Monthly Archives: July 2015

Implementation period: November 2014 – March 2015

Donor: UNDP, UN Women and Swedish Government Funds

Together for Life association is beneficiary of United Nations Albania’s grant support on implementing the project “We can, we are equal”, under the 16 days against domestic violence campaign.

The project’s main goal was to inform and to make aware the people on domestic violence phenomena, to improve the women's image and to strengthen the cooperation male-female on creating a healthy family and an equal society.

The two main objectives of this project were:

• To promote and advocate gender equality through public well-known persons who involved in the campaign through their images and messages;
• To aware and involve the youth with the aim to promote cooperation between boys and girls, men and women for gender equality; for a healthy family and an equal society;

The project was implemented in Tirana city, during 03 Nov. 2014 – 10 Mar. 2015.

This project was focused on involving more young boys, girls, men and women in efforts to combat DV/VAW relying on best regional and international practices in primary prevention, principles of engagement include repeated exposure, commitment, and consistency through benefits-based actions, and ownership to ensure long-term investment for substantial and sustainable change.

The approach has been addressing young boys and men as change agents and partners, as part of the solution, rather than as perpetrators or potential perpetrators, with gender equality and the desire for a healthy society that does not tolerate DV and VAW.

Implemented Project Activities

The steps for the DV and VAW campaign of “We can, we are equal” project implemented during the covered period included:

1. Marching on bicycles “Men and boys part of the solution – Show you are against violence”;
2. A new FB funpage account “Albania No to Violence” – (Shqipëria, Jo dhunës);
3. A new rubric “Equal” opened in the site shendeti.com.al;

Key achievements

As a result of the implementation of the foreseen project activities:

• A total of 80 high school boys, girls, students of private universities participated in the activity “Marching on bicycles”;
• A banner with campaign slogan was prepared and printed;
• A total of 70 orange blouses with campaign slogan, donors logos and TFL logo were produced;
• 47 public personalities (21 men and 26 women) became part of this campaign;
• A new account “Albania No to Violence” opened on Facebook page;
• A new rubric “Equal” opened in the site shendeti.com.al;
• Six articles were published in different written media (Panorama, Shekulli, Dita etc) and four broadcast in the news (Channel One TV, Agon Channel TV, Ora News TV and News 24 TV);
• Over 2300 persons liked the page “Albania No to Violence”;

The lack of medicines in hospitals, the lack of realization of tests and examinations, as well as surgical interventions are the main problems in public hospitals in our country.

On March 25, 2015, a group of NGOs that protects patient’s rights sent a letter to the Prime Minister Mr. Edi Rama with information about the problems faced by patients in hospitals.

The Executive director of “Together for Life” Association Ms. Eglantina Bardhi and the Executive director of Consultation and Psychological Services Centre in Shkodra Mr. Altin Nika said that "Unfortunately, from the contacts that we have had with many patients, we have noticed that many of them complain that there is a lack of service provision in the health sector and in many cases they underline in having received careless service, which has further deteriorated their health condition”.

The patient Ms. Leonora Gjoni, who was present during the declaration before different media TV and she said: "a few months ago I felt some concerns in the chest. I decided to make a visit, but the answer was shocking. My examination was breast cancer. Since that day, my cancer and my family poverty are destroying me. I have no possibility to pay the health expenses. I’m unemployed with a child 7 years to grow up, with difficult economic conditions;

Ms. Gjoni said: “the hospital in Tirana provide only the bed. I paid the most medicines for my treatment and my surgical intervention in a private clinic by myself. Even today we are talking together, I bought doxorubicin and cyclophosphamit. These medicines must to be in hospital, but the doctor gave me a prescription to buy at the pharmacy. The problem is that to realize chemotherapy need other drugs, such as Avastin, which is very expensive. The total monthly expenses for my treatment are around 150.000 ALL, but I cannot buy them all. Even the blood tests I have done in private. The personnel said that the hospital cannot do examinations. I paid 1,300 EUR for my operation. Now I’m doing chemotherapy. Despite the promise of Minister Beqaj that we can find medicines in the hospital, Leonora said that she has bought most of the medication by herself.

We, as civil society organizations that work on protecting the rights of patients, through this open letter to Prime Minister, Edi Rama bring to his attention some concrete cases regarding different patients who even though suffer from severe diseases, are not receiving the necessary services, due to the lack of medication, tests and surgical interventions.  The patients declare that they have followed the referral system and according to the legislation they should receive the health services according to the treatment protocols, but in fact they do not receive it.

We are of the opinion that these cases are not isolated ones, but on the contrary, they reflect the suffrage of many patients who visit daily the public hospitals centres in Albania.

