As part of the HP-YMCA Digital Hubs initiative, supported by HP HOPE devices, YMCA Albania is advancing digital inclusion in partnership with local NGOs and community centres.
Through hubs established in Tirana, Durrës, Elbasan, Berat, Kuçovë, Cërrik, Pogradec, Korçë, Shkodër, Vorë, Bërxullë, and Preza, individuals and families gain access to technology, knowledge, and support in an increasingly digital world.
These spaces are designed to be inclusive and community-driven, especially serving people with limited access to digital tools and services.
Free internet and computer access is available to students, job seekers, elderly people, and marginalised youth. A range of learning opportunities is provided, from basic digital skills to more advanced training using platforms such as HP LIFE, HP Gaming Garage, and introductory programming modules.
In addition to digital skills, visitors receive support navigating online services like job applications, CV creation, e-Albania platforms, social media, and educational resources.
Workshops and individual mentoring also cover topics such as employability, entrepreneurship, and online safety. Youth are actively engaged through tech clubs, peer learning activities, and innovation labs that promote creativity, participation, and inclusion.
The hubs particularly reach out to groups most at risk of digital exclusion: NEET youth, women and girls in underserved areas, the elderly, persons with disabilities, low-income families, migrants and returnees, and Roma and Egyptian communities.
Each hub operates in collaboration with local partners to ensure services are tailored to the specific needs of the community. The approach is decentralised and rooted in trust and accessibility. YMCA Albania believes that digital access is a right — not a privilege — and is committed to making sure no one is left behind.
Current locations include:
- Tirana – “Let’s Stay Together” Community Centre, former “Misto Mame”
- Durrës – “Liberi di Viaggiare” NGO
- Elbasan – “Community Centre Balashe”
- Berat – “Vexhi Buharaja” Public Library
- Kuçovë – Catholic Church Community Centre
- Cërrik – Multifunctional Youth Centre
- Pogradec – Community Centre
- Korçë – “Emanuel Mission” Foundation
- Shkodër – “IRSH – Young Intellectuals, Hope” youth NGO
- Vorë, Bërxullë, Preza – Local Administrative Units
In Durrës, laptops are also used in the Care and Connect – Empowering Employment in Long-Term Care Services project (supported by UNDP), and were part of the International Conference hosted by the University of “Aleksander Moisiu,” attended by over 300 participants. In Korçë, the Emanuel Mission Foundation runs daily programmes in ten centres serving over 450 elderly people and hundreds of parents and children.
In Shkodër, IRSH NGO engages young people and school representatives in training sessions focused on participatory governance. The centre in Kuçovë serves over 100 vulnerable children and families each week, while in Elbasan, the Balashe Centre works daily with 350 children and 45 elderly people from Roma and Egyptian communities. In Vorë, services reach over 1,200 vulnerable residents through the local administrative unit.
Through the HP-YMCA Digital Hubs, YMCA Albania is building bridges across the digital divide, not only by providing access to technology, but by creating local spaces for empowerment, learning, and inclusion.
