Albania OSCE Ambassador visits Vlora Child Protection Unit

Project : Albania 19 Apr 2011 | child exploitation child trafficking prevention protection systems

Vlora, Albania, April 14, 2011: The Head of OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth visited the Child Protection Unit (CPU) at Vlora Municipality to learn about its work and activities in support of children in need or at risk of trafficking and exploitation, and their families.

His visit took place in the framework of a joint 6-months project (January – June 2011) between the OSCE Presence in Albania and Terre des hommes, which aims to strengthen the capacity of public and non-public actors in Vlora in responding to the phenomena of child trafficking and exploitation by strengthening local government prevention mechanisms and measures.

Ambassador Wollfarth met with the Head of the Vlora Municipality Social Services and the local Child Protection Worker who presented him with the overall picture of the local child protection issues and the work done to date towards identifying, referring and supporting cases of children in need and their families, in close cooperation with the Terre des hommes Community Youth Specialist. The Ambassador also learned about the various child-led activities that have been organized in Vlora in order to* raise local awareness around child protection and child rights*.

In addition, the OSCE Ambassador had a chance to hear directly from the families who have benefited from the project. Many parents informed him that thanks to the work of the Child Protection Unit and its partners, their children were now enrolled in school; they received vital assistance in the form of monthly food packages, basic school supplies and appropriate counseling and support that had made a difference to the lives of their children and their families. A single parent and main breadwinner of her family, Mrs. Diana K., expressed she felt very optimistic about being provided with the opportunity to apply for a conditional loan that had enabled her to start her own business, generate a proper income to support her family and invest in the education of her daughter.

Touched and impressed by the accounts of the beneficiary families, Ambassador Wollfarth expressed his willingness to continue supporting the good work done by the Vlora Child Protection Unit in order to assist more children and families in the future, as well as empower and mobilize local community actors to play a proactive role in ensuring appropriate protection for all children and full realization of their rights.