Report

I remember in the sixth grade I memorized the capital cities of all of the countries in Europe (East and West)…even Liechtenstein.  One capital that I do not remember learning is Tirana, Albania.  So, when Coca-Cola World Citizenship Program and the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) chose me to go to Albania, shamefully, I did not even know the name of the capital city!

Outside of Tirana, in the rural areas, people live a simple life that revolves around agriculture.  The organization that I worked for, Diakonia Agapes (DA), went out to the rural areas to better the health care of women in these areas through the “Health and Socialization of Rural Women” project.  Many of the doctors, nurses, and midwives have gone without regular training since the fall of the government in the early nineties.  Moreover, many of the villages lack health centers that people can reach easily, so DA’s services are essential. 

In addition to the health services, there is a social component to this program that gives women the opportunity to discuss a number of important topics such as domestic violence, child abuse, postpartum depression, and other related issues.  These sessions give women the opportunity to take a break from their daily routines of cleaning, caring for children, and doing agricultural work, in order to better their health, learn new things, and work on self-improvement.  My central task was to evaluate this program.  Through surveys, observation, and field trips, I gathered information about the program and synthesized this into a report for Diakonia Agapes and its donors.

Aside from these formal tasks, I took advantage of the $500 USD grant that was available for a community service project of my choosing.  This was a challenging experience because it was not easy to find an organization where I could donate $500 and be able to see the difference that it made.  It took well over a month to find the right organization--a home for abandoned and homeless children that was in need of repairs and supplies.

I enjoyed my time working at Diakonia Agapes not because of the work alone, but also because of my Albanian colleagues.  My colleagues were supportive personally and professionally.  This small group of people worked well together and created a nice work environment for me (especially when we had little breaks for coffee or a plateful of fresh cherries).

Although the government and the economy are suffering, I found most Albanians to be nice, curious, and talkative with strangers.  The women in the rural areas were welcoming and asked many questions of me about my life in the USA.  I reciprocated the questions and found that Albanians have an interesting story about the past and an interesting story about the present transformations that are changing this country politically, socially, and religiously.

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