Helping Children Thrive in Albania and Bulgaria

Our first Albania Thrive was a success! Many different leaders, individuals and organizations working with vulnerable children gathered over three days, with the following results:

• A national movement of collaboration launched to work together for the good of orphans and vulnerable children
• People moved from interested-in to committed-to this cause
• Strengthened relationships between civic authorities, NGOs, and faith leaders with shared vision for children to be cared for in families
• Celebration of what is already being done by to help vulernable children and families in Albania
• Identification of priorities for action
• Agreement to continue to build the movement together and increase collaboration between faith communities, NGOs and the state to strengthen families and intervene for the orphaned child.

The Background

Thrive is part of a strategy which we are developing as a World Without Orphans Europe team, together with national leaders, to help countries start their own 'Without Orphans' initiative. Thrive is the second step in this process, after initial meetings, where as a team we get to know interested people from a new country in Europe during a round-table in their country or region. 

Almost two years ago, just before the lockdowns in many countries, we had a round-table in Zagreb for people from South East Europe interested in World Without Orphans. From this point, people in Albania started to meet together,  established an Albania without Orphans (AWO) team and created a website. 

The Thrive Event

With this in place, members of World Without Orphans Europe, together with leaders of Albania Without Orphans, planned these three days of Thrive Albania. The AWO team had invited many people who were in one way or other already involved in care for orphans and vulnerable children, including some people from the government, from NGOs, and from faith communities, to join us for Thrive. Throughout the three days at least 30 people were present at a time, with about 40 people involved overall - some for a day, some for just one session, and most for the whole three days.

The first day we laid the groundwork. We discussed the vision of WWO, the Roadmap, the reason why we need to reach vulnerable children, and the needs and challenges those children face. 

Day two we met in different groups, and mapped out the needs in Albania -  where vulnerable children are found, what needs are being met, what resources are still needed, and what role AWO can have in helping.  The needs of the children and the needs of the people caring for them are still great, and that training for people involved with children is greatly desired. 

On day three the Albanian team presented possibilities and we agreed priorities to continue to connect and learn together to build up the Albania Without Orphans movement for maximum long-term impact.

Looking Forward

When we met again after the event, tired but content about what had happened in the past three days and hearing from people how excited they were to be part of it, we knew that our pilot project for Thrive in one country had been successful and that it could be replicated in other countries! And we now look forward to a Thrive event in March in Bulgaria!

Links:

• World Without Orphans Europe
• Albania Without Orphans