At the end, we as organised citizens (or not) in some organisations of civil society such as: (“Together For life”, Haemophilic Association, Thalassemia Association, Association of People with Leukaemia) are sending the following requests:

1. To organise an administrative investigation for the cases of the patients that are in the attached list, and to identify the legal and procedures violations that have occurred during their health treatment in the public hospital centres in Albania.

2. To inform us on the taken measures by your government regarding the improvement of the situation in the public hospital centres, especially for the cases we are addressing.

3. To make sure that the Ministry of Health and QSUT undertake the measures to provide the necessary treatment of patients, aiming to preserve their health and life, according to the legislation in power and to the ethical principles of the Hippocratic Oath (especially the one that are paid by the taxes of the citizens).

4. To organise a meeting where you can hear closer the lived experiences by many patients, whose lives are at risk every day due to the lack of provision of the necessary assistance and careless treatment in the public hospital centres.

In the framework of the “Greening the Local Elections 2015″ STEP network with the support of the Swedish Government, Senior Program and REC surveys have conducted in Tirana, Kruje, Durres, Vlore, Fier, Permet and Saranda.

These surveys were focused on the problems of the inner cities and not on the new structure of the municipalities, as this is an issue that will be examined further on, after the post-election work will start, when the new administrators have a thorough understanding of urban and rural areas that they will be mananging.

These surveys are intended to bring to the attention of candidates for mayor, problems that citizens are facing in their everyday life about environmental  in order to include these issues in their programs.

Analyzing  the results obtained, the most acute environmental problems in the perception of citizens are as follows:

• Non management of waste – 41% of citizens
• Water pollution – 52.4% of citizens
• Lack of green areas – 51% of citizens
• Air pollution – 55% of citizens, Tirana reaching levels of 92.5% and Fier 93.1%
• Lack of necessary infrastructure for recreational spaces – 75% of citizens
• In terms of urban waste differentiation, high percentage citizens are willing to commit themselves distinction should the municipality ask for it.

The network “Moving” will continue to monitor the promises of the candidates for mayor in connection with the resolution of these issues that might continue to concern  the  citizens after the elections as well .

Summary of results

In Tirana, on of the biggest environmental issue that concerns the citizens is air pollution (92.5%). Another problem identified by the citizens of Tirana is water pollution (71.7%). Lack of green areas is also a problem for aound 68.3% of respondents who think that these areas are inadequate.

In the city of Librazhd, one of the issues that concerns the citizens was non-management of urban waste (40%).  79% of citizens say that they to contribute to the differentiation of waste should the minicipality ask for their invelvement..

In the city of Përmet the main problem is water pollution according to citizens (52.4%), which,although rich in water resources is limited in supply. Regarding air quality, levels are satisfactory although waste incineration is considered a problem.,

The main problem for the citizens of Kruje is lack of recreational spaces (94%). They say that they use the main square in front of the palace of sports as recreational space (53.3%). About 84.3% of residents complain that water supply if available part-time only , while 35.8% say that non-management pf waste is a big concers.

The surveys conducted in Durres shows that 85% of the surveyed population think that the air is polluted, over 60% believe that noise pollution is a big concers as well; 76% mention problematic urban waste management and 63% think that waste is not collected regularly by municipalities and communes. Asked about the differentiation 88% gave a positive answer. While 65% think that the drinking water is polluted and over 15% suffer water shortages.

As regards the city of Saranda water pollution is a problem evidenced by 34% of respondents. 61% of respondents believe that green spaces are not enough. Urban waste is considered a significant problem for 80% of residents surveyed. Respondents think that differentiation of urban waste is very important and 86% of them are willing to differentiate their own waste if the municipality requires it.

According to the surveys conducted in the city of Fier, one of the most evident environmental problems are air pollution (93.1%), water pollution (77%) and lack of green spaces (30.7%). As regards the differentiation of waste, 81.7% of respondents said they are willing to differentiate themselves if the municipality allows them.

In Vlora evident problems for the citizens surveyed are water pollution (65%), and air pollution (86%). The main cause of air pollution is considered degraded infrastructure. Concerning green spaces, 86% of respondents feel that such areas  are insufficient.

On November 25^th, 2014, at 10.00 a.m, “Together for Life” association organized  marching on bicycles, under the slogan “Men and boys part of the solucion – Show you are against violence”. The activity took place at Kolonat (Square “Nënë Tereza”).

The marching was conducted in the frame of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, that coinciding with the International Day of Violence against Woman.

association “Together for Life” organized this activity under the project “We can, we are equal”, financially supported by UNDP, UN Women and Swedish Government Funds.

The aim of this activity was to inform and to raise awareness of people regarding the domestic violence phenomena, to improve the women’s image and to strengthen the cooperation male-female to create a healthy family and society.

Around 80 young people (girls and boys) from Tirana and ther cities took part in the marching.