Mary's Meals

SIR is funding a Mary’s Meals project in Albania again this winter.  The project is operating in Kurbnesh, a village of 3500 people in the Mirdita district in north Albania.  The community suffers from chronic poverty with up to 95% of the people unemployed. 


Poverty conditions for the Kurbnesh villagers

Their houses are ill equipped to deal with the winter cold when up to 3 metres of snow falls cutting the whole village off from the outside world.  The children walk for up to 1 ½ hours to reach school. 

Their usual diet consists mainly of soup – bread is rarely available. The families have even less money to spend on food during the winter months when more of their resources go into combating the cold.  Hunger is widespread.  After the harsh winter many of the children require hospital treatment for malnutrition. 

Many villagers try to leave the village in search of a better life in the cities: “Every year families are forced to leave the village. They try their luck in Tirana or Durres. What awaits them there is not better than what they left behind”

 We are providing 360 children in 5 schools in Kurbnesh with high protein snack bars over the winter months.


Children attending school who will receive Mary's Meals

Mary’s Meals is a practical way of helping families look after their children through the most difficult time of the year.

Country background:
Albania is one of Europe’s poorest countries.  Albania was a Stalinist state from after World War II until its transition to democracy in 1990.  High unemployment, corruption, a gangster culture and old fashioned agriculture means poverty is widespread.

Population:
3.5 million
Life expectancy:
71 years
Below Poverty line:
25%
Development Index:
72