Youth for children!

 Many young people think of summer as the time of the year to enjoy nature and relax after a long and tiring year. Ardit, 16, and his friends had a different idea. They wanted their summer to be different, not only for them but also for children with different abilities who often have limited opportunities to make friends and have fun. 

For the first time, 16 youth (members of the Student Government of one of the schools in Elbasan) undertook an initiative that changed the outlook of summer for 30 children with different abilities. During three days, children from eight villages spent a wonderful time together, playing games that helped them learn to be active, to accept themselves and to accept other children like them. All the children are part of World Vision’s sponsorship programme which helped set up the Student Government they were part of and introduced them to the Alternative, an organization dedicated to reducing the isolation of children with different abilities. 

 Earlier this year, the youth organizers received training by World Vision in partnership with "Alternative" organization. The training aimed to show them how important is to include children with different abilities in our lives and to motivate them becoming actors of change in their community. After receiving this training, Ardit and his friends came up with the idea for the camp on their own.

 “We wanted to do something for these children because we feel sad when we see that they never leave their homes,” said Ardit, one of the organizers.  “In the beginning, it seemed difficult to organize this activity. But, it turned out better than we thought,” he adds. “We had the support of World Vision, of the community, of the parents and the most importantly we had the happiness of all the children,” he adds.

Krisitina, a child with different abilities, happy to be part of the activity.

“It is amazing to see these young people being so motivated to make a change in their community,” says Birkena Maloku, World Vision staff in the Elbasan area. “We are really surprised to see how engaged they have been. They have put all their efforts in this activity,” she added.

 The children were also very excited. “I am very happy to be here,” said Fatjona, 12, one of the participants. “I am having so much fun and I have made new friends,” she added.

The parents of the children who participated were equally pleased. “I am happy that my daughter had the possibility to be here with other children and experience something different than what we can offer to her at home,” said Donika, Fatjona’s mother.

 This activity was a three-day journey to a new experience for all the children who participated. The youth helped all the children see how important it is to get out of their homes and helped them tackle isolation by encouraging them to accept themselves and others like them. “The most beautiful part of this activity was to see how much the children changed in such a short time,” said Mimoza Deliu, director of Alternative, an organization that specializes in work with children with different abilities.  Alternative provided professional staff to support the youth and children during the camp. “On the first day, some of the children tried to remain on the sidelines. But, after they saw how much fun the other children were having they joined the games, spent time with each other and accepted each other,” she added.

These youth became part of the children’s lives, leaving a lasting mark by giving them their best experience to date. At the end of the activity, the youth felt good about their working knowing they made a positive change in their community and in the lives of children who participated. 

                                                            The end!