Albania

On the Wings of Petition

Rachel Chimits

World Challenge’s partners are reaching out to the children of the Roma community to help them grow towards their heavenly Father.

Ema’s father died when she was three years old. For any child, this would be a devastating loss, but it was especially so for Ema and her family as Roma who depended heavily on her father’s presence to protect them and his income to support them.

Binding Up the Brokenhearted

Natasha Likollari

A church in Albania is working to bring God’s light and new life to the Roma community, and they share how he is transforming one lady’s relationships with her family.

When you step into a Roma community, everyone around you has a story of incredible hardship that they have survived.

From Desperate to Daring Blessing

Natasha Likollari

One Roma lady and her family in Albania went from crippled by poverty to helping their neighbors survive the economic downturn.

Daily living for a Roma woman is a seemingly endless gauntlet of obstacles and challenges. One dear Roma lady who is involved in our team is Hena. Her name means “the moon,” but her life has not been that bright.

Caught Inside but Not Isolated

Natasha Likollari

Internet access isn’t always a given, even in Europe, so partners in Albania are working to make sure that everyone has the correct information but also stays encouraged.

Since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Albania, the government has taken very strict measures to contain the disease and protect people. This situation caught us all unprepared; but for Roma communities, more than anyone, this lockdown is like the end of the world.

Dorina's Rescue

Could you survive on $70 a month? This is the reality for much of the Roma community, the most vulnerable people group in Europe. One woman, a single mother of three, had nothing but a small shack on the side of the river. But while she was in the hospital, her home was raided, and her situation went from bad to worse. Learn more about Dorina and how World Challenge partners came alongside her family to provide hope.

Switched at Birth and Adopted Twice

Natasha Likollari

One girl was stolen from her birth family and left searching for a true home until she entered World Challenge’s partner-church in Albania.

Albania in the 1970s, caught under the boot of Enver Hoxha and his sharply Stalinist ideas of government, was not a friendly place for those who did not match the mold of mainstream society.

When the Light Shines Through

Natasha Likollari

In one of Albania’s Roma villages, gospel living is changing the face of the town and people’s outlook on their future.

Latif is a leader in the Roma, or gypsy, community. He has served God for more than 15 years in his village, and his home has become a community center and church where people from the village gather. Everyone knows his door is open anytime, and God has done incredible work to heal many of his hometown’s troubles.