People in Power

There are rumors exist among some of Russian speaking people: you come to Albania and they will cut you for organs and sell them to NATO. But people still come and see friendly smiling Albanian people, always ready to help confused foreigners. They could buy bus ticket or water, even postponing own destination will walk you into yours. It’s true! It’s pleasant and surprising as not in many places that kind of attitude exists...But at the same time other attitude also exist

DIRECTOR of VlORA CENTER

Director of Center for special children in Vlora was very pleasant young woman. Her friend brought me to her with a purpose she could use my skills and desire to work. Director shared with us her problems: many parents needed help with their kids, but no place for them in the Center, problems with money, etc

In my tern I described my situation-season coming and I needed to move out, unless I’m willing to pay seasonal rate.

 Director suggested for me
1) working with kids for payment, so I could pay high seasonal rent. She would discuss it with parents
 and
2) teaching  their staff my photo therapy for free. She promised to talk to the staff
That sounded great! Especially the second one…

I let director know that I needed to get a result of it as soon as possible in order I could decide what to do with moving as it required time and money... She promised...I believed her words …Again!... I left Centre inspired and hopeful…
(I am not learning any life lessons)
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In a FEW DAYS

- Hello ! Thanks a lot for the meeting and your suggestions I'll come as soon as English-speaking staff will be ready.  Here are some materials they could look at (I send my articles)

In a couple of days (I try not to be pushy, but...)

-Hello! How are you! I'm ready to start. What about your English-speaking staff.  Do they ready? Thanks.  All the best 
 
-Hello! I’m sick at home
- O sorry! Get well!
- Thnx
(It was strange, why I needed Director to start working with the staff, but I said nothing…)

In 3 days.

- Hello! I hope you feel better. Maybe at home you have more time, so I'd like to ask you a question. You know what has happened to my house and I'm still looking for solution.
So, here is Idea-suggestion
With help of municipality build some new building there to use for autistic kids of your organization and for me (to live there and work, developing my Phototherapy as I have many projects in mind) I bought that place in a hope to work there with kids, but was cheated. Maybe it’s possible to solve it that way-kind of make a little bit different programs or whatever. Maybe work on USA grants. You could know better those things. All the best. Get well.

- Hi !. How are you. I am sorry but I in the problem e i can’t find solution. And my head is down

- What is solution you are talking about?

-My problem dear in my home. I write you. And see you next week

- Sure!  Tuesday 10am!  OK . Btw, I'm problem-solving person. If you think I could help you with "head down" issue let me know

- Thnx. But my problem is with money (Maybe it was a hint to give her money)

- I have some ideas about money subject

- What idea?
- Tuesday, when we meet

 (WE met at school and set a meeting with the staff about teaching them my Phototherapy. Also I shared few ideas about using my house . She promised to talk to municipality the same week

- Hi! How are you! Here is two more ideas (I tried to motivate her)

   #1   Program with kids together with parents-actually teaching them to teach children life- skills
   #2   Almost nobody do photo-therapy like that (only in Russia by my articles) so we could apply for research money as a pilot program.....Also  just in case  I attached my resume and a reference from the Manager where I worked for 17 years

-I read now. I was in meeting with the staff. In Albania is difficult to research for money. And to take a loan is impossible. I talk to municipality and I write you for the answer

-I meant money not from Albania, but other countries.  In USA they tried twice to do research on my ideas. I don't know much about that financial side. We also discussed possibility of research with university psychologist here in Vlora, with stress on local mentality, but she is leaving Albania for good

In a few days
------
I presented my System to therapists and suggested a few ways they could apply it. Therapists told me they are not allowed anything, except the material, written for them by organizations who pay them salary. Director was not there
…Why Director did not tell me that nobody would allow me to teach staff therapy? What kind of game it was? I had to go to the end of it to understand
----------------
- Hi. I was in the center today, hoping to see you. What municipality said? I talked to the staff about phototherapy. Please tell me only about municipality -  yes or no.  Thanks
- Hi! I write you later. Because I am in a meeting
- ok
- Hi! This week is impossible to me to talk to the municipality. Thursday I talk to them.  In a meeting

- OK ! Do you know any English-speaking parents here who really would like their child to progress?

