My future is in Albania - what I need is to have a job
Fatjon and his family were facing economic problems due to lack of a steady job to make a living, at a time when many of their relatives chose emigration as an alternative.
Better health and social services, opportunity for proper education and possibility to improve quality of life motivated Fatjon and his family to emigrate. But it appeared that being an immigrant is not easy at all. Facing considerable challenges - being asylum seekers for four years in France and Germany, the 37-year-old man returned back to Albania, together with his daughter and wife.
Fatjon returned to Albania from Germany, where economic situation deteriorated especially after two emergencies - the earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic. The family, particularly the children, found it very difficult to readjust in Albania. Difficult living conditions and the bad economic situation were part of the challenge. Fatjon explained that his children started facing psycho-emotional difficulties.
"My brother Altin, was also abroad and shortly after I returned, he also joined us. Returning home has been very difficult for all of us. The earthquake, the pandemic and the isolation have in fact discouraged us and increased the feeling of fear and insecurity regarding health and the income for our family,” says Fatjon.
Upon his return, Fatjon points out that his children were feeling the change the most as they were experiencing difficulties in expressing themselves and adapting back home. They felt the difference very much, they understood the difficult economic situation that both families were going through and they were feeling the lack of free time activities and their friends in Germany.
Both families, together with their sick mother could only afford to live in a small house, in unsuitable living conditions.
However, Fatjon didn’t give up. He started taking efforts to improve his family's life. He also participated in the "Empowered Worldview" training, as part of the REINVEST 2 project that was assisting families returned from emigration who were facing numerous socio-economic challenges.
REINVEST Project is financed by the German Government, supported by GIZ Albania and implemented by World Vision Albania in partnership with Diakonia Agapes foundation and aims to support returned families from emigration in 12 municipalities of Albania in the process of economic recovery.
REINVEST project cooperates with the state institutions and helps returnees to register at the employment office in order to engage in a vocational training or find a job. Fatjon was one of those who registered to get the job.
He joined activities at the employment office, to get support and familiarise with employment opportunities, vocational courses, as well as to get employment counselling and guidance. Fatjon says that this involvement has been very valuable for his professional development.
With the intervention of the local employment office Kurbin and with the assistance of REINVEST staff in Kurbin, Fatjon got a job in a private company as an assistant electrician. The head of the private company says that Fatjon is a real "master" in his field. Now the situation started to change for the better step-by-step.
"Staff advice and employment suggestions helped me get interested in employment opportunities. Now I see a bright future in Albania. If I manage to continue to do this job or another job similar to this one, which provides me with means to support my family, I will never consider leaving my country again," he says.
In the framework of REINVEST project in Kurbin Municipality during 2021, 84 returned families have been supported with food packages, afterschool for children and vocational trainings. 10 family members have been referred to the employment office out of which six people have been employed.