Syria
Emergency aid after the earthquake. Your help is precious.

Albania

There have been major advances in children’s rights and protection in Albania through the adaption of the legal framework to international standards and through investment into protection services. Despite these efforts, children and young people still suffer from violence, abuse, exploitation and radicalisation, online and offline. Terre des hommes in Albania works together with institutional actors, civil society organisations, communities, children and youth to build resilient communities that prevent and respond to these risks.

What we do

Child protection

Tdh wants to enable a protective environment for children in Albania and support a systemic response to child protection concerns. We provide training for professionals and support the efforts of local child protection organisations through small grants. Affected children receive access to services, take part in psychosocial activities, get counselling and go to after-school classes where they learn about their rights, while parents attend positive parenting courses. We also support the rehabil¬itation and reintegration of children and mothers who returned from war zones, by ensuring quality psychosocial services and strengthening their resilience.

Children and young people in migration

In the past decades, Albania has experienced massive emigration waves. To prevent unsafe migration and ensure reintegration of families that returned to Albania, we provide support for economic empowerment of families, encourage children to attend school or after-school activities, provide psychosocial counselling and empower young people. We improve the regulatory framework and the services for children on the move, strengthen cross-border cooperation in the Balkans to prevent trafficking and ensure access to protection and reintegration services for victims.

Access to justice

Children in conflict with the law are mainly in difficult socio-economic conditions, lack education opportunities and are affected by social exclusion. To counter this phenomenon, we support the strengthening of the child protection system and build the resilience of young people through a restorative justice approach. We support the authorities to develop or amend and implement legal provisions, policy papers and working protocols. We work to prevent the reoffending of children by developing reintegration programmes and by promoting the necessary knowledge for successful rehabilitation of young people.

Humanitarian aid

As a consequence of Covid-19, the economic insecurity has had negative consequences for many children, with those from low-income or socially marginalised families suffering the most. Increased levels of stress or fear increased the risks of abuse, neglect, domestic violence, criminal exploitation or sexual exploitation of children. Some referral and reporting mechanisms for children broke down. Tdh supported local actors in ensuring access of vulnerable children and families to a protective environment with social protection support, education, psychosocial activities, as well as community awareness raising on prevention measures.

The twin girls Klara and Klea and their brother Erjon live with their parents in a small village in Northern Albania. Tdh facilitated their reintegration after their asylum appeal was turned down in Germany.

Klara, Klea and Erjon, could reintegrate in Albania

Read more...

Terre des hommes in Albania

Beneficiaries 2021

 

9136 people

 

Expatriate staff / National staff

 

0 / 52

Budget 2021

 

CHF 1,669,363

 

 

 

Where we work

Supported by

Timeline

1993
Terre des hommes starts its activity in Albania, focusing on combating child trafficking, abuse, neglect and exploitation and on developing the child protection system.
1999
During the Kosovo war, Tdh provides emergency assistance to refugees in Korça, including food aid, hygiene kits as well as psychological and social support.
2000
Launch of a large scale project to combat child trafficking between Albania and Greece, which earned Tdh the Human Rights Prize of the French Republic in 2002.
2010
The Law on the Protection of Child Rights is adopted, which includes the Child Protection Unit model led by Tdh.
2016
Tdh begins the work on the reintegration of migrant families returning to Albania and on prevention of unsafe migration.
2017
The new Law on the Rights and Protection of the Children is adopted with the contribution of Tdh experts.
2017
Tdh starts an innovative project to address violent extremism among youth. This also marks the beginning of the juvenile justice programme in Albania.
2018
A new program on Access to Justice was launched and being implemented in the country.
2019
Tdh is on the frontline to support children and families in need, affected by the devastating earthquake in November 2019.
2020
Tdh responds to the COVID-19 pandemic through directly supporting hundreds of families in vulnerable conditions and providing working documents for professionals working in COVID-19 conditions.
2021
The Regional Conference 'Protection of children in conflict with the law' explored linkages between the juvenile justice and child protection systems and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach on case management of children in conflict with the law towards their reintegration in Albania and Kosovo.

Latest news

See all...

Related publications

Annual report 2021
Thematic Policy - Enhancing child protection systems
Tdh Magazine No. 40 – Against Child Trafficking

Related publications