Communities in Albania
“Summer School Camp for children coming from marginalised background”
DOCUMENT AUTHOR: Mrs. Orjeta Cungu
GOOD PRACTICE TITLE: “Summer School Camp for children coming from marginalised background”
KIND OF PRACTICE: : Community life / Youth empowerment
PLACE: Velipoje, Albania
CONTEXT, FIELD OF INTERVENTION:
“Albanian Organization of the Order of Malta” service is part of the Order of Malta worldwide service, which operates inspired by the motto “Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum”, defense of the Faith and assistance to the poor and the suffering.
Following Order’s historic mission to help the sick, the needy and the most disadvantaged in society, ‘’Albanian Organization of the Order of Malta’’ performs different projects and activities, including medical and social assistance, disaster relief in case of natural catastrophes, emergency services and first aid corps, help for the elderly, the handicapped and children in need, assistance services for Roma and Gypsies communities. Our organisation relies on the involvement of more than 200 volunteers, who actively support the activities and projects of the organization:
Working since 2000 with Roma and Gypsies population of Shkodra and with the population of remote areas, ‘’Albanian Organization of the Order of Malta’’ has identify the main difficulties they are battling with. Their deep poverty, the social position, the lack of social services and lack of integration programs have brought about the abandonment of the school by the children turning them into beggars or shepherds. The consequences are high illiteracy, relative backwardness and discrimination by the rest of society. Such children are excluded from entertainment activities and differentiated from the rest of the society, which makes them go through a difficult childhood without any joy moment in their life.
PERIOD:
2001 ongoing
POPULATION, PARTICIPANTS:
The primary target group are Roma and Gypsies children, children coming from remote areas, and their families and also Malteser young volunteers. On a daily basis, we host 100 people. 70 children, 25 young volunteers. Since the inception of the Summer Camp in 2001, we have been able to serve around 3000 children and youngsters overall.
COORDINATORS:
The Summer School Camp is coordinated and supported by the Albanian Organization of the Order of Malta.
METHODOLOGY (HOW THE PRACTICE WORKS):
The applied method is based on learning through participation alternated with some theoretical explanation and examples on children’ issues.
Our programs will focus on new ways of communication between the children and on establishing tolerance and acceptance.
The children will be trained to develop a sense of living together in the community
PARTICIPATORY PROCESS:
Summer School Camp - 2019
The camp is organized in three shifts, ten days each, with 70 children, where ½ are Roma and Gypsies children and 20 young volunteers for each shift. The volunteers will set up the camp, will organize it and conduct the activities. The children will follow a daily educational and entertainment program.
Every shift (three shifts) will perform a school program, prepared by the ‘’Albanian Organization of the Order of Malta’’ staff and volunteers, and will attend study excursions at the coast.
The school program will include: Information on children rights, environmental awareness, history and geography lessons, reading and writing, painting, simple math, health education and first aid. Besides this there was an entertainment program, sports activities and competitions. Both programs will focus on new ways of communication between the children and on establishing tolerance and acceptance.
The camp will set up by volunteers and the logistics will be offered by ’’Albanian Organization of the Order of Malta’’. The volunteers will be assisted by the instructors according to the agenda of the activities.
The Camp will start on 26 June 2019 and ended on the 30 July 2019, the camp will be built up with tents, near “Government Vila”, close to the seaside, in the shadow of the high trees of the forest.
As it will be in the project, the team will complete the same program and only small changes when the weather was not good will replace with indoor activities.
TIME TO BE SUCCESFUL (HOW MANY TIME THE PRACTICE TAKE TO ACHIEVE THEIR OBJECTIVES):
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This project is aimed at integrating the Roma and Gypsies children and those coming from remote areas to social life, since they are usually completely excluded, and to increase their education level.
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Active involvement of all the participants in the activity program, especially of Young Malteser volunteers
VALIDITY (IF THE PARTICIPANTS THINK THAT THE PRACTICE RESOLVED THE PROBLEMATIC):
However, since our intervention life cycle includes many of our previous Summer Camp participants returning as volunteers, we are able to gauge in what ways we were able to provide them with the necessary support for their success from informal interviews. In these interviews, youngsters Roma and non-Roma communicate to us, that participating in our summer school camps was a good opportunity to know and to learn about voluntarism and community life.
IMPACT:
‘’Albanian Organization of the Order of Malta’’ has got positive feedback from earlier summer camps. The reading and writing skills have been strengthened, self-esteem of the children has risen and they have entered in new friendship between each other. The children, who have attended previous camps, have also established friendships with children outside the Roma community.
INNOVATION:
Our funding model is innovative in that it combines NGO funding with private donors.
Our mission inspired by the motto “Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum”, defense of the Faith and assistance to the poor and the suffering.
RESOURCES OR CONDITIONS NEEDED FOR THE PRACTICE:
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Funds for daily meals.
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Funds for summer camps territory/settings.
LIMITATIONS:
The Summer School Camp last one month and is really costly and could not be funded only by Malteser Albania alone.
LEARNED LESSONS:
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Through years we learned that children that have been part of our Camp are more motivated to attend regular school, raised their attitude concerning educative program and eliminate their gaps created during their miss attendance at school.
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Participation in Summer Camp has reduced the feeling of segregation and discrimination from other parts society.
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The children, who have attended previous camps, have also established friendships with children outside the Roma community.
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Many of our children that participate at our Camps come back to volunteer in our organisation, our intervention is inherently sustainable by effectively educating future volunteers.
SUSTAINABILITY:
We have had continuous funding, every year we have to apply to different donors. We organised 17- Summer School Camps and never had support from the public institutions.
REPLICABILITY:
Replicability of the Summer Camps is dependent on funding and well-educated staff; with these given, the programme should be able to be replicated anywhere.
CONCLUSION:
The Summer School Camp of Malteser Albania for marginalized children: It will contribute for a highly motivation of Roma children and those from the remote areas to increase the attendance of the school.
The activities will develop communication and free expression of the opinion amongst the children.
Careful listening, respect and the company of ‘’Albanian Organization of the Order of Malta’’ volunteers towards Roma and Gypsies children and those coming from the remote areas, will contribute to increase their self-esteem and decrease their feeling of being discriminated by the society.
The Malteser Albania Summer School Camp its fun, its summer holidays
CONTACT (PRACTICES AUTHOR AND ORGANIZATION):
Malteser Albania Rr. Ludovik Saraci
Shkoder 4001, Albania
Tel. 355692080207
E-mail: info@malteser.al