I am not a journalist, but when you are in such a situation and in front of a child, who stirs your heart, you desire to share this story with others.
As the local coordinator of the MWL Men’s Project in Lushnje. I often go for work visits to project members. One day I was going to Saimir Shehu, whom the MWL Foundation supported for conducting a professional welder course. While I was talking to Saimiri about the new job that he had started in a private business near his house (making iron gates, railing and some little works for the village community), a young girl of nine or ten years old, entered the workplace. I smiled and asked: “Who is this beautiful girl?” “My daughter”, said Saimiri and he continued, “Erisa welcome this uncle, he is the one who offered me the course”. Erisa saw me with welcoming, kind eyes and shook my hand, then went on: “You are at the foundation that helped my Dad, thank you.” “Why do you thank me?” “Because you make it possible for my Dad to have this job and now he is not going anymore to Greece for work.” “Why are you so happy that your Dad is not going to Greece?” I asked curiously. “Because I will not see my mom crying anymore. At last, Mom, my brother and I, we will celebrate Christmas and New Year together with Daddy at the table. “
Little Erisa said this and ran to her Mom. Saimiri smiled and waved his head, while I felt a relief in the chest, an inner joy and a heartfelt thanks to our donors, for the foundation, that at least one child delights the soul in this Albania, where the problems are endless.
Mary Word Loreto and the MWL Men’s project in the area of Shkodra have implemented, in this first phase, a total of 9 courses from the suburbs of Shkodra, after signing a cooperation agreement with the Director of Professional Courses in Shkodra in the branches of: Installation of Solar Panels, Joiner, Electro house hold Repair and Installation.
One of the interested people in these trainings was Mr. Lulash Shpataj, who was enrolled in the course of Joiner.
Lulashi, is father of a little one-month-old girl with his wife unemployed. He is a former soldier in the Armed Forces Department of the Lac Vau dejes. He is a returned emigrant, and left out of work after many layoffs! Lulashi attended the “Joiner” course re-starting after a previous experience in Greece, where he worked as a carpenter and desired to have work as an independent joiner.
After the course, he immediately began to engage as a carpenter in the social network where he was asked to make repairs. These included furniture for houses or work places. With the effort and sacrifice, he managed to make a mini workshop with the help of Mary Word Loreto.
This employment enterprise has now grown to provide work for himself as a carpenter in one of the Manufacturer Furniture Shops in Shkodra city and at his workshop too.
Lulashi feels very grateful to the Mary Word Loreto Foundation and thanks them for continuing this opportunity for giving him the green light to move on and uphold the life with his family.
Ermiri is a boy from the beautiful city of Shengjin. He is married and lives with his family. Like most young Albanians he is unemployed. He wanted to have a professional qualification but his economic situation did not allow him to do this. MWL activities in Lezha town and the opportunities offered to “Men” in strengthening the financial and social capacities, helped this man enormously. Ermir was offered a sponsorship with costs, for transport and equipment with a set of hydraulic tools, to work in plumbing. Ermir has successfully passed a professional course as a Plumber. Today he works in a construction company of Professional Hydraulics he is qualified and receives a monthly salary. As a result his economic well-being has been improved. Ermir is very grateful to MWL for the opportunities it offers to people, who for many reasons, have remained without realizing their dreams and passions. Today we present Ermiri’s case but there are other people in the city of Lezha whose lives have been changed for good by Mary World Loreto Foundation because of the opportunities it offers to people in economic-social need.
T
he dense rain precipitation in early December caused a lot of damage to Zall Bastar’s territory. The river level rise has collapsed the electricity pillars and the area has been left without powered for a long time. The rainfall intensity was unusual and powerful, resulting in extraordinary damage. The association “For the Gender integration Association”, an association that operates in the area for years and also supported by the “Mary Ward Loreto” Foundation, has identified the following damages:
We point out that the axes connecting the villages with the unit center are totally damaged.
Dense rain has collapsed the bridges and this has totally blocked the villages, the pupils ability to go to school. Nothing works in the area involved. Assistance from the local or central government has been scarce and this has made the situation worse in relation to need.
There is great damage in the Bridges:
Attached to this information are some pictures from these floods.
