Tdh Albania Special Edition Newsletter on Summer Camps Issue No 6

With support from its generous donors, every year since 2001 Terre des hommes has been supporting the efforts of the Child Protection Units (CPUs) and local actors in 8 municipalities in Albania in organizing Summer Camps activities for vulnerable children. Apart from the recreational aspect of the camps,these moments where children from different backgrounds gather in a non-competitive, safe and friendly environments, offer real unique opportunities for social work interventions. Children further develop their psychosocial and emotional well-being while having fun with their peers, social workers and animators.

While summer is often synonymous with holidays for most, many deprived children in Albania do not have any opportunity to get away and enjoy recreational moments. For the vulnerable children identified by the Child Protection Units, schools, community members and Tdh partners, summer can in fact turn into moments of isolation from their peers, exclusion, loneliness, and engagement in labor or even exploitative situations such as begging or street selling. In many aspects these children who often come from poor and socially disadvantaged families, are deprived from their fundamental rights to entertainment, education, socialization, inclusion and participation, and more importantly to be protected from abuse and exploitation. In order to restore some childhood to these children, Tdh has been supporting the organization of non-residential camps, lasting 4 to 8 weeks, in 8 municipalities and 4 communes of Albania, involving over 1,100 children.

We are pleased to present you some highlights of the 2011 summer camps, which would have not been possible without the support and contribution of our partners and donors. Terre des hommes would like to thank the Austrian Development Cooperation, UNICEF, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Medicor Fondation, OAK Fondation and the Swiss Development Cooperation. In particular we are grateful to our new supporters and donors, including the Raiffeisen Bank of Albania, for their compassionate generosity.