Monthly Mobile Library for Albanian Children

Children in Albania have a very long summer school break from the beginning of June until 15th September.  Children around the world love the opportunities to go to the beach; to play with their friends in the endless sunshine and to go on family holidays.  But what if your school break offers you none of these possibilities?

Many of the children who use the Mobile Library have never been to the seaside despite Albania having some of the nicest beaches in Eastern Europe; the reason is poverty with families having no possibility to pay the transportation or accommodation costs for an annual holiday.  Some lucky children will go with their families to the 'bjeshke' or plateau of the mountains in which they live.  They take their livestock and most of the household utensils with them to their rudimentary shelters.  The children, continue to care for the animals just like at home.  Children are expected to make their own entertainment as there is no money for toys, footballs, skipping ropes or swing balls.  

In July, Nick a member of Globalgiving staff came to visit the Mobile Library and as he was driven around the meandering mountain tracks he began to realise how bleak and sparse the landscape was.  The reality of where the children lived and how little there was to do began to sink in.  Nick visited Zherke a small village in Bytyc Commune, high up in the mountains in a community bordering Kosovo.  He saw the one room elementary school building sat on top of a hill with no books or materials to aid the children’s learning.  Many children betwween the ages of 6 and 11 years old walk for 50 minutes to reach school on unmade tracks or across fields.  Children walk on their own as their parents need to work in the fields or take care of the animals or younger children.  

Nick said; " Now that I have seen the school and the vast expanse of emptiness I can see why the Mobile Library is so important for the children of this part of Albania."  Alda and Gonxhe added; "That arriving in Zherke we could not imagine there were any children living there.  And then we saw them, the children running to the spot where the library was parked.  The children were animated and eager to see Naim and Ilir and to choose their next book."  They continued by talking about the discussion they had with the children and how the children could describe in detail what they had read. The children and their guests from America played games.  Visitors from other parts of Albania are very rare in this part of Tropoje, let alone two from America!

Nick later commented on the fact that as the library can only visit each place once per month if one book per child was enough as he now understood there was nothing else for the children to do.  The librarian, Naim told him that during the long summer school break that the library was able to lend each child two books as less children borrowed during the holidays due to the families taking them to the bjeshke.  Naim added; "That one book per child was not enough, but as there were more than 1,600 children all over the territory, the library did not have enough stock to give children more than one per month.  The library needs more books and is continually needing to buy newly published books for the children to read.  The demand keeps growing and its hard to keep up."  

When the holidays end there will be many new children starting at kindergartens and schools so more books and learning materials will be needed to inspire and encourage young children to pick up a book and journey into a world of adventure, fantasy and wonderment.

Can you help us to buy more books?