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Through diverse sports and artistic activities, nearly all the pupils in both schools have been involved in the project. One of the most interesting activity in Shkodra was a three day marathon of 1) Science Day, 2) Literature Day, and 3) Sports day. During these days, pupils and teachers were involved in contests, recitals, and sport events that aimed to bring a better understanding of tolerance in the schools.
The teachers and pupils we worked with organized two school plays in Shkodra and Gramsh. The Shkodra play “Tomorrow is a new day” dealt with the topic of human trafficking of young women from poorest parts of Albania. A young girl that is frequently beaten up by her father, believes the lies of a young man about better life in neighboring Italy, and ends up becoming a prostitute there. After many adventures, the girl denounces her tutors and returns back home, where she is rejected by her family. Taking a stand on her life she goes to Tirana, the capital, and starts working there leading an independent, fulfilling life. The play was really good and got ovations.
The Gramsh play was based on a famous Albanian comedy “the Carnivals of Korca”. The play makes fun of newly rich bourgeois that lead superficial lives, while compassionately looking at the daily struggles of the poor. We learned that this was the first play in Gramsh since 1987, so it enlivened the life in the small town.
As part of networking between the Gramsh and Shkodra school, we organized a common volleyball match in Shkodra between both schools. The Gramsh volleyball team also watched the Shkodra play.
In order to build cross-border cooperation and twinning, we helped the Shkodra school twin with a Tuzi school in Montenegro, a mixed Albanian-Montenegrin-Serbian school. 66 pupils and teachers from Gramsh and Shkodra went to Montenegro for that event. Shkodra school performed their play in the Tuzi school, and there were meetings and addresses exchanged between teachers and pupils. For many of the participants, it was the first time to go abroad and therefore a memorable experience. The project also partly sponsored a trip of the Shkodra and Gramsh school staff in Macedonia. During these short trips, teachers would see the cultural sites of the neighboring country and appreciate a different culture. |
