My Story

Hello! My name is Kristian Xhukellari. I am an 11 year old boy and my birthday is on June 4th. I am doing well and enjoy good health. My favorite color is black. I like serious and classic colors. I like to study and be a doctor. I attend the 5th grade at school and enjoy learning. My favorite subject at school is Language and literature. Right after school, at midday, I return home and help my parents with all that I can offer. I buy things in the shop that my mother needs quick as well as chap wood to start the fire in our home. During the afternoon, I always find time to get together with my friends and play for a short while. Usually we gather to play football but at present we have got snow in the town and for this reason, we enjoy having short walks and why not, playing in the snow. I like to read my school books and study during the evenings. My family and I live in Verdova very close to Pogradec. My father’s name is Nikolin and my mother’s name is Matilda.  I have a 9 years old brother whose name is Ergi. He attends the 3rd grade at school and is also registered and benefiting from the Adopt a Child programme same as My father works in Northern Macedonia, emigrating there for a season. We miss him when he is away from home, but we are happy he has this possibility to provide for us. Here in Albania are no many job opportunities and for this reason the government is giving to my family a small amount of money considered as social assistance. This amount is way too small and used only to pay the bills for electricity or water. What remains is available to buy food only for a few days. My father tries his best to find a job as hired in daily bases here and there. There are days that he works and days that he doesn’t so he is not able to provide for us all needed.  Pogradec is located in the southeast of the Albania, The city has an area of ​​13 square km and lies on the shores of Lake Ohrid. Pogradec in the past has been an important industrial center in Albania. To be mentioned at that time were the industry of chrome, iron, nickel, coal, fishing, wood processing and beverages. Today the citizens of Pogradec try to be self-employed or employed by the municipality. A considerable part of the population of Pogradec has chosen to emigrate abroad due to unemployment in the country. The difficult economic situation is felt in the city as well as in the villages. Pogradec has Muslim, Orthodox, Bektashi populations. Since 1994, after Albania was opened in our city, the first evangelical missionaries arrived and today we have a considerable percentage due to the fruitful services that have been in the city and in the villages. There are also recently some new sects such as Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons, these are a very small percentage of this population. The Living Water center in Pogradec was established in 1995. From this center are encouraged feeding programs associated with evangelistic and social work and churches are planted in the area of ​​Mokra. Many people have heard the Gospel and have known Christ as God and Savior. We have the privilege of having a new Church near this center. The Living Water Church in Pogradec has its service every Sunday at 10:00. Through this new church the Living Water Service aims to evangelize and raise disciples in the city and in the villages around it. I am very happy that through the church of Pogradec and Adopt a Child I am receiving help every month. I have received a package that contains groceries monthly as well as a Christmas gift containing school supplies that were so needed for me. Thank you for your care and God bless you!

Translated by Martin Rucolli

Adopt a Child Albania