In Albania, as in many places, the year ends in a spirit of festivity. During the communist years, when all religion was banned, Christmas celebrations disappeared completely. Only New Year’s Eve remained as the great family feast of the year. Today both holidays are celebrated once again. Weeks beforehand, homes are scrubbed clean, treats and special foods are prepped, and kitchens hums with joyful anticipation. It’s a cherished time of togetherness. Yet for a growing number of Albanian families, these days are not marked by joy but rather by anxiety. Many cannot afford even life’s most basic essentials, let alone festive meals or gifts.
This season gives us a powerful chance to warm hearts and bring hope! We devote special care to the elderly at our soup kitchens. Increasingly, seniors are found alone and without family, formerly unheard of within the culture. We provide hearty meals, meaningful fellowship, Christmas presents and even firewood for their humble homes. They also share in the joyful celebrations with the children of Amaro Tan in Pogradec and at our Gjirokastër location in the south of the country.
Students at Nehemia School gather food supplies and, on “Poverty Eradication Day” in November, join our Social & Medical Initiative (SMI) team to distribute parcels in nearby villages. Firewood has been stacked and dried for months at our campus, ready to warm poor families as winter deepens. Tearfully, SMI director Nikoleta says: “If needed, we will work day and night to reach these people in distress. The more we receive, the more we can give. We are deeply grateful for every donation and every act of kindness.” These are not just empty words. Nikoleta and her team prove this every day.