- In my center no Parents just speaking Albanian language

- In other places? in Vlora or anywhere else??? Your specialists told me about the problem -which is everywhere in the System-every action should be approved- bureaucracy...

  - Yes. Exactly. Every action need to approved by municipality. And in my center nobody speak English. Parents. But in Vlora maybe parents with children with special needs are speaking English. But I not know who they are

(WOW! Even I know some... and WHY she suggested me to teach her staff my phototherapy, knowing that it was not allowed? WHY?)

- That is why I wanted so much to be independent. You cannot help a child, when every action or words needs to be approved by municipality or somebody else

- I understand. But is the manual in center.  They stop staff to work with the child in private way

(WHY Director suggested for me to work privately if that was forbidden? Maybe it was done for her friend who brought me? Friend was a Big Person working for some organization)
- No private work?

In a while I wrote to her

- Good morning! System is everywhere the same. I realized, that doing anything in the Center could be a big problem. I'm sending you some writing. Please read the Project for Kume and see if that could be attractive to you in term of financial side-attracting tourists with special kids , referring them to hotels and get some percentage.  Maybe Municipality could be attracted by that idea and would help with Kume house.  What do you think as you are the one who knows the politic here? Project would require different organizational skills where I can do nothing. Also after 2 hard years in Vlora I have no any beliefs in positive things here.
No reaction

In 3 days

- Hi!  Hope you and your kids are OK. Tomorrow work starts again.  Please try to talk to Municipality as I need to make decision this week about my relocation, which involves finance. Your staff-therapists promised to give me their answer tomorrow.  Thanks
- Hi !Ok

3 days later

-Hi!  How are you! What is up!  Jenny the therapist promised to answer Wednesday, but did nothing. I need to pack my stuff. And I'm waiting for your answers. Thanks

No answer

- Hi understand that all answers are "NO". Well, not a surprise! Thanks for everything. I wish you all the very best!

- Hi! How are you. Sorry but my day is a lot of meetings with parents and staff because of autism month.  In municipality is impossible to me to find a answer. Because the municipality are not in possible to find a grant.  And your project needs a lot of money.  I can not find a way to realize this idea.  And Jenny is in home with her daughter because is sick

(That was a polite way to let me know that I should get off)

- OK! Thanks!
- You're welcome!

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I lost a lot of time with relocation and had huge extra problems because of that.  WHY that all happened? Because after so long time on Balkans I still believe in people’s words and promises.
But if I don’t, then how to function?
 I need to learn the way to function, consider fake promises, but still did not figure out how, because if promise would not be fake, than I could be in a bigger problem as well. I did not pack stuff for kids, hoping that one of Director’s promises would be not completely fake.
Another thing is that after words are proven fake, I always try to understand WHY, analyzing possible reasons. With Director she probably tried to show care in front of her friend and then just went with whatever flow was around.

It was much easier to figure out my clients behavior, even with non-verbal kids.
But words are not helpful when they are empty and on Balkans I heard so much of them
and
how bad it is to be depended from other people, so I emphasized with my clients even more



THE VERY TOP PERSON on AUTISM in ALBANIA

Dr. Berisha is the top specialist in Albania about autism. She is also ex-first lady. People advised me to contact her. I did not want to as thought as was useless, but  I decided to knock on every door, so I asked the organization for contact and seemed she responded herself. I send email  describing my current situation with Vlora house, suggestion to help me to organize free Informational Center on the topic of autism (my solution for the problem-Scam people should fix the house). I send my resume with all publications. I asked for the meeting saying that I am staying in the city for a few days

I got a call from secretary and we talked a little bit. In a few days she wrote
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Good morning r. I'm  from the office of dr. Liri Berisha. I contacted you earlier this week for the meeting you requested with dr. Liri Berisha. We want the meeting to be held in our Regional Center for Autism so you can visit it and see our achievements on autism. But during the months of July and August our center is on year leave, especially on august where we have the leave of the year. As I previously mentioned you this during our call, most of the staff in on leave now. Is it appropriate for you too to meet at the beginning of September? As such you can visit our center and also discuss on autism. Please inform us or if you have any date in September which you are not available so we can organize it. May you have a good day!

