A new Early Years Centre serving the Roma community in central Albania opened in October.
We are thrilled to announce that the Early Years Centre for Roma children in Rrogozhinё has officially opened, thanks to the whole team at A2B and House of Opportunity. This initiative aims to provide critical early years education for Roma children, a community that often faces limited access to state schooling. The new centre is now creating a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment where children can gain the foundational skills they need to thrive—the first of its kind in this community. This marks a significant step in addressing the educational inequalities faced by Roma children and helping them start school on an equal footing with their peers.
Securing a location for the Early Years Centre was particularly challenging, with rejection often based in the cultural realities of supporting the Roma community, however, after a lot of hard work, by October 28th the team was excited to open the doors of this newly refurbished former restaurant. The team leader is Klera, and there are two passionate educators, from Australia and the Caribbean, as well as a dedicated cook who also manages the upkeep of the centre.
While we celebrate the opening, challenges remain. The building required more extensive repairs than anticipated, with costs exceeding the initial budget. We are very grateful that the building owner generously waived five months of rent to help offset these expenses, and are looking to secure additional support to cover these costs and ensure the centre continues to operate smoothly – please do get in touch if you would like to contribute. Despite these hurdles, the team remains determined and hopeful.
