"Since the trainings, I dedicate more time to my children," says Silvana Qorraj, a parent who has benefited from the Positive Parenting trainings supported by UNFPA. Her story illustrates how these trainings have contributed to changing her approach to parenting, providing her with the tools and knowledge necessary to care for her children better, especially her son with disabilities.
Positive Parenting, an intervention supported by the joint UN project in Albania “Let’s End Violence Against Women in Albania,” aims to strengthen the capacities of social service providers at the municipal level, focusing on multifunctional community centers that have been established at the administrative unit level. The goal is for service providers, in their daily efforts and work with families from these units who regularly visit the centers, to be supported with information and capacities to enable the best possible growth for their children, providing them with information about good parenting and what it entails in daily life.
The information provided is related to parenting, the skills that are beneficial to have and possess, as well as the opportunities offered by institutions. Part of the information includes the legal framework that supports parents in involving mothers and fathers in child-rearing, starting from the early steps when a couple seeks to create a family, promoting paternity leave and parental leave at the moment the child is born.
Elsona Agolli, a program analyst on Gender and Population Issues at UNFPA Albania, emphasizes that there is no single way to parent, but what we should remember is that our parenting style influences children from self-esteem to success in school and life. "Every parenting style aims to ensure healthy growth and development because the way we interact with the child/children, how we discipline them, and how we care for them will impact them throughout their lives," adds Agolli.
During the period 2022-2023, 60 workers were trained in 6 community centers in Tirana, providing services for 127 parents from the municipality of Tirana. One of these parents is Silvana Qorraj, who participated in the training and informational sessions at the "We Stand Together" center in Kombinat, where she takes her son with disabilities. Silvana expresses her gratitude for her experience, highlighting that these sessions have directly impacted her family life. "The trainings helped me a lot, especially to better understand my children's needs. They were an opportunity for socialization and sharing experiences with other parents. I am a mother who is dedicated to my children; I don’t work, but I do everything to help them," she says.
However, one of the challenges faced by the "We Stand Together" center is the lack of involvement of fathers in the Positive Parenting trainings. Blerina Lika, a social worker and trainer at this center, expresses disappointment that only mothers participated in these trainings, despite efforts to create a more flexible schedule. "Many fathers don’t find the time to participate due to work commitments, but it is important for them to be more involved in this process," she adds.
The participation of boys and men alongside mothers and daughters in the positive upbringing of children, away from violence and in a supportive and encouraging environment for education and life skills, is very important.
The trainings "help break" taboos. One issue that has arisen during the sessions is the topic of children's sexuality. Lika explains that parents need to be able to provide accurate information in the right way to their children about body changes, gender identity, sexual and reproductive health, and healthy behaviors. Experts in the field, including gynecologists and psychologists, have also participated in the trainings at the center, helping parents better understand these sensitive yet vital issues.
"It doesn't matter how much information a parent gains from the trainings. Better little than nothing," emphasizes Blerina Lika, underscoring that every step, no matter how small, toward positive parenting is a step toward a better future for children.
This intervention was implemented by the "Act for Society" Center in collaboration with UNFPA Albania within the framework of the Project "Ending Violence Against Women in Albania" (EVAWIA), funded by the Government of Sweden and implemented by three UN agencies, UN Women, UNDP, and UNFPA, in partnership with the Albanian Government
