An Englishman in Albania
Where to start? I arrived in Albania, to work for YMCA Europe, 4 months ago. I have been frustrated, excited, challenged, perplexed, and stuck out like a sore thumb during that time. Life here can be summed up in two words: Not boring.
On the work side of things, the major need is for creation and implementation of a strategic plan to take place at all levels. The National structure has remained stagnant for a couple of years now and new energy and personnel are needed to re-invigorate the process. This, coupled with the development of local YMCAs are the two major needs of the YMCA here. Currently there are two local YMCAs - Tirana and Shkodra. Tirana has essentially been inactive for the last year-to-18 months. There are youth who appear interested in creating programs and serving the community in a socially relevant manner. However, the frustration I find, though Albanian culture is not alone in this, is the lack of communication. Both in terms of answers to direct questions and the ability to communicate with the outside world - outgoing internet and phone connections are erratic at best.
That said, the Shkoder YMCA is at the other end of the scale. Though reliant on donations and international contributions, they are running programs, such as: the construction of new school for the education programs they run for Roma children and their families; activity clubs in the areas high schools, and collaborations with other agencies. Their dream is an internet/youth activity centre in the city. This will allow them to provide a needed service and generate a revenue stream, allowing them to move away from donation dependency and build a sustainable movement. There is a team of committed volunteers in place who have already created a pro-forma budget and are working on fundraising ideas.
So....based on the activity level, I have recently moved to Shkoder in order to focus all available resources on this local YMCA with the view to establishing it as a viable, sustainable YMCA presence in the country. More from Shkoder and personal insights into Albania in my next update. Ian
