A countdown of blessings

This is a story about a young woman, who at the age of 8, was sponsored by World Vision USA. This is also a story about a wonderful person named Janet Pike, who sponsored the eight-year-old girl, and whose influence and kindness would forever change the direction of the girl’s life.

Dhurata (a name meaning “gift” in English), 22, from Elbasan, Albania, is married and living happily with her husband Elkerd. Over the course of 12 years a World Vision sponsor named Janet nurtured the seed of Dhurata’s spirit, helping her develop into the successful and warm person she is today.

Looking at her face in a photo, Dhurata remembers the lovely nature of her sponsor: “Janet was a really gentle lady, emitting so much love and goodness. By her blessing I have always been protected and by her words, ‘believe in God and do good things and everything will turn out well in your life,’ I ended up being a fair and determined person.”

Though her family was poor, Dhurata could always count on receiving a gift from Janet on her birthday, in the form of letters and birthday postcards.

The first gift she received was a pack of flower seeds. Dhurata remembers talking to Janet about how much she loved flowers, their beauty and scent. “I love flowers because they are so innocent and give me peace,” she says. “Since Janet understood that I love flowers, all of the postcards she sent were decorated with beautiful ones.”

Dhurata is naturally a very energetic person, talented and with a great heart to serve. She has finished her bachelor’s degree in Journalism and is now pursuing a master’s in English language, but still finds time to do all kinds of other activities.

After Dhurata prepares some delicious sweets for her husband, she sets off for school. During the day she works as an independent private  English teacher for 17 children from her village. Seven of them are provided free lessons.“They cannot afford to pay so I decided to take no money from them,” Dhurata says.

After lessons, she switches to her next job with a small World Vision Economic Development project where she has worked during the year that the project has been in operation. She has a secretary position, and helps the community sell agricultural and livestock products.

[Helping World Vision staff with the Area Programme Reports.Photo by Klevisa Breshani/ World Vision]

On top of everything else, Dhurata has offered her services helping with the Area Programme Reports process with children. “Others come first and are a priority for me,” she says. Her eyes are as gentle as her words while she says so.

Dhurata has two younger sisters and brothers. She tears up when she recalls how much Janet helped her family during difficult times. “She was always there for me, like a guardian angel.”

“We had only small incomes from the land, she says, “It was hardly enough to fulfill even our needs for food. With the help from Janet [Gift Notifications] we could cope with our situation.  We were able to buy food, school supplies, clothes and other basic items so that my siblings and I had the things we needed to go to school.” Dhurata’s father has since been able to find work in Italy, where he migrated five years ago. She says that this has led to an improvement in the family’s economic situation.

Dhurata has bittersweet memories of the first letter she received from Janet when she was eight. One day at school World Vision staff came by with a surprise. “I got the letter where Janet was introducing her family, her hobbies and her desire to help the needy,” she recalls. “I was as happy as I could be, not even opening it but just imagining reading it. I said to myself, someone from America is writing to me! It was super unbelievable, almost like a dream,” she says, laughing. “So I rushed home and asked my papa to read it. It was funny because I could not hold in my happiness and had to share and boast to my classmates that ‘I had an American friend caring for me’!”

 [A photo of Dhurat in World Visin's Sponsorship office helping the staff. Photo by Klevisa Breshani/ World Vision]

“[Janet] taught me how to become me,” Dhurata says. “She always counseled me to be a good child in school, take care of my family and help those who need help, though it might just be a psychological kind of help. I think that people are born with a certain character and it is transformed during the journey of life due to different circumstances.”

Dhurata credits Janet for much of the transformation in her own life, which she felt from the moment that the two made contact. “All of the things that have happened in my life - participation in World Vision activities, summer camps and the many school initiatives that have helped me with my self-esteem - were made possible because of her.” 

Janet’s encouragement led Dhurata to finish school with high marks. “I learned to love more and take care of those in need, just as Janet did with me,” she says. “Thanks to her, my days are filled with many things which make me happy and others too.”

Dhurata expresses a great desire to meet her sponsor. She hasn’t heard from Janet for three years. “I have always wanted and still want so much to meet Janet and hear back from her,” she says. “If it happens, meeting her, I would hug her tightly and thank her from the depth of my heart for all of the unconditional help she offered me and my family…over the years.”

In the hope that Janet, her daughter Kelli or her beautiful grandchildren Emma and Christopher may read this story one day, Dhurata “sends her so much love, appreciation, and gratitude from so far away. I want Janet, Kelli, and her children Christopher and Emma to know that though we are far apart, you are in my heart and mind.”

With the aim of improving children’s lives as much as possible, just like happened to Dhurata, and ensuring that the most vulnerable have opportunities to live a better life, World Vision Albania provides support to over 4663 registered children in the Elbasan area.

Many more children have the chance to be involved in summer camps and school activities where they can play a key role in leading awareness initiatives on the importance of education and child rights issues.