LocationsUNDP Albania
63 Schools. 24,500 Futures. One Promise Kept.
June 24, 2026
EU4School children.
UNDP Albania
TIRANA, Albania — Every morning, hundreds of children stream through the gates of a kindergarten in Qerekë, a small community just outside Tirana.
They race down bright hallways. They fill classrooms with laughter. They learn, play, dream and plan their futures in buildings designed to keep them safe.
To them, it is simply kindergarten. To their parents, it is something far greater. It is proof that a promise made in Albania's darkest hours was kept.
Seven years ago, few people here could imagine this moment.
On 26 November 2019, a devastating 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Albania before dawn. In less than a minute, lives were lost, homes collapsed, and entire communities were devastated.
Newsweek
On 26 November 2019, a devastating 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Albania before dawn. In less than a minute, lives were lost, homes collapsed, and entire communities were devastated. Fifty-one people died. More than nine hundred were injured. Thousands of buildings suffered damage across central Albania.
Among the ruins were schools. Classrooms became unsafe. School buildings became unusable. Tens of thousands of children suddenly lost the places where they learned, played and felt secure.
Albania faced one of the greatest reconstruction challenges in its modern history. But Albania did not face it alone. Europe stood with Albania.
At the International Donors' Conference "Together for Albania" in Brussels, the European Union rallied international support and helped mobilize the resources needed for reconstruction.
UNDP Albania
In the months that followed, the European Union, the Government of Albania, UNDP and international partners joined forces to assess the damage and plan the recovery. At the International Donors' Conference "Together for Albania" in Brussels, the European Union rallied international support and helped mobilize the resources needed for reconstruction.
From that commitment emerged one of the most ambitious education reconstruction programmes ever implemented in the country: EU4Schools.
Funded by the European Union with €75 million and implemented by UNDP, which contributed an additional €765,000, the programme set out to rebuild schools, confidence, opportunity and hope.
"Rilindja" School, Shijak, Albania. One of the 63 reconstructed/rebuild education facilities, under the EU4Schools project.
UNDP Albania
Today, that mission is complete. Across eleven municipalities, 63 educational facilities have been rebuilt or rehabilitated, creating safer learning environments for approximately 24,500 children, students and teachers.
The results are visible everywhere.
Modern classrooms filled with natural light. Science laboratories and libraries. Sports facilities and outdoor learning spaces. Renewable energy solutions that reduce environmental impact.
EU4Schools sports facilities
UNDP Albania
Ramps, elevators and accessible infrastructure ensure that children with disabilities can fully participate in school life.
Medical rooms and psychosocial support spaces that recognize recovery are about people as much as buildings.
Most importantly, every facility was constructed according to Eurocode 8 seismic standards, making them significantly more resilient to future earthquakes.
Across eleven municipalities, 63 educational facilities have been rebuilt or rehabilitated, creating safer learning environments for approximately 24,500 children, students and teachers.
UNDP Albania
"I remember sitting in class with a wooden stove trying to keep us warm in winter. When it rained, water would drip from the ceiling and lessons would stop. We studied on desks that were falling apart.After the earthquake, we spent two years learning in temporary classrooms while our school was rebuilt. Today, when I walk through the doors of our new school, I feel safe. I feel proud. And I feel like anything is possible." — Fatjona Palaj, eighth-grade student, “Gjokë Elezi” School, Laç.
This was never about replacing what was lost. It was about building something better.
EU4Schools students dancing in Albanian traditional costumes.
UNDP Albania
The programme was guided by two principles: Build Back Better and Build Back Together.
"Better" meant creating schools that were safer, greener, more inclusive and more resilient than before.
"Together" meant placing communities at the heart of the reconstruction process. Through implementation, students, parents, teachers, local authorities and national institutions helped shape the future of their schools through consultations, site visits and continuous dialogue.
EU4Schools IT labs
UNDP Albania
Sazan Shira, Director of “Korb Muça” School and “Evropa” Kindergarten in Qerekë, says the new facilities have transformed both learning and community confidence.
"Since reopening, we have welcomed back 130 pupils, and enrolment continues to grow. The new school, built to European standards, has created an environment where children are more motivated to learn and perform. With modern laboratories, sports facilities and full accessibility for children with disabilities, our students now have opportunities that previous generations could only dream of."
Students, parents, teachers, local authorities and national institutions helped shape the future of their schools through consultations, site visits and continuous dialogue.
UNDP Albania
More than 2,790 community members participated in 69 consultation meetings and 53 site visits, ensuring reconstruction reflected local needs and aspirations.
Together with the Government of Albania and local municipalities, UNDP transformed a disaster recovery effort into a long-term investment in the country's future.
Olsi Lasko School, one of the 63 education facilities rebuilt/reconstructed in the context of the EU4Schools project.
UNDP Albania
"The partnership between the European Union and UNDP proved critical to the programme's success. The European Union provided vision, leadership and financial commitment that made reconstruction possible on a scale. UNDP brought technical expertise, engineering oversight, project management capacity and a commitment to transparency that ensured every school met the highest standards", -says Randi Davis, Resident Representative of UNDP in Albania.
Representatives of these institutions gathered in Tirana for the closing ceremony of EU4Schools under the theme "The Power of European Solidarity."
The event celebrated more than the completion of buildings. It celebrated a partnership. A partnership that turned solidarity into action. A partnership that transformed donor commitments into classrooms. A partnership that ensured that when Albania needed help most, Europe stood beside it.
The newly reconstructed 'Emin Duraku' school in Tirana, hosting 1,300 students.
UNDP Albania
"When the earthquake struck Albania, the European Union stood with Albanians from day one. Within hours, rescue teams and emergency assistance from EU Member States arrived. That solidarity did not stop with the emergency. Through EU4Schools, we helped communities recover, rebuild and build back better. We did not simply restore buildings; we built resilience and provided opportunities for more modern, inclusive and quality teaching"-said EU Ambassador to Albania, Silvio Gonzato.
The true legacy of EU4Schools is not measured only in concrete, steel or budgets.
It is measured in children who can learn safely.
In parents who no longer worry when the ground shakes.
In communities that regained confidence in their future.
The earthquake took less than a minute to change thousands of lives.
Rebuilding took years of commitment, trust and cooperation.
But today, across Albania, 63 schools stand as lasting proof of what can be achieved when countries, institutions and communities work together.
The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Edi Rama inaugurating Europa Kindergarten.
UNDP Albania
In Qerekë, the children have even given one kindergarten a name that says it all:
"EUROPE."
Perhaps there is no better tribute.
Because every morning, when those children walk through its doors, they walk into a future made possible by European solidarity and a partnership that delivered on its promise.
And that future is now theirs.
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