Community development program seeks to empower individuals and groups of people with the skills they need to effect change within their communities.
In practice, community development:
- supports communities, of place and identity, to use their own assets to improve the quality of community life in the communities of Selita, Zyberisht and Lana Bregas in the Municipality of Tirana, in the communities of Tophane, Prokuori, Zalli i Kirit, Ura e Bunes, Dubai in the Municipality of Shkodra, in the community of Nishtulla in the Municipality of Durres.
- helps communities and public agencies to work together to improve services and the way in which decisions are made.
Community development is fundamentally based on the values of human rights, social justice, equality and respect for diversity.
The principles which underpin its practice are:
- Self-determination – people and communities have the right to make their own choices and decisions.
- Empowerment – people should be able to control and use their own assets and means to influence.
- Collective action – coming together in groups or organizations strengthens peoples’ voices.
- Working and learning together – collaboration and sharing experiences is vital to good community activity.
More specifically NISMA ARSIS aim to support and develop children and their families placed in the settlement of Roma/Egyptian community in the suburb areas of Tirana called Lana Bregas (more than 60 families and 135 children up to 16) in really extreme poverty conditions. More than 95 children of this community have never been to school or have abandoned school years ago. The program support access to education in cooperation with the Municipality of Tirana and the secondary school of “Androkli Kostallari”: 1) The transport of children (long distance from the educative institutions and their settlement); 2) Reinforcement classes after school; 3) Raising awareness for the importance of education and family empowerment.