Author: Ina Allkanjari
He completed only nine grades of school and today distributes flyers as a charity worker, from a businessman who knows about his life. He is 21 years old and his life so far has been a journey between residential centers for orphans. But the day he came of age, all doors were closed to him.
" I am sheltered in the orphanage opposite the "Besnik Sykja" school in the capital. After I left the orphanage, I went to the Social Services and begged for shelter and they gave me a bed in this dormitory where I am staying in very scandalous conditions. But my concern is my little sister who is 19 years old. She was also raised in the Children's Home, after she reached the age to leave, an association helped her and offered her shelter, but this year in September her term ends and I don't know where I will send her ," writes for "Sinjalizo", a 21-year-old who is seeking help after feeling abandoned by the state. He was unable to obtain orphan status and during verification it was found that the conditions where the young man lives are those of survival.
Raised in residential centers for orphans, for NM, the present is a struggle for survival, and the future is even more bleak.
" I have been trying for a long time to get a rental bonus at the doors of state institutions, I have gone to the municipality to at least get a rental bonus so that I can live with my sister, but they won't give it to me. Finally, they told me that I have to find a rental contract, I searched everywhere but they won't give me a contract because they see that I am poor. I am not the only one who has these problems, but many of my friends who have left the Children's Home do not receive any help, they live on the streets. I see some of them end up in prison, most of them for theft because they don't have bread to eat ."
Support for abandoned children without orphan status
The head of the National Institute for the Integration of Orphans, Ilir Çumani, tells "Sinjalizo" that abandoned children who have not received orphan status are offered shelter at state institutions, but do not have the right to be adopted, as long as the parent has not declared abandonment. theirs.
" These residences house 80% of social orphans, meaning they have not lost their parents, but are children in economic need, with parents who cannot afford to help them and trust the state until they recover and return to their families. The deinstitutionalization project aims to remove these children from institutions, bring them closer to their relatives, and provide the state with economic assistance."
This category is given economic assistance of almost 20 dollars per month. “This is a ridiculous support that the state gives to these categories, unlike what happens in countries in the region like Kosovo, which offers economic assistance of 100 euros per child, and Macedonia, which also offers 120 euros ,” recalls Çumani.
"Sinjalizo" turned to the Social Service to be informed about the support that this institution provides for children who are in a street situation, and have not benefited from orphan status.
In response to "Sinjalizo", the Social Service says that the local government has set up a Child Protection Unit at each Administrative Unit, a key element of child protection in Albania. In each PMF unit (child protection worker), identifies children in street situations and refers the case to institutions that can receive the necessary Services.
" The CPU itself is a national child protection system (which includes the efforts of all sectors for the best interest of the child. Children in need of alternative care are referred to the Social Security System for commissioning and placement in the Children's Institutions for Children. These institutions are divided according to the age groups of children, respectively (0-6 years old), (6-15 years old) and (16-18 years old)", writes the Social Service.
Law on Orphans
According to Albanian legislation, orphan status is granted pursuant to Law No. 8153, dated 31.10.1996 . The legislation stipulates that orphan status is granted to persons aged 0-25 years, who were born out of wedlock; who have neither parent alive; who have had their parental rights revoked by a final court decision or who have had their parental rights revoked for one parent and the other parent is not living; who are abandoned by both parents and whose identity is unknown.
Within the framework of the status obtained, this category benefits from the law in terms of placement in public and private social care institutions; Priority in employment and housing; Study rights according to inclinations and abilities, full scholarship, clothing allowances for the school years; Orphans who finish school and have not yet found work are given economic assistance; Orphans who continue school during the summer (vacation) period are treated with supplementary payment (determined by the Council of Ministers).
The head of the National Institute for the Integration of Orphans indicates that today there are about 31 orphaned children in Albania, where 000 of them who have benefited from orphan status receive Services in 1600 governmental and non-governmental residential centers.
" There is no official figure today declared by either Instat, or by social Services, or by local government or the Ministry of Interior. In these 30 years, no proper study has been done to understand the real number of orphans who need state support, and this is where the whole problem lies. Because by having more detailed information, an action plan is made through studies to help social categories in the forms that they need to be assisted, protected and integrated into social life ," says Çumani.
According to the law, orphans are kept in state or private institutions of social care until the age of 15. In cases where the child within this age has not been able to complete the 9-year school, it is kept until the age of 17. After this age, by decision of the Council of Ministers, scholarships and clothing treatment for the secondary and high school years for this category are determined.
