Albania

One of the poorest countries in Europe

Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe. One in three young people are unemployed, and for those who do have jobs, income levels have fallen to just 26% of the EU average. As a result, meeting basic needs is a daily challenge for many people and an incredible 56% of all Albanians want to emigrate, a Gallup poll found in 2017. 

Albania is also a major source country for people trafficking and forced labour; and money laundering and drug trafficking are rife. Also, women have poor social and economic status in what is a patriarchal culture, and one woman dies every month as a result of domestic violence.

Our work in Albania focuses mainly in Durres, where many people move from poverty in rural areas to find work, but we also work in the capital Tirana, in Berat and in neighbouring villages.

We work with families and children, addressing issues such as addiction and domestic violence when necessary. By providing a route to self-sufficiency and alleviating poverty, we hope to make families less vulnerable to trafficking and to labour migration. We also run a Soup Kitchen for the elderly, many of whom are alone after their children moved abroad to find work.  We provide educational support to children, making sure they have what they need to get a good education and a brighter future.

Greetings from Monika

Field country manager Monika Qerimi has worked with MWB since 1992. She said, “The Lord has been very good to us; we have seen the impact and the fruits of our ministry.

"We are particularly thankful to God for all our sponsors and donors – without them we could accomplish very little.

"We should not forget that there is need but there is also generosity and kindness and dignity in offering help and addressing those needs – and there is humility and gratitude in receiving help. 

"We are ready to continue to face the tasks and also the challenges that lie ahead, always relying on each other and above all on the guidance and grace that come from God.

"None of us can do anything alone, things are possible in cooperation and unity, as it says in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27."

Sponsor a family in Albania

352 families in Albania are helped through our sponsorship programme

60 children in Albania are supported at our after school programme

36 students in Albania are currently helped through our scholarship programme

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