The young man sitting opposite smiled at Evis the Global Care Albania
Manager who was translating. *Michael
had just finished telling me the emotional story of his life - which started
with a young boy walking to New Day Centre (NDC) barefoot - his family couldn’t
afford shoes, much less transport to school or books and pens. We’d followed his
erratic school attendance, his search for a better life as a teenager –
attempting the arduous and traumatic journey to illegally enter Greece. Michael said the only place he was really free was at NDC, as a child at the School Club and later at the Youth Club. He could play games, when he was at school he
had help with homework, he was treated with respect and received warm hospitality
from the staff, he made friends, he met interesting guests from other countries
as well as a beautiful young lady who is now his fiancée.
He could be himself. He was introduced to Jesus
and became a Christian. Now he has a job
and supports his whole family. NDC provided a place of stability in Michael’s
incredibly chaotic life. He’s the same age as my youngest son. At 14 he was
starving, alone and destitute trying to find a way to travel hundreds of miles
from the Greek border back to his home in Tirana. Its hard to imagine isn’t it? Michael said, “Part
of what I am today is because of the influence of NDC. I see other youngsters
not part of this group – their lives are different from mine - and I know I am
the way I am today because of this place. I grew up here.”
Today we have been unbelievably encouraged by meeting people whose lives
have been turned around through NDC. Children, young people and parents, who
had no hope… but have found hope through the team at NDC.
We met a family whose son *Stephen has autism. Two years ago, he
arrived at NDC in nappies. His therapist said, “He was like a baby. Crying all
the time, screaming because he didn’t like this new place.” His parents told us
Stephen had no discipline, he had a few words when he was 15 months old… then
he stopped speaking, there was no real interaction. He couldn’t care for himself
in any way. Now the 5-year-old can identify colours and shapes, Stephen
communicates nonverbally with his parents, teachers and therapists, he can take
his shoes on and off, he can wash himself, he can use the toilet – and tell his
carer when he needs to go, he likes being with other children. It was great to see his Mum (who we’d met
yesterday) in her own home. Stephen was sitting at a little table playing with
a car. While we were there he cuddled up to his Dad, he interacted with the
therapist, he laughed. His parents said NDC was the only place they could get
help. When they were told Stephen had autism there was nothing available that
they could access. It was fantastic not just to hear about Stephen’s
development, but to see how the family was working with the therapist and
encouraging learning at home.
Michael and Stephen live in an area of Bathore known as ‘The Cowsheds’.
Unregistered homes created in the old cowsheds used by the Agricultural
University during the time when Albania was a Communist country. While we were there, the water tanker arrived -
and families sent someone out with containers to buy drinking water. The
fathers in both families work as day labourers in construction. They don’t live comfortably. They don’t have
access to anything as remotely helpful as the kind of health and social care support
we have in the UK.
Tomorrow we move on for a few days’ holiday, but I’ve still got lots of
work to do! I have the proposal to write up so the Albanian team can finish working
on it, I’ve got stories, general notes and records to sort out and send to the
UK office. And… I haven’t told you about playing with some of the children
today and handing over the kit – so there’ll be at least one more blog. But
today, I want to focus on one thing –
HOPE. NDC is a place of hope – a place that
changes the lives of people who’ve lost all hope.
Once again I’m leaving a project in awe of the
dedication and care of the local team. And I’m determined to work out if I
could be a carrier of hope…
*Names changed to protect identity
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