My Story

Hello! My name is Ajni. I am 9 years old, and my birthday is on February. I am doing well and in good health. My favorite color is blue, and my future dream is to become a football player. I like to play football during the day with my friends. Usually, we meet to play in the roads after school. I go to school where I spend the first part of my day. I enjoy school and learning. I am in the third grade and my favorite subject is Mathematics. After school, I spend a while playing outside with my friends who live nearby. Now the weather is nice because it is spring, so we can play longer. When I play, usually my twin brother is also present, and my other older brother plays with his friends. When we are inside the house, the three of us get together to play and we have a very nice time. After playing we collect our games and clean up the room. This is how we help our mother in the house. I also like to do what my grandmother asks me to do for her, like buy a few groceries and go along with her when she goes to work in the garden, etc.

My family lives in one of the villages surrounding Prrenjas. There are eight members containing our family who are my parents, grandmother, sister, two brothers, and me. My father during this year has gone to work again for three months in Austria. There he works in construction, laying tiles on apartment rooms. Because of this type of job, he gets paid better and is considered as a master worker for laying tiles on floors. We are happy he has this job to provide for our living and for all the family needs we have. My father owns a car that he uses both for work and for traveling between Austria and our home. My mother stays at home and takes care of all the housekeeping. She cleans, cooks, and spends much of her time caring for my sister, who is paralyzed. My sister was born this way and is considered disabled. She receives an invalid pension, and my mother also receives a small payment that supports her as the main caregiver. My older brother is 11 years old, and my other brother is my twin. My sister is 15 years old. She stays in the house because she is unable to move from her bed due to her illness. My sister received help from the program but only me and my brothers frequent the activities. My grandmother also lives with us. She is retired and receives a small village pension. When my mother gets too busy, my grandmother helps her with cooking, cleaning, and other household tasks. Our family owns a small piece of land, but we are not planting or dealing with farming. My parents plant vegetables only and what we need for consumption in our family. My brothers and I attend the activities of the program regularly. I am very thankful for all the support and generous care that we receive through the program. Thank you for every food package and for all the spiritual activities offered to me and all the children in our community. God bless you in return.

Translated by Martin Rucolli

LW/Adopt a Child Albania