Melinda: when the rock 'does not weigh' in its place

Melinda is one of the young people of the "Reporter" blog in the city of Shkodra. For over five years she has been committed to addressing important topics and issues that concern youth in their communities.

Today, through this article, the 18-year-old has chosen to address some of the most sensitive issues for young people such as education, employment, and emigration.

In the "Reporter" blog, she offers her perspective on topics most discussed by young people nowadays.

How many of us stop and ask ourselves: What efforts did I make today so that the children and youth of my country have a better future tomorrow? Youth is the main force of a country, a nation, or the future. But does everyone realise its importance, given how little is dedicated to them?

Let us start from the basics: school, education, one of the most concerning things for us today, where we spend a significant amount of our childhood and youth. A young person may spend many years in school studying towards his or her career and in the end, it is painful when he or she cannot achieve their dream, and this is the result of many known reasons. We are encouraged to go to school only to have a piece of paper and not to prepare for the job market. Our schools are all about theory and no practice. All choose to simply graduate and rarely think of how it is going to help them in their lives.

Often these factors and many others push young Albanians to leave their country and families to pursue an education in a country that they do not know. Why should this be the case?! Why should young people like me leave and serve another country, instead of creating the conditions for them to be educated and help build their country?

Thus, another youth issue naturally arises: employment. In Albania, young people should make three times the effort to get what they need, what they actually deserve. They have to struggle hard to find a job; they also have to contend with their parents' prejudices about what they do. Society thinks that we misuse our time and judges us for our wishes even though times have changed, and so have the generations.

On the other hand, we are told that we are young and do not go through any major stress or anxiety. On the contrary, we do experience all of this due to the very circumstances created in our society that make us feel that way.

I do not want to be a 'heavy rock' that does not weigh in its place. I want to be the true spirit of youth... I have only one dream and that is to be able to fulfill my dreams, get the education I want, pursue the career I will enjoy and be someone in life.

Many young Albanians like me feel that more changes are necessary for young people to achieve their dreams, goals, and become active and healthy citizens in society.

From Melinda, 18-year-old

"Reporter" blog youth group member