(well the goal I requested a meeting was basically ignored)

-Hi A.!  I'd be glad to visit your center in September, but my real purpose was to meet Mrs Berisha and talk to her. As I understood its not a chance? Thanks a lot

-Yes the meeting will be with doctor Berisha at our center. This is for sure.

- O, sorry I did not understand. OK sure.

(I thought it was about seeing  their achievements)
- So i will contact you again maybe later August or first day of September. Is it ok?
- OK. If earlier impossible, then its OK. ( I decided to push as it was nothing to lose)  I'll explain you the issue I'd like to discuss with Dr. Berisha, so you'd know. My main idea is to convert the troubled place I got in Vlora into something devoted to autism. I have a few projects in mind. The reality is -when I talked to people here and they hear the word 'autism" I got silence or negative reaction. Recently I discussed it in Tirana with school teacher, and there was autistic kids in their school and she was so negative and thought about me as crazy for my desire to work with autistic kids... So now I am trying not to discuss that topic. However the house is under Government Project, which damaged the place even more. If nothing could be done, then I need to sell it
 …
(I tried to let her know that time IS important for MY issue, but she continued her song as “one track way”

-Oh..we understand it because is since 2007 that dr. Liri Berisha and her staff works on autism. During the meeting you will have a better view of why autism is negatively attached and how our work and awareness campaign on autism had changed the mentality.

-OK. Thanks
(what else could I say and I hope on put Dr Berisha far away)

IN a FEW DAYS I got that

-Hi ... I'm contacting on behalf of dr. Liri Berisha. Is there any available day for you next week to have a meeting with her? Please inform me so we can organize the meeting in Tirana. Let us know your availability.

(I was in Durras in that horrible hostel and just minute ago made a reservation to stay in a wonderful place….just did!!..a minute ago, but I calmly answered

-Hello . From July 20 any day. Thanks

(Of course I got very exiting thinking she got an interest, but didn’t want to lose those days in a wonderful place)

-And the hour? Or you will be available any time?
-Any time after 10 am
-Ok. Will contact you again.
-Sure

(It was Friday, so I expected to hear from them at least Monday and didn’t know what to do next and where I’ll go and what I’d do. I live like that for a while already. It pretty exhausted, because it feels as brain is overheated to decide what to do as solution usually depends on somebody else. I was waiting passively the whole Monday and Tuesday morning. Wednesday I had to free a place, but I'd stay more if not that opportunity. Tuesday  in the middle of the day I got that)

-Good morning ... Wishing you are enjoying the sunny days in Albania! ( well-I’d  not be called enjoyment)  I"m sending you this sms to inform that the most appropriate time for the meeting on autism is September. Unfortunately dr. Liri Berisha is out of Tirana,for this year leave. She is to far from here and can't.  As i explained to you july and august are used for year leave and august all staff and center is closed. I will contact you again maybe end of august or early September to set a date for the meeting. If there will be any day earlier than September will reach out to you sooner. Have a nice day!

(I wanted to send them away writing that I don’t want any appointments any more, but decided to be “a good girl” and wrote politely
-OK Thanks

By that time my place was already given away to somebody else and I returned to my Devil Place in Vlora with no water with new Rule “Leave No Hope”

Still next day I dragged myself to Municipality to ask for my money for the land they use. Project Director Jorgun saying "just a minute" was running away and I decided again to try The Mayor's door as he was there. Secretary, a very nice girl said before seeing Mayor I need to visit some other people. She took me to some cabinets, where pretty aggressive women told me to wait till... "as soon as" and secretary told me to wait for Mayor. I was waiting around an hour and suddenly Mayor left the office, seeing people standing there. Mayor has no special time to meet people. He comes and leaves whenever he wants

I had no hope for Albania any more and no doors to knock off.