" The reality is different because we are facing an unfavorable situation for this category, where in many cases we have situations where orphaned children drop out of high schools, abandon their centers and turn to other paths to survive. Here I think that the state should be more attentive because this category after the age of 16 is the most delicate category where these children get out of control, if they do not have a protector to make their transition in a very calm and problem-free manner. The fact shows that we are facing unoptimistic situations because the local government is still not taking its responsibilities to understand that it has a legal obligation to respond until this child is settled in the labor market and truly integrated into the life of society ," insists Ilir Çumani for "Sinjalizo".
The State Social Service says on the other hand that according to the statistics of the Social Security Service until June 2022 in Albania there are 768 orphans who benefit from the status, while emphasizing that for the year 2021, 150 children have benefited from orphan status for the first time and during the first 6 months of this year, 91 children received orphan status for the first time.
Regarding the monthly payments that benefit orphans, the social service mentions a decision of the council of ministers changed in 2021, in which the additional fund for economic assistance went from 3 ALL to 9 ALL.
But the number of those who have succeeded and are employed is negligible. During the last two years, only six orphans have been employed. But the Albanian state does not have data on what percentage of orphans have professional education.
With orphan status but abandoned by the state
Ervis Veizi, 32 years old, is from Shkodra and has the status of an orphan. In the midst of a difficult life, he managed to complete his higher education.
" I was born in Durrës and grew up in Shkodra, where I currently live. It was very difficult for me to get to where I am today, as I had no economic support. I stayed in an orphanage until I was 15 years old, then the state sent me to a boarding school where I stayed until I completed my higher education. The state helped me with a scholarship of 10 thousand new lek per month until I graduated from high school. Normally, with this amount it was very difficult to afford a living, because I had to dress, eat, and meet basic needs ," says Veizi, who immediately after graduating from university was employed by an association and with this income he covers his rent.
As the most difficult stage in life, he remembers the age of 15, when you leave your childhood home.
" I went to a boarding school where I didn't know anyone. The conditions were not very good, I suffered a lot, I only received 10 thousand new lek per month. I found the greatest support to move forward from Ilir Cumani, the director of the National Institute for the Integration of Orphans, guiding me on everything, papers, documents, everything I needed, since I was very young I had no information about which institution I should turn to. I didn't receive any guidance from the orphanage when I reached the age of 15, after I leave the orphanage they don't want to know anymore. When the state doesn't know, neither will the orphanage know anymore ."
Although according to the legislation, persons with the status of orphans have priority in housing, the 32-year-old says that today he has his own apartment, which he managed to buy by himself, without receiving any help from the state.
" The municipality did not help me with social housing or shelter, I went into the job market all alone and tried, amidst many difficulties, to achieve the stability I have today ," says the young man.
Veizi felt abandoned by everyone and endangered to ensure survival at the age of 15. He says that after leaving the child's home and staying in the dormitory, during the 3 months of summer the dormitory was closed, leaving the children homeless orphans.
" Many young people slept on the streets, those who had acquaintances slept with friends, it was a very difficult period ," the young man concludes the conversation with "Sinjalizo".
Raised an orphan, still homeless today
Merita Bozo, now 54 years old, was denied her entire life by her biological parents. Raised in the Children's Home in the capital, then in a boarding school during which she attended higher education for laboratory technicians. After completing her higher education, Merita was unable to get housing and even today she is abandoned by the state authorities, unable to provide her with a social housing.
" The state is irresponsible for us orphans. I have been forced to work as a laboratory assistant in the Sanatorium all my life because I had a higher education, but it has been several months since they have allowed me to practice my profession. They have transferred me to cleaning and are paying me a minimum wage. Meanwhile, the state has not offered me an apartment, I live in rent and I pay 250 thousand old lek per month myself. How can I afford to live, I have orphan status and after so many years I still do not find any support ," says Merita Bozo.
Cumani expresses pessimism about dozens of others who also scan the perspective.
" Based on the information, statistics and experience I have had over the years, I have to be optimistic about the expectations because there is still a lot of work to be done by the institutions. Therefore, it is necessary to have mechanisms of assistance and protection that the state must promote to stimulate, to make life safer for these children, in order to awaken in them a sense of self-action and initiative ," says Çumani.
Abandonments and adoptions
Regarding the number of abandoned children, Ilir Çumani says that only in Tirana's maternity hospital, about 30 children are abandoned every year. "On a national scale, the abandonment of children is a phenomenon that is inevitable due to the social and economic problems faced by women and young mothers, who do not find support from state institutions to guarantee them protection and support. Therefore, in such conditions, they find the shortest way to abandon these children", declares Çumani, as he dwells on adoptions, emphasizing that their number in the last 3 years has decreased to 13-15 adoptions per year. According to him, this is due to the social situation of the country during this period.
But the Social Service points out to "Sinjalizo" that over the last three years, 56 children have been adopted.
