Albania: Empowering rural communities through sustainable livelihoods opportunities

Located on the Balkan peninsula amid rugged mountains, wild beaches and fortress towns, it's easy to see why Albania is fast becoming every tourist's hidden gem. Yet, the country's long history of isolation and tight state control has often prevented its people from capitalising on their strongest assets.

As the country opens up - seeing migrant numbers leap and younger generations move abroad or to overcrowded cities - an ailing economy and organised crime continue to write the history books. 80,000 people in Albania - nearly one quarter of the population - lives in extreme poverty, surviving off of less than two US dollars per day.

The backwards effect of the massive depopulation of remote rural communities is inescapable. An ageing population, cut off from the outside world, face a number of acute threats including environmental risks such as deforestation and natural disaster as well as a grossly under-utilised agro-tourism industry.

Population

Albania has a population of 2.8 million people

Poverty

Over 20% of the population are living below the poverty line

Our Reach

In 2023 1,322 people took part in our programmes

What we do in Albania

Overview

Dorcas has been active in Albania since 1992, creating sustainable livelihoods and social protection systems for vulnerable older people, youth and marginalised groups. Our programmes draw on the power of partnerships at local level, with community-based organisations, the private sector, educational institutions and government to ensure that our work has a lasting impact.

The work of Dorcas Albania is mainly based on the two Dorcas Programme Concepts: Social Empowerment and Protection (SEP) and Inclusive Entrepreneurship.

Dorcas Albania is working to diversify its donor base and will soon focus on climate change and environmental protection projects.

Community Safety Nets

We set up networks and day centres where local actors - be they student volunteers, private companies or institutions - commit to looking after older people. This care package includes practical support such as food and access to medical services, as well as outreach work with families and local authorities - all designed to help older generations participate in society again.

Our Adopt a Granny programme, also active in Albania, extends this care to the international community.

Inclusive Entrepreneurship

We provide entrepreneurship training and professional learning opportunities to encourage people to develop a career in the agricultural sector. These programmes involve people of all ages, particularly young adults, in setting up their own sustainable agro-tourism or farming business - based on 'value added' production principles. Participants are also introduced to the concept of social farming.

Child protection and education

More than 120,000 children live in extreme poverty in Albania, many of them Roma. We seek to break this cycle by providing pathways to work and inclusive learning opportunities for all - whether they are Albanian or one of nine other ethnic minorities. Our activities support children to work together, reject stereotypes and deal with complicated feelings - ultimately protecting each other from the biggest threats they face.

In parallel, we also work with the parents of these children to promote their empowerment, inclusion and self-sufficiency - interventions that support our investment in the children, making it more complete and sustainable.

Flourishing families

The Flourish approach supports households to halt impoverishment and build sustainable pathways out of multidimensional poverty. The core building blocks and philosophy of Flourish can be applied along the humanitarian-development nexus. We always apply the approach with people who are experiencing multidimensional poverty in one of its forms.

The Dorcas Flourish approach uses eight building blocks that can be applied in a structured, step-by-step way. The building blocks are based on social protection and community-based safety nets. The application of the building blocks is expected to lead to sustainable living conditions or well-being. Usually, (self-)employment is a prerequisite for achieving and maintaining this level of well-being. However, for certain groups of people, social protection and community-based safety nets will always be necessary. For all households, access to coaching and mutual support structures is crucial to achieving and maintaining their sustainable living conditions.

Integrated programme

Dorcas Albania focuses on two areas, the Korca district and northern Albania - Tropoja and Puka. In these areas we implement two integrated programmes: 'Social Empowerment, Protection and Integrated Development of Vulnerable Groups in Korca Region' is a three year integrated programme. It is being implemented in the Korca region, in four municipalities: Korca, Maliq, Devoll and Pustec. It includes two areas of intervention: Community-Based Care and Protection and Enterprising People and Communities.

The three programme approaches are Adopt a Granny - Community Safety Nets, Flourishing Families and Future for Children. These approaches will be implemented in an interlinked and integrated manner, resulting in increased social cohesion among the target groups and the creation of active community groups. The intervention is based on the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach. This approach takes existing assets at individual and community level as a starting point and leads to the empowerment of target groups so that they become owners of their own development processes. The main target groups are marginalised older people, marginalised youth and families in urban and rural areas, and children (mostly) from these marginalised families. It is a continuation of the previous KID programme, but based on the Dorcas sustainability phases and replicated in new communities. This programme aims to increase the focus and actions at the community and society level, resulting in the strengthening of local structures, increased support from the local government and the transfer of programme components and models to local actors and stakeholders.

From Seeds to Success: Edmira’s Inspiring Journey

Edmira (51) lives with her husband and three children in the village of Valbona, Tropoja, Albania. A few years ago, she participated in a project by Dorcas Albania, receiving support in the form of potato seeds. This initial assistance marked the beginning of a transformative journey for her family.

As time passed, Edmira generated a good income from her agricultural efforts. Her husband, a tourist guide, led hikers through the scenic mountains. Recognising the potential of tourism, Edmira and her family decided to convert their home into a guesthouse to accommodate visitors.

Inclusive Communities Tropojë - A Brighter Future

Tropojë is a municipality in northern Albania, close to the border with Kosovo. It might forever be remembered as the region that opened its doors to thousands of refugees during the 1998 Kosovo War - compassionate but ill-equipped to handle the influx. Today, one of the previously poorest districts in Europe is slowly on the up, aided by its natural surroundings. But it needs support. Lack of employment opportunities exacerbated by environmental degradation regularly prevent families from making ends meet.

2019 saw Dorcas roll-out an initiative to directly respond to these issues - and capitalise on the rich potential of both the region and its inhabitants.

Social Mobilisation and Local Enterpreneurship Support – SMILES programme

The SMILES programme provides an integrated approach to improve the wellbeing of poor and vulnerable people in Tropoja and Puke. The programme is based on two Dorcas concepts, namely Social Empowerment and Protection (SEP) and Inclusive Entrepreneurship (IE). As such, the social and economic development components of the SMILES programme complement and reinforce each other.

Tropoja and Puka share similar social and economic conditions, representing an impoverished rural and mountainous area where small-scale farming, livestock rearing and petty trade are among the main livelihood activities. Isolation, lack of government support and limited individual and organisational capacity, among other factors, have maintained a system characterised by semi-subsistence livelihoods based on traditional production methods and low revenues.

Meet our Country Director...

Xheni PRENDA - Country Director Albania

'As Country Director of Dorcas Albania, I am dedicated to fostering a brighter future for our society through innovative programmes and community-driven initiatives. With a deep commitment to social justice and sustainable development, my goal is to empower individuals and communities to reach their full potential.

At Dorcas Albania, we believe in the power of collaboration and compassion. Together with our dedicated team, we work tirelessly to create opportunities for growth, education and well-being across Albania. I am honoured to lead this organisation and contribute to meaningful change in the lives of those we serve.

Join us in our mission to build a more inclusive and prosperous Albania.'