Fidan.. “Especially because she never wanted the family to find someone for her, and now she had found me herself.”

After this, they started exploring the world together – Canada, Fuerteventura, trips across Europe – building memories and strengthening their bond.

What united Fidan and Samira was deeper than just Albanian origin. Both were “Albanians with a German worldview.”

“I didn’t just want an Albanian woman,” explains Fidan. “I wanted someone who understands what it means to be Albanian in Germany – to speak German, think German, but have an Albanian heart and home.”

Samira thinks the same: “If you have to explain everything – why our culture is like this, why the traditions, why the family – love day won’t be enough. We understood each other without explanations.”

Their conversations happened jumping between German and Albanian, naturally mixing two worlds. “At home we’re Albanian, at work German, and with each other we’re both,” says Fidan.

In spring 2022, Fidan surprised Samira with a trip to Cappadocia in Turkey. “At 5 in the morning he woke me up to go to the terrace to see the balloons,” recalls Samira laughing. “I wanted to sleep more!”

But Fidan insisted. And there, with hundreds of balloons rising into the sky, he got down on knee with a wooden box in his hand.

“I was overwhelmed with emotions,” says Samira with tears in her eyes. “Of course I said yes!”

In July 2023, they organized their dream wedding at the magical ship port in Monheim am Rhein. The location was dreamy – waters sparkling under the summer sun and the panoramic view creating the perfect backdrop for the most important day of their lives.

“We wanted to combine tradition with modernity,” explains Fidan. “It was important that our wedding reflected who we are – Albanians who honor their roots but live fully in the 21st century.”

The details were carefully thought out. All guests received sunglasses as gifts, and the moment when the drone photo was taken with everyone wearing the glasses became of the most spectacular moments. “It was so creative and fun,” recalls Samira. “The photo from above with all of us smiling with white sunglasses was amazing.”

But the heart of the wedding was Albanian tradition. Eight professional traditional dancers and energetic drummers ensured the authentic Albanian atmosphere the ceremony needed. The music, dancing, and rhythm of the drums transported everyone to the homeland.

“I was proud when Fidan danced the first dance,” says Samira with shining eyes. “Dancing isn’t his strong point, but he did it magnificently! It was such a beautiful moment – tradition, wedding, the two of us, and all our loved around us.”

The wedding was a perfect reflection of who they are as a couple – modern Albanians who honor tradition but live with style and innovation in the 21st century. A ceremony that combined the beauty of the past with the elegance of today.

For their honeymoon in 2024, Fidan and Samira flew to New Zealand – a longtime dream of Fidan’s, a huge fan of “Lord of the Rings.” There, in the country where the famous trilogy films were shot, they explored with a campervan the stunning landscapes that served as the backdrop for epic adventures

Samira, who initially wasn’t a fan, now shared this passion with Fidan – in fact, his first compliment had been that she looked like Frodo with her curly hair! 😂

But beyond the iconic film locations, what made this trip special was Samira’s willingness to enter the world of Fidan’s passions and his enthusiasm for sharing these moments with her. Thus, traveling through New Zealand’s spectacular landscapes, they weren’t just exploring a new country, but deepening their bond through shared experiences.

Since their marriage in July 2023, Fidan and Samira had carefully planned their financial future. In fact, from the moment the relationship became serious, they had built a joint strategy for economic success. They were a real team – not just in love, but also in ambitions.

In December 2024, the dream came true: they bought their first apartment together. It was the culmination of their joint work and the foundation on which they would build their family.

But fate had an even more beautiful surprise in store.

For months, both had wanted to become parents. When Samira saw the positive test, she couldn’t believe it. “I couldn’t believe it at all!” she recalls. The next day she took two more tests, and after New Year went for a medical checkup to be completely sure.

“I told Fidan the news directly and full of joy,” says Samira. “Without much ceremony, because it was a moment of pure honesty and happiness.” Fidan’s reaction was overwhelming – both were infinitely happy.

The new apartment was the foundation, but the news about the baby was the cherry on top. Ironically, they wanted to name her “Dua” if it was a girl, in honor of the app that brought them together. “But my sister stole the name,” laughs Samira.

When you reach a certain age, you develop habits and character with which you live well alone. But in a relationship, this means opening up to another person – and that brings compromises.

“The biggest challenge was understanding each other’s way,” explains Samira. “To communicate better and not be too proud or stubborn to insist on our own opinion.”

The key to their success? The three languages they speak – Albanian, German, and English. “When words in language weren’t enough to express feelings, we’d switch to another,” says Samira. “Our solution to this day: love for each other and honesty in communication.”

Their mutual influences are essential. “Fidan is my calm,” explains Samira. “I’m energy, speed, ambition. He’s patience, calm, peace. In stressful moments, when I want to act too quickly, he slows me down with his patience and gives me security.”

“Samira has made me more mature,” adds Fidan. “She’s taught me to set boundaries. She’s not a typical Albanian woman – zero ego, very reflective. She comes after days and says ‘I thought about what you said, you’re right.'”

The results of this partnership are tangible. “Everything we’ve achieved in the last four and a half years – my promotions at work, personal development, buying the house, and the most beautiful gift: founding a family – nothing would have been possible without him,” says Samira. “And it wouldn’t have been half as beautiful.”

Their philosophy is simple but powerful: “Only when you’re happy with yourself can you make someone else happy.”

In the first week of September 2025, their new home filled with the sweet sounds of a baby boy. As Fidan and Samira held their son for the first time, they remembered that last click on dua.com that had brought them together. Now, five years later, two people who had been ready to give up on finding love were holding in their arms the most beautiful testament to their love.

“Never!” they both answer in unison.

“Samira isn’t the type who goes to Kosovo for holidays,” explains Fidan. “And I would never talk to an Albanian woman on the street. Without dua.com I wouldn’t have my family.”

“People like us you don’t find in Albanian clubs or discos,” adds Samira. “We’re in the middle of life, busy with careers and personal development. Our circles would never have crossed.”

Fidan: “I just recommended dua.com to my 25-year-old sister. Parents are telling her she’s getting old and needs to marry quickly. But I told her – find someone yourself on dua.com. It’s mainstream among Albanians now, it’s the way.”

Samira: “I used to mock dating. But without dua.com I would never have found the man of my dreams.

My message:Don’t put yourself under pressure. Don’t marry after a few months just because family expects it. Everyone has their own time. Be open, be yourself, and the app gives you opportunities – what you do with them is in your hands.”

Sot, me djalin e vogël në krahë, Fidani dhe Samira janë dëshmi e gjallë se dashuria mund të lindë edhe nga një klik i fundit në një aplikacion. Historia e tyre na kujton se ndonjëherë, kur jemi gati të heqim dorë, fati na surprizon. Dy shqiptarë që jetonin vetëm 50 kilometra larg, por që pa teknologjinë nuk do të ishin takuar kurrë, tani po e rrisin djalin e tyre në një familje të bazuar në dy kultura, një dashuri, dhe mijëra hapa së bashku përgjatë Rheinpromenade.