Impact

What changed, and how we know.

Every number on this page carries the source it came from and the date it was true. We publish no statistic we cannot attribute.

Results

3 figures, each sourced and dated.

450

Roma and Egyptian students supported

Non-formal education programmes since 2016

EU Award for Roma Integration in the Western Balkans 2023, Roma Active Albania (funded by the European Union), p. 9 · as of December 2023
70+

Students supported through the pandemic

Equipment and internet subscriptions during COVID-19

EU Award for Roma Integration in the Western Balkans 2023, Roma Active Albania (funded by the European Union), p. 9 · as of December 2023
80+

Young Roma trained for employment

Job search, applications and soft-skill development, 2018–2023

EU Award for Roma Integration in the Western Balkans 2023, Roma Active Albania (funded by the European Union), p. 9 · as of December 2023

Stories

7 written stories and 24 short videos from students in Roma Versitas Albania programmes.

In their own words

Numbers say how many. These stories say what it meant, from the students the programmes supported.

Florjana

Fier, WinForVET

Florjana was one of the few girls of her generation in Fier to stay in education, where many girls are married young and held back by patriarchal norms. Her career plan in WinForVET set one goal: to go on to university after vocational school. She reached it, and now studies nursing at Ismail Qemali University in Vlorë.
Marinela

Durrës, WinForVET

Marinela trained as a barber, a rare choice for a woman in Albania. With support from a UNDP project she had already opened a beauty salon with her mother. WinForVET helped her widen her professional skills, and she went on to a course in digital marketing.
Blerina and Diku

Elbasan, WinForVET

A young married couple with children: Blerina worked as a cleaner, and Diku found only occasional work without a certified trade. Both wanted a career and better-paid jobs, so the project supported Blerina to train as a hairstylist and Diku as a gypsum specialist. They support each other, and are active in their community.
Gjergji

WinForVET

Gjergji, known as Meni, first wanted to be a photographer. Working through his strengths and the job market with his mentor, he chose a different kind of art: creating haircuts for other photographers to shoot. After completing the course, he now works as a hairstylist in France.
Klajdi

Fier, WinForVET

Klajdi, 19, was in his final year of Social and Health Services at a vocational school in Fier, and plans to study further and work at the regional hospital. He shares information on healthy living and disease prevention in Roma communities. Roma Versitas Albania supported him for four years through the Secondary Education programme, and two through WinForVET.
Valter

WinForVET

Valter finished only nine years of school before emigration interrupted his studies. He had practised barbering in his own community, and enrolled in a vocational course to make it his trade. His plan: an internship after the course, then his own business.
Daniel

Durrës, WinForVET

Daniel came back to Durrës from Germany and, after a few unqualified jobs, chose graphic design as his profession. Through WinForVET he took an internship at a design studio. He designed a banner for Roma Versitas Albania honouring nine Roma figures in activism, journalism, art, literature, music and academia.

On video

Secondary Education for Roma and Egyptian Community Students in Albania

Albania has built a comprehensive legal and strategic architecture for the educational inclusion of its Roma and Egyptian national minorities, closely aligned with Council of Europe, EU, UNESCO and ILO standards. In practice the right to secondary and vocational education remains an unfulfilled promise. This study triangulates the legal framework with administrative data and two original surveys to show where the system breaks down.

Read the study

Still missing

Cumulative figures across all programmes from 2014 to today are being compiled from programme records. They will be published here with their sources as soon as they are verified — rather than estimated in the meantime.

What changed, and how we know.

In their own words

On video

Secondary Education Project

Tertiary Education Project

WinForVET

Secondary Education for Roma and Egyptian Community Students in Albania