My heart for people
A story that highlights the empowerment of Klea, 17, a registered child, from Dibra area development programme in Albania who, thanks to World Vision, was able to discover her talent and her passion to serve the others. Klea is a member of the Change the Future Youth group in her area. Since September 2014, she has directed a small group called “Different but Equal”. The group is made up of 25 members, between the ages of 15 and 20. “Our mission is to make our people smile,” says Klea.
[Klea organizing games for little children of Dibra area during one of the Gift Kit activities, photo by World Vision's Dibra area staff]
“Everything started when I heard many of my friends talking about some of World Visions’ s volunteers, many of whom were my age, who were being registered to help organise initiatives to help the communities in Dibra,” she remembers.
“I am a sponsored child, but a couple of years ago I did not understand World Vision’s mission for children as well [as I do now]. I could not understand the meaning of a relationship between two people, so different culturally and so [far] apart geographically,” she recalls. “When the first letter from my friend in South Korea came, I was surprised that she was sharing about her life. She also asked, ‘How are you?’ [I couldn’t believe that] a stranger was caring about me,” she remembers. “Now, I am very thankful to be sponsored,” she added.
“When I heard that World Vision was offering space for youth to volunteer, I wanted to help. So, at the age of 14, I became a member of World Vision’s youth group,” she recalls.
The experience helped Klea grow her passion and her courage to help the needy. “I remember my first contact with one of the poorest family at our area. “It was December, and the smallest child of the house, nearly 8, was wearing raged clothes as if it was spring,” she recalls, of her first visit to the family, together with a few other members from her group.
“The house was leaking and walls were nearly ready to collapse, filled with holes that allowed the wind to penetrate easily,” she recalls. “The child stared at me and looked at my hands, as if expecting something from me... We had only some apples in a plastic bag. So, we handed them to the child. He whispered: ‘Thank You’. My eyes filled with tears,” she remembers.
“For two days [after meeting the family] I did not eat,” she recalls. “I was only crying. My mom was shocked by my behaviour and threatened to take me away from World Vision if I did not eat and return to the ‘normal’ person I used to be.”
“That family opened my eyes,” admits Klea . “Since that day I thank God for my family and for having food in our home. But, that experience did not defeat me. Instead, it gave me wings to plan together with other youth how to help that family and others like them,” says Klea.
As a result, Klea and her friends put on a fair to raise money to help provide food for families in need. “We listed nine families most in need and we helped them all,” she says proudly.
[Klea's friends selling products to help raise funds for their community, photo by World Vision's Dibra area staff]
Apart from what Klea and the youth did, those families are very much in World Vision’s focus. The children of those nine families are registered in the Sponsorship programme. They have participated in different activities, like summer camps, Gift Kit, school activities, etc. They are also helped with food supplies during winter times. During this past September, the children were also equipped with school supplies, books and bags for the new year. World Vision has also enrolled the parents in the Family Year initiatives, where they learn how to built healthy relationships in their families and how to treat their children with love and care.
“Our plan was to get donated sweets, rice, cereals, beans, onions and other products from the villages of Dibra, explaining our mission for the needy to the donors. Many of they were willing to help. Some also donated money, in addition edible products,” explains Klea.
“We collected a lot and sold them in a provisory market we built at the city, Peshkopi with the help of World Vision. With passion and a hard work, we were able to raise 1 million lekë ($758 (USD)). With the money we earned, we bought food packages, of rice, beans, onions, spaghetti, flower, sugar, detergent and school supplies for the children of the families. We also donated clothes from our homes, etc.” she explained. The families thanked us so much. Two children also read a poem they had prepared to thank us. It was a very touching moment.
“I like to help others and World Vision is the place where I found support and good friends with the same heart as mine, she says.
[Klea, the curly girl in the center, showing her peers from Kosovo one of her group initiatives. They helped decorating a kindergarden of the area with animated cartoon characters to make it mor friendly for little children, photo by Klevisa Breshani/World Vision]
Klea is not the only hard working and passionate youth in the World Vision’s Change the Future volunteer youth group in Dibra. There are more than 300 young boys and girls, including children, who are passionate and desire to help, just like Klea.
Recently, a group of 43 children have expressed their willingness to help in the Annual Sponsorship Progress Report (APR) process. At their request, the group was trained in photography. They are now supporting World Vision’s team in the sponsorship process by taking photos of children when they receive their gifts from the sponsors.
Find more about youth group in Dibra here