Kia’s First Green Light Project in Europe Builds Sustainable Support for Children with Disabilities in Albania

World Vision Albania, in partnership with Kia and World Vision Korea, has officially handed over the management of the Kia Green Light Multifunctional Community Centre to the Municipality of Librazhd, ensuring the continuation of specialised services for children and young people with disabilities and their families in the Librazhd region of Albania.

Since 2023, the Kia Green Light Project in Albania - Kia’s first initiative of this kind in Europe - has focused on improving access to specialised services for children and young people with disabilities, while strengthening the wellbeing and economic resilience of their families.

“The core objective of the Green Light Project is to enable sustainable, community-led operations long after Kia’s direct involvement concludes. By handing over project ownership and management to local communities, we help communities continue creating meaningful impact independently,” said Eunjoo Lee, Team Leader, Sustainability Management Team, Kia. “Albania holds a special place in this project, as our only European initiative,” she added.

Bringing services closer to children and families

Located in the mountainous region of Librazhd, where distance and geography can create barriers to accessing specialised services, the project responded to the needs of children with disabilities and their families by bringing support closer to where they live.

Through the Kia Green Light Multifunctional Community Centre, children and young people with disabilities accessed specialised medical services, physiotherapy, speech therapy, and developmental therapy. At the same time, an integrated mobile service enabled specialists to visit children in their homes, ensuring that children living in remote areas could also access the specialised support they needed.

During the three-year implementation period:

• 97 children and young people with disabilities benefited from specialised services, including medical care, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, and developmental therapy, delivered both at the centre and through home visits for children living in remote areas.
• Around 1,750 children, young people, parents, education and health professionals, and farmers benefited from project activities supporting inclusion, wellbeing, and community engagement.
• Families of children with disabilities received support through income-generating activities, strengthening their economic opportunities and resilience.

Building on World Vision Albania’s experience

The Kia Green Light Project builds on World Vision Albania’s long-standing commitment to supporting children with disabilities and promoting inclusive, community-based services.

Through the “Hello Life” programme and other community-based interventions, World Vision Albania has supported children with disabilities and their families for many years, including in Librazhd, where the organisation has worked alongside communities for nearly two decades.

“One of the key factors behind this success has been the strong collaboration among institutions — a partnership approach that we have built and strengthened here over many years,” said Eljona Elmazi, Executive Director of World Vision Albania.

Building on this experience, the project strengthened this approach in the Librazhd region by combining centre-based services with home-based support, ensuring that more children and families could access the assistance they need.

A partnership creating lasting change

A key achievement of the partnership is ensuring continuity beyond Kia’s direct involvement. Through close collaboration with the Municipality of Librazhd, specialised staff and services established through the project will continue supporting children and families through the Kia Green Light Centre and home-based services.

“The Municipality of Librazhd is committed to ensuring the continuity of these services, so that children with disabilities can continue to receive the support they need,” said Mariglen Disha, Mayor of Librazhd.

Volunteers also contributed to creating a more inclusive environment for children and young people through activities that encouraged participation, social interaction, and a sense of belonging.

“I am very happy that over these three years I have had the opportunity to be close to the children, to see them grow, socialise, and develop their abilities. My experience as a volunteer has taught me that even a small amount of time and dedication can bring meaningful change to people’s lives,” said Danjela, an 18-year-old volunteer.

About the Kia Green Light Project

The Kia Green Light Project is part of Kia’s global corporate social responsibility initiative, launched in 2012 to support sustainable, community-led solutions for vulnerable communities. Since its launch, the initiative has supported 19 sites across 15 countries in Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Albania was selected as Kia’s first Green Light Project initiative in Europe, expanding the programme’s global reach while addressing the needs of children with disabilities and their families. With successful transitions in Albania and Zimbabwe, 14 Green Light Project sites have now been transferred to local communities, reinforcing Kia’s vision of sustainable, community-led impact.

Alfons Çupaj
PR & Communications
World Vision Albania