VT Albania is a Christian aid organization that began in the United Kingdom to help one physically disabled young Albanian woman with medical needs but has now expanded to help dozens others through the provision of a daycare center between the two largest cities in Albania (Tirana and Durrës). What began as a focused effort towards empowering those primarily with physical disabilities in their academic careers, VT has expanded to meet the felt need of those with varying physical and cognitive disabilities in the rural areas of the Durrës district, where lack of resources is great.

The Need is Great

Why is VT Albania Necessary?

Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, still struggling to overcome the legacy of fifty years of Communist oppression and isolation from the rest of the world. Part of this legacy is inadequate resources available for the treatment and care of those with any kind of disability – physical or mental – and the social stigma attached to those who are disabled. Such people are often hidden away at home without opportunities for treatment, education, or social development. Even when taken out, they find that disabled access to buildings and suitable toilets are the exception rather than the rule.

​We seek to remove barriers to access and foster community that leads to growth for those with disabilities in Albania.

  • VT provides a day center and sponsors special outings and activities for its students to socialize outside of their homes, with individuals other than their immediate family members.

  • VT offers transportation to the center for its students with a handicap-accessible school bus.

  • VT employs teachers and a physical therapist at its center as well as utilizes a network of volunteers to invest in the lives of these students from their academic education to their personal development for a wholistic approach.

How does VT Albania Accomplish its Mission?

OUR VALUES

  • We practice stewardship and accountability.

  • We desire health of the whole person: mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

  • We seek to love others as Christ has loved us.

  • We strive to glorify God in our work.

  • We believe all humans are made in the image of God and have intrinsic value.