I met Melanie Scicluna in a small gabana in Marsaskala, Malta- the town I called home for a decade. We know the same people and go to the same places and as we sat by the sea listening to the waves crash and the tinny sound of Maltese radio in the background, I realised we had something else in common as well- A love of Albania.
But Melanie is an extraordinary woman who has dedicated a large part of her life to charity work, fundraising and using her skills as a learning support assistant to help those less fortunate than her. She visited Ethiopia on two occasions, working with the underprivileged and using her experience to improve the lives of people she came into contact with. But then, after taking a years leave to return to Ethiopia for the third time, she encountered difficulties in obtaining a visa and when a friend suggested Albania, she thought “why not” and booked her flight. After spending a short time in Shkodra, due to unforeseen circumstances they had to relocate to Elbasan, a place she now says she was destined to end up in.
It was then that Passi & Beyond was formed. The organisation is a registered NGO and is funded entirely through the fundraising efforts of the volunteers and its 50 or so members. “Passi” is the Maltese word for footsteps and Melanie tells me that the name reflects the belief that change can only happen when small steps are taken slowly but surely. The NGO works in both Albania and the Philipines and sends teams of carefully vetted volunteers to each destination, several times each year. The trips are funded by the volunteers themselves and each individual must undergo thorough background checks, interviews, and several stages of application to ensure that they are truly dedicated to supporting their aim of helping vulnerable members of society both locally and abroad.
Her first work in Elbasan started off working as a nursing assistant with a community of Catholic nuns- making home visits to patients and helping them with their care needs and medical conditions. Whilst the work that she undertook with the nuns was highly rewarding and helpful, she felt that there was much more she could offer the community and she decided to seek out something more. It was then that she came into contact with Aid to the Balkans Albania.
A2B is an Albanian-based, UK registered foundation that aims to “lift dignity and restore hope” amongst members of society through a range of activities that cover health, education, livelihoods, and protection. They offer a day centre that serves food and drink as well as providing a place of refuge and they also run a kindergarten that protects children that are at risk of exploitation, whilst also teaching them the valuable life skills required to integrate them into school. They also offer a sponsorship scheme which meets the immediate needs of families that are struggling financially, economically, or for reasons of health.
Passi and Beyond now work hand in hand with A2B, supporting them with volunteers and the incredible amount of expertise and enthusiasm that they have to offer.
Their focus is to work with children and families that are vulnerable in terms of economic status, or that have learning disabilities. They organised a summer camp that brought children from all different backgrounds together and taught them, helped them, and most importantly gave them the opportunity to enjoy time together.
The work that Passi and A2B have carried out together includes providing food to families, the set up of three kindergartens, creation of a playground, and a programme where families are given food each month in return for sending their children to school regularly. The programmes and projects involve both Albanian and Roma families and the two groups are encouraged to mix together at all times.
Then in summer 2017, two further summer camps were organised, one of which was held near Tirana at The Eden Centre. What amazed Melanie was the fact that some of the parents were a little unsure of whether to attend as this was the first time that they had ever left Elbasan. The camp was a week-long success and was well received by all that attended.
But there was something that was missing. Melanie could not help but notice the lack of support for children with learning difficulties. She tells me she can spot someone with difficulties from a mile off and it had become clear to her that there was no knowledge, no treatment, and no recognition of these issues, rather the children were labelled as “naughty” or “troublesome” and were dismissed.
Work then started on working with staff, parents, and other children- teaching them about various learning difficulties, how to handle them, how to adapt to them, and how to include these children and be welcoming instead of discriminatory.
Melanie has a basic understanding of Albanian and relies on a translator to help her communicate to the full. Despite the language barrier, she said she feels so at home when she is in Albania and the place and the people have become like a family to her.
This summer she is leading a team of 18 volunteers to Elbasan to run two different summer camps that will reach out to and help around 250 children, and their families. She is also intent on doing work in a transition school that will work hard to integrate those with disabilities into the regular schooling system. The aim is to remove the stigma and to show people that these children deserve to learn, and are able to do so in a normal school setting- just with a bit of understanding.
But Melanie is quick to say that she works hard to strike a balance between the help they want to give, and what is appropriate there. She is keen not to upset anyone, not to be “colonial”, and not to impose her ways on these communities. Instead, her method is to work with people and to help them realise that there are other ways of doing things. She approaches Albania with an open mind and she is careful to never draw comparisons between the country and Malta and never to give the impression that her way of doing things is the only way.
“I always tell my volunteers to remember to be humble- these people have lived without you and they will continue to live without you. They are resilient. The little changes we try to make, we are cautious that we are appropriate.”
Melanie not only loves her work but she loves the country and its people as well. Each year that passes she notices positive changes and she hopes that the work they are doing will continue to make significant improvements in the lives of the people that make up these communities.
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