Since June 2010, financially supported by Vodafone Foundation – Albania, Orthodox Churches of Albania’s Diakonia Agapes, is implementing in the rural areas of Librazhd (villages Togëz and Spathar) the project “Empowerment of women in rural areas”.
The objectives of this project include the increase of participants’ knowledge about different social and health issues, increase of the information level and the participants’ awareness about the women’s position and potential contribution in the Albanian society highlighting the gender equality importance.
Together with the support of the Public Health Directory of Librazhd and the cooperation of the local health personnel, Diakonia Agapes has involved in this project women aged 18-55 offering for them activities such as: meetings of health and social thematic, support and improvement of the health infrastructure in the villages, publication in Albanian and distribution in the community of the book “Where there is no doctor”, social and health awareness campaigns, distribution of informative brochures and leaflets, gynecological assistance in the project site, etc.
The latest activity organized with the beneficiaries was: Agricultural training courses. Thus, women from Spathar were informed about the latest techniques of fruit trees and vineyard cultivation. During the meetings lead by a local agronomist participants learned and discussed about the updated and efficient methods of increasing the production as well as good marketing methods. The theoretical information was combined with a practical support: All participants received vineyard and fruit trees saplings (to which they contributed to the amount of 20%) in order to put into practice the knowledge received during the agricultural training courses.
Considering the participants’ interest about the training courses as well as motivation and enthusiasm that they put into planting and doing the agricultural services for the new saplings, this specific activity and the whole project will achieve its objectives among which can be listed: increase awareness of the women-farmers to offer high standard agricultural production so that their economical conditions could consolidate as well as the increase of the women’s self-esteem about the actual and potential contribution they provide in improvement of their families and community life.
Oltiana Thoma (Ndroqi)
