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The collaboration among the Albanian and Kosovar youth that came to Albania during 1999 has continued with a special tradition over these years. Through these camps, which have an educative and entertaining nature for the children, a close collaboration with an exchange of experiences and a deepening of friendships is attained, which started during the period of war and continues to grow every year.
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At the end of August and beginning of September the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania organized camps with the participation of 1800 children in the community of Malisheva, Kosovo. For seven years now the Imer Krasniqi and Ilmi Hoti’s schools in Caralluke, Naim Frasheri’schools in Banja and Begaj and Ibrahim Mazreku’s school in Malisheva hosted a group of 24 young volunteers from the Orthodox Church.
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“We have collaborated with the conviction that these activities are fruitful ones and of great value for the students which I also saw myself in Caralluke where all the children were satisfied and happy for the work done there. It was a pleasant surprise for all of us” – said Isuf Morina, the director of the Education in the Commune of Malisheva. The activities help in the development and in the mentality of the children. They learn good behavior, self-discipline, and other lessons which they practice during the school year.
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Bedri Krasniqi has been one of the first collaborators with the staff of the orthodox youth since the first camp and he says that this friendship has been completely sincere. “After the war we have been in frequent contact, since the Church in addition to activities has helped us with the school library to provide a better environment also equipping us with new books published by publishing houses there, multiple copies and also books for the youth in Malisheva” – emphasizes the teacher of the village of Caralluka.
Bedriu remembers that all the people, traumatized by the war of 1999, needed relaxation and the goal was the entertainment of the children through wonderful games so that they may forget the pain of the war. “The activities have brought relaxation; they have helped me as a teacher to organize the lesson in a better and more effective way.
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Some of the teaching elements that the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania has helped us are: contemporary working methods with children and the work in groups as well. Having adopted the Bologna system we needed to do the teaching work in groups and this work in our school started before this reformed due to the Church. We, the staff of the Caralluka’s school had it easier to work with students with this method.
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The camp program this year included games in small groups, songs with movements, discussion sessions about different aspects of freedom, which was also the theme of the camp. Through this theme were emphasized more three aspects of freedom: respect, self-control and responsibility. The leader and the initiator of this activity that now has become traditional is Mr. Nathan Hoppe that said in front of the students in Kosovo that: “Freedom is one of the most valued values in life, the gift that God has given to each one of us. Often in history, freedom has been seen only as a concept linked with the politics rather than the everyday life.
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We hope that with these values you will enjoy a life in personal freedom and that Kosovo will go ahead and will have a truly free society where every person will enjoy his freedom. He also reminded the campers to be grateful to the staff which volunteered their time to work with them and the donators that have supported the activity especially Archbishop Anastasios who has always encouraged and supported these activities. ”The program contained also games in large group, art and craft project, snack, Olympic Games and a festival at the end of the camp. A dinner was offered in honor of the teachers of these schools.
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The director of one of these schools, Mr. Mifail Krasniqi said: “The children more than anybody else need more activities; they play and enjoy, be entertained and learn. They really need such activities. This is a fruitful collaboration from which we are really pleased. Both the teachers and parents are happy to see the joy that their children experience.”
Edona, one of the children in Malisheva, said that she had learned a lot about freedom and that she wants to participate in the next camps.
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“The staff of the orthodox youth brings new ideas, relaxation and entertainment but above all they have raised in our hearts the desire to become people of the future” – ends Bedri Krasniqi.
Inspired by this activity, other schools have requested that in the future their schools may be included as well.
The staff of the camp also visited the monastery of Decani in Kosovo during the time they were there.
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Isidor Koti & Gabriela Hoppe
Translated and edited by Gabriela Hoppe
Translated and edited by Gabriela Hoppe
