CLOSE-KNIT FAMILY

The Merko family lives in Barç, a village close to the city of Korca. Aleks and Efigjeni live there with their two daughters, Denisa and Dajana, and their son, Ronaldo. Denisa and Dajana attend secondary school, and Denisa is preparing for university, where she wants to study English. Ronaldo has been struggling with serious health problems since his early childhood; he has been diagnosed with ‘autism with severe impairment’. Despite the difficult socio-economic circumstances, they are a close-knit family; the parents do what they can to provide food and education for their children, while the children enjoy going to school so that they can lead a different life than their parents.

BREADWINNER

Aleks is the breadwinner and goes into the mountains every day to look for firewood. He used to use a horse for this, but sadly it died after an accident. This had a significant affect upon the family! Luckily, New Day Impact has been able to provide Alex with a new horse, so he can get back to work!

FROM OLD TO NEW

The Merko family’s house was in very poor condition. Basically it was unsafe to live in. The second floor was uninhabitable. 80% of the roof was worn out and on the verge of collapse. This caused a lot of moisture in the house. Windows were broken and the electricity was in very poor condition.

Almost the entire house has now been renovated. A new roof has been installed, new walls, doors, and windows have been put in, and the necessary plastering has been done. The electrical system has also been updated, and there is now a toilet inside the house instead of outside. It’s hard to believe this is the same house! It looks beautiful and will be a safe and warm shelter for the Merko family this winter.

RENOVATION OF THEIR LIVES

What does this renovation mean for the family, according to Denisa and Dajana? The renovation of the house is like the renovation of their lives. They have better living conditions, they feel more safe , and have greater chances of better health. This has changed their lives for the better, because they feel happier and think more positively about their future. One of the girls says, “I feel like I can breathe freely! We now have our own room and feel better. It feels like we have more freedom in the place where we live, and of course, it is warmer. It is as if this house has completed something we were missing.”

The girls fondly remember the day their house was inaugurated. This was celebrated with New Day Impact, who were in Korca with a group of entrepreneurs in October. “It was a very beautiful moment,” says Denisa. “These positive people felt like family to us, not only because of this celebration, but because of everything they have done for us, how they cared for us, and their desire to continue caring for us. This we sincerely appreciate! We discovered that they are also very ordinary people, more expressive, happier, freer, and more open compared to us in Albania.”

HOPE

At New Day Impact, we are very happy with all the changes in this family! We see that not only have their living conditions improved, but there is also more hope and motivation for the future. This teaches us how important cooperation is. We can really achieve a lot by supporting and complementing each other!