Teens from Albania show you are never too young to make a difference

For many youth in Albania, a normal day consists of spending time on the internet or hanging out with their friends. A group of young people who call themselves “Young Vision" are showing their peers and their community that they can do more.

Recently, Endri, 18; Denis, 18, Stela, 17 and nine more of their friends choose to spend their time making a difference for a group of 10 autistic children in their community, proving that they can and will make the world a better place. On this day, they brightened the day for these students by bringing them colours and other materials to be able to write and paint.

The Walking Together Centre was the first of this kind, offering therapy and educational support to children with Autism, in Durrës. It was developed by Eljona,31, a young woman determined to help the children in her community that no one else was. The centre currently serves 10 children, between the ages 6 and 8.Although it receives no support from the government, the centre is able to function, thanks to the small financial contributions that parents and other generous people, like the youth.“Being willing to do good things brings the right people together at the same place to reach the same goal,” says Endri, one of the members of “Youth Vision”.

As with all children, the students at the Walking Together Centre have different personalities, temperaments and dreams. Enxhi*, 6, is very smart and a wiz with phones. Alban*, 8 is a little Picasso in drawing.

To be able to purchase the gifts for the centre, the youth collected recyclable materials at coffee bars and took them to a recycling factory in the city. The youth carried the materials bag by bag. They were unmoved by the mocking and often astonished looks of those they passed while waking between the coffee barns and the factory. “We collected them from different places and distances and carried them on our backsto where the recycling factory’s vehicle came to buy them,” says Denis, 18, one of the youth members. “This part was hard for us as we did not have a vehicle on our disposition to load the plastics.But our desire to make those children happy with the money from the plastics gave us [the] strength and desire to finish the good work we stated,” he says, smiling.

“I feel lovely because we are helping these children who always need help and love,” says Stela. “Apart from that, we are also helping the residents be aware of treating children with equality and keeping their environment clean,” she adds.

The youth collected nearly 80 kg of materials and earned $26 (USD).With the help of World Vision, they were able to buy all the materials they had planned for the children. On the day they visited the centre,the children received them with a short artistic program. They had prepared songs and poems to thank the teens for what they did for them. “Just to see Alban painting in the papers we gave him, filled my heart with joy and passion [and filled me with desire] to do more to make their days beautiful as this one,” says Endri, looking at the children’s faces.

While looking the children’s joy and smiles, Eljona said: “what these youth are doing to give help as much as they can is amazing! If all youth of Albania act like them, Albania will become a better place very soon.” This was not the first time this group of young people has given back. In the past, they also visited nursing home in Durrës where by spending time with the residents they gave them hope and reminded them that they are not forgotten.

“It is so inspiring for me to be surrounded by such great young people, with so much passion and heart to build good things for those who need a hand in their life,” says Valmira Greca, World Vision’s Project Facilitator.

Next, the youth are planning to use the pictures the children are painting in an exposition The monies collected from the sale of their parents will go toward buying other supplies the children need.

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Note: The names of the centre children are changed to protect their identity