A job for me . . .

"There are job vacancies, but there is no skilled labour force." - this is one of the most popular expressions in the past couple of years.

Graduated young people cannot find a job. Others, who wanted to pursue their childhood dreams, conditioned by the family's financial situation, has to drop that dream hoping to find a second chance for it later in life.

This is how Klodian Rreshka begins to tell us about his childhood "hobbies": "I started little by little, from the small things to the household appliances, I remember once dismantling the washing machine. Mom yelled at me all the time, crying out things like: how could you do this to me, you ruined my washing machine. As I liked dismantling it, so I enjoyed putting the pieces back together, however, as she would do chores around the house, she would come across missing pieces of the washing machine. Dad was an immigrant in Greece, and for that short time that he was with us, he did not want to yell at us. Those parts of the washing machine that I had found unnecessary, my dad would open it up again and put them back to where they belonged. I attended Librazhd’s high school, but it was clear that I prefered to get a job instead. I prefered learning a trade more then I was inclined to continue my academic education, so I decided to drop school."

Klodian did not stop searching for other opportunities. He wanted to return to his childhood passion, so that soon after he heard about the vocational courses organised by World Vision in Librazhd, he applied and attended the vocational course that would provide him with the know-how to repair household appliances. He found the subject quite easy. He had always wanted to participate in such training, but the family's financial situation could not support it. He finished the training as a top student. After completion of the course he was awarded a certificate of completion, he learned many tricks of the trade, and World Vision provided him also with a tool box. He was ready to start work. For about four months, he walked to places where the affirmed craftsmen of the trade did not travel to.

He found the walking around not only tiring, but also restrictive as he managed to fix no more than one appliance a day. However, after a few months, he managed to find a solution. With the money he collected during the first months, but also with the help of some of his cousins, he purchased a moped which now is like a friend to him. Since then, he has been providing services throughout Librazhd, in places like Përrenjas, Miraka, Polis, Stërbleva and many other villages. 

"The most distant village I have traveled to is Sopot. When I was there the first time, they had to come out with mules to meet me. We walked for two hours on foot and I stayed four days into the villagers' houses as I could not possibly fix all the broken equipment in that short period of time. I fixed four fridges and three washing machines. They cannot bring them to the city because there is no motorway. People would call me on the phone and describe more or less what the problem was. Then I would try to figure out what replacement parts I should take with me" - he says.

He tries to make time also to hang around with his friends. Whenever they meet him, they are surprised because Klodian has always been a rather passive guy at school and now he knows everyone in Librazhd.

His parents enjoy their son's vocation. They are happy that their eldest son did not emigrate, but earns a living and can teach this trade even to the younger brother. He has already started taking his brother with him, but it seems like the younger one is not really fond of this craft. Anyway he will continue to teach him everything he knows, because however life may turn out for him, at least he would have a vocation to lean on.

The boy from Librazhd is trying to pursue also another of his dreams. "In the future I would like to open a shop in Librazhd. Even a small one would do, enough to keep the tools in and materials, so that I will not have to keep them at home, but to have them within reach when I leave for Elbasan or any other village "- he concludes his story with the hope that this will become possible in the near future.

Klodian Rreshka has taken part in the vocational courses of Elbasan’s Regional Public Vocation Training Directorate organised by World Vision in the city of Librazhd. About 200 youth and women are trained, mainly in specialties of plumbing, mechanics, tailoring, construction, barber, cooking, hairdressing. Today about 200 people are self-employed.

This project has stimulated dozens of other young people who have started vocational courses.