They have not missed a single day.

Each morning, they show up—some carrying notebooks, others carrying dreams they’d almost given up on.

They come from different backgrounds, face different challenges, and carry different stories.

But they are united by one goal: to build a better life for themselves and their families.

This is the classroom where courage gathers.

Let me tell you about Ilmjona, Klea, Relindo, Sara, Adela, and Ejona—six young people in Korça determined to change their lives.

For Ilmjona, the classroom is a turning point. She has just finished high school but lives in difficult economic conditions. What she lacks in resources, she makes up for in determination. During her employment counseling sessions, she has grown more confident and active, now planning to learn German and prepare for life abroad. She has already enrolled in a secretarial course—a step toward independence, and perhaps, a new beginning.

Seventeen-year-old Klea is all energy. “I want to open my own beauty salon,” she says. She has registered for a make-up artist course starting in January and dreams of running a small business with her sister. For her, the course is not just about skills—it’s about shaping a future that reflects her passion and potential.

Then there’s Relindo. His hands are most comfortable under the hood of a car. With experience in local repair shops, he wants to become a mechanic and one day open his own service garage. The training has helped him connect with mentors, build professional confidence, and see that success doesn’t have to be somewhere else—it can start right here in Korça.

Sara, a young mother of a four-year-old boy, has rediscovered herself through the programme. Between childcare and household responsibilities, she never stopped showing up for her training sessions. Now, she’s applying for jobs in cafés and supermarkets, armed with a newly written CV and a renewed sense of purpose. “For my son,” she says simply. “He deserves to see his mother try.”

For Adela a mother of three daughters, the days are long and often heavy—but her resolve is stronger. She recently enrolled in the Agrobusiness programme at the University of Korça, committed to turning education into opportunity. “I want my girls to see that no dream is too big,” she says quietly, flipping through her study notes.

And then there’s Ejona raising a 10-year-old boy while navigating personal and financial struggles. Despite everything, she radiates energy. She’s considering professional courses in private security and small business management and has begun building a local women’s network to support others like her. “When one of us rises,” she says, “we all rise.”