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Albania
St. Lucy Filippini Foundation
Our mission is well equipped with a school bus to transport the children, a van for smaller groups, a jeep for the Sisters and a camper (RV) to use for medical treatment of the gypsy women and children, thanks to the good benefactors who have made it possible for us to obtain these vehicles. With the help of our benefactors, we have put in electrical generators and water purifiers in the school and the convent. Without clean water the children will easily contract many diseases. The local people come for water at our mission. We welcome them and all others in need of clean water.
In 2005 we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Sisters’ arrival in Berat, Albania. The elementary school now has five grades. Catechetical programs are in place, and the Sisters spend hours teaching in these programs. Each year many parents and students go through the RCIA program, a duration of two years required by the Bishop. After fifty years of a Communist regime it is difficult for the people to adjust to a world where a God does exist! The Sisters have a small RV that they use on Sundays to go to the Gypsy villages. The Sisters pay a doctor to go with them. The gypsy women will never go to a male doctor but they will talk to the Sisters and since we have brought the doctor to them they will visit with him! The children love when the Sisters arrive and treat their own small wounds. The Gypsies in Albania were made to live in one place during the regime and have kept to that custom. This makes it easier to locate them and help them. Gypsy children rarely attend school but because of the goodness of the Sisters, they come to our school. Many of the children are now getting an education. Scouting sponsored by the Sisters has helped to change the teenagers in Berat. When the Sisters first arrived we were warned by the Bishop and the Salesians to work only with the little children, as the teenagers were incorrigible. Sr. Rita started a scouting troop! To join the troop, it was necessary for the young members to sign their name. Having never been in school, they could neither read nor write. So Sr. Rita began by teaching them how to sign their names. From this simple lesson, they began to learn how to write and spell, etc. These boys and girls had never been to school and most were 15 to 18 years old! To teach these teenagers some math Sr. Rita began with the compass and taught them about degrees. They learned how to calculate the miles of their hikes, and poundage of the equipment they would carry, etc. How proud they were of their accomplishments! At first they were a very rag-tag group far from a formal scout troop. Today they have uniforms and receive badges for accomplishments. These Scouts became great friends of the Sisters and will do anything for them. Today the Scout program is still full and flourishing with teenagers who today can read and write. +
Albania is a parliamentary democracy that is transforming its economy into a market-oriented system. Albania's per capita income is among the lowest in Europe, but economic conditions in the country are steadily improving. The average income is approximately $4,700 per year. Tourist facilities are not highly developed in much of the country, and though Albania's economic integration into European Union markets is slowly underway, many of the goods and services taken for granted in other European countries are not yet available.
Although the overall security situation in Albania has improved in recent years, organized criminal activity continues to operate in all regions, and corruption is pervasive. Photographing anything that authorities consider to be of military or security interest is not permitted. Gatherings of large crowds are forbidden, particularly those involving political causes or striking workers. Medical facilities and capabilities in Albania are limited beyond rudimentary first aid treatment. Emergency and major medical care requiring surgery and hospital care is inadequate due to lack of specialists, diagnostic aids, medical supplies, and prescription drugs. Recent electricity shortages have resulted in sporadic blackouts throughout the country, which can affect food storage capabilities of restaurants and shops. While some restaurants and food stores have generators to properly store food, travelers are advised to take care that food is cooked thoroughly to reduce the risk of food-borne illness. Water in Albania is not potable. Major roads in Albania are often in very poor condition. Traveling by road throughout Albania is the most dangerous activity for locals and tourists. Vehicle accidents are the major cause of death, according to police statistics. Electricity shortages have resulted in sporadic blackouts throughout the country that can happen any hour of the day or night. Such outages affect traffic signals and street lights, making driving increasingly treacherous at any time of day. Travel at night outside the main urban areas is dangerous and should be avoided due to deplorable road conditions. During the winter months, travelers may encounter dangerous snow and icy conditions on the roads throughout mountainous regions in northern Albania. Buses travel between most major cities almost exclusively during the day. They are often unreliable and uncomfortable. Many travelers looking for public transport prefer to use privately owned vans, which function as an alternate system of bus routes and operate almost entirely without schedules or set fares. There are no commercial domestic flights and few rail connections. | ||||
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