Saranda, Albania  - On November 13 2008, Child Rights Protection Unit (CPU) was launched by Saranda Municipality and Terre des hommes Foundation  with the presence of Unicef and USAID. The structure is financially supported by TACT III project and Saranda municipality. The Child Protection Worker (CPW) of the unit will identify and manage cases of children in need, either abused, neglected, trafficked or exploited children. The unit will be able to offer direct assistance like counseling and family support. Moreover, the CPW will analize and monitor the socio-economic conditions of children until they are deemed out of risk. This structure will uphold child rights and lobby for budgeting on child protection and family support at municipal level.  In order to succeed in its function, the Child Protection Unit will work closely with a network of actors to form the so-called Child protection safety net. Such actors are teachers, school psychologists, doctor, police and law authorities.

The establishment of this unit is a crucial step to protect children from trafficking and other abuses and it will be the challenge of the Saranda duty-bearers to make it truly effective, said Kelly Cronen Anti-trafficking Advisor at USAID.

Terre des hommes - Child Relief, a Swiss based Foundation providing direct aid to children in need, is looking for its projects in Albania for his/her COUNTRY DELEGATE (Duration:  3-5 years - Closing date: 12.12.2008 - Position start date: December 2008 - Position location: Tirana - Type of Posting: Possibility of family post - Supervisor: Geographical Desk, Lausanne, Switzerland - Supervises: National staff in the country).

See the full description here

Comment: Three British social worker of an orphanage in Tirana blame each other of abusing children in their care reported 'The Guardian'. The so-called Brown's trial is one of eastern Europe’s most shocking child sex abuse scandals. Initialy, David Brown denied the accusation of the children and claimed that the children have been manipulated, but on the other hand he has recently accused his colleagues of abusing boys behind his back. Brown's trial verdict is expected this week.  Meanwhile, two of his colleagues have been porsecuted for the same allegations and have been charged with sexual abuse on minors.

The Guardian full text

Comment: a very short news from 'ABC' reporting on the accidental death of a young mother and her three month old daughter. They died while trying to pass illegaly the Greek border With a group of 20 to 25 migrants.

ABC full text

Podcast

Sonila Danaj, author the recent report on the situation of child trafficking in Albania gives her comments on the impact of the report and on the declaration of the Prime Minister.

Yesterday, during the press conference for the presentation of the report, the Prime Minister of Albania, Mr Sali Berisha, who was saying that the reality of child trafficking in Albania goes far beyond the official statistics. What is your point of view about this declaration?

Sonila Danaj: Well I think that the report also shows that! The figures show certain numbers but these numbers are not the real numbers of children who have been trafficked. And why’s that? Because first of all, the institutions have the numbers of those who have been caught in situation of trafficking. (...)