Turning sports dreams into reality

At this time, with the 2012 Olympics just around the corner and European Football Championship 2012 just finished, World Vision Albania’s Librazhd Area Development Programme (ADP) has been supporting more than 5000 children to be part of volleyball and football activities in their schools.

This is the third year that Librazhd ADP in collaboration with schools of the area and other partners organized different volleyball and football tournaments. Each year they have a special month, usually during May, that different school clubs participate in the tournament between one another. In the end of the tournament the best school club wins the cup provided by World Vision. 

“Four years ago only six schools were part of these sport activities, while the other schools couldn’t afford it or didn’t have any interest at all,” says Fatmira Pjetri, Sponsorship Coordinator of Librazhd ADP. “When we asked children what activities they wanted to do in their schools or villages, almost all of them answered that if they could they would really desire to play volleyball or football (the most favourite sports for almost [all] Albanian children), so we started to support and encourage all the schools to organize and be part of the sport activities.”

From six active school clubs, this year 28 different schools in the ADP area participated. More than 700 children represented and played on behalf of their schools. Some of these clubs are also supported with sports uniforms and other different materials needed for the tournaments.

The main goals of these activities are to give the children an opportunity to develop their talents, to enjoy their rights and also to support extra-curricular activities which are very important for these children who have no other opportunities outside the school.

“Volleyball is my biggest dream,” says 15 year-old Enkelejda Qatja. “I play volleyball in my school and at home. This is something that fills my heart with joy and makes me to feel important,” she said. 

There is no professional volleyball club in all the Librazhd area, where the total population is approximately 80,000 people. There is only one football club, which struggles to find funds to survive. Unfortunately, only city children have access to this football club, it, not children who live in the rural villages. Beside the fact that the villages are situated far from the city in the mountainous areas with very limited transport, most of the children cannot afford it. Enkelejda is one of them.

A typical school volleyball or football court in Librazhd (and many rural areas in Albania) is very small and has lots of small stones, making it dangerous for children to play there. For Enkelejda and other Albanian children it doesn’t matter if the volleyball or football court is not appropriate at all to play. Their dreams and the desire to play sports are bigger than the real opportunities that they have, or the risks of the court.

Enkelejda plays volleyball with her school. She and her club have been the champions for two years. “This is motivating me to continuing playing, but what I want to achieve in my life is starting a professional school to be a real volleyball player one day, but this is impossible for my economic situation,” said Enkelejda. 

During the World Vision sport activities, she has been pointed out by her teachers as one of the most talented girls who has the ability to be a professional volleyball player, if she can access the right education to support her dream.

This year, almost one month ago, something really special happed to Enkeljeda and some of the children of Librazhd. Se Jim Kim, one of the most famous volleyball players in South Korea, was part of the final volleyball tournament between two best school clubs, and presented the cup.

Se Jim Kim is a very famous volleyball player who participated in the 2000 Olympics in the final volleyball match between South Korea and Bosnia Herzegovina. He has played with the South Korea National team for more than 30 years as a team leader. At this year’s Olympics he will be a commentator for his national team. Se Jim Kim spent three days with Librazhd ADP children who dream about volleyball, encouraging and supporting them.

“Albanian children are really talented and they really deserve to be support[ed] in their dreams for sports,” said Mr. Kim.

“Enkeljeda is really special; she has a natural gift.  She has a great potential to be a very famous volleyball player in the future and I really want to support her dream coming true,” he added.

Mr. Kim committed to support Enkeljeda financially, so she can have the professional support and the right education to realize her talent.

“Finally someone could hear me and I found the answers of my prayers,” she said, her enthusiasm lighting up the room.