A greenhouse radically changed our lives

Anila Mustavataj is 33 years old and lives with her husband Flamuri and their two children in a village in the Tropojë region. The family joined a Dorcas project that supported them with building their own greenhouse and that radically transformed their lives.

Life was hard for us before we became involved in the Dorcas project. We were both unemployed and did our best to survive on the little we had. We had few contacts and never asked for help. In 2018, Dorcas invited us to join a greenhouse project and they supported us with building our own greenhouse. From that moment on, our lives changed! Thanks to the greenhouse, we could grow more vegetables. That meant we had enough food to feed our family and generate some income.

But that was not all! We could also participate in capacity-building activities, trainings and demonstrations, which helped us become part of a wider supportive community. These experiences helped us to change our closed mindset, where everyone only works for themselves. Now we cooperate more with our neighbours, relatives and community.

Thanks to Dorcas, we have made many friends. We talk, exchange seeds and help each other with the work. Furthermore, we’ve learned to look out for other families in need and give them some of our products. As our network expands, we’re seeking ways to help these families even more because we realise their needs are greater than ours.

I believe that a strong local community is all about people helping and supporting each other. It creates good relationships and encourages a cooperative attitude. And it is good for business too!

Anila: ‘I hope for a better future for our children, relatives and community. We can achieve that if good people are committed to helping and supporting us. Dorcas are such good people.’

23 April 2024