Blog

Chestnut Festival - Presenting Pogradec

A favorite autumn celebration in Pogradec...and across the Adriatic!

New Impact, new interviews!

Enjoy the latest Impact - including interviews with the Manns and Arnold Geiger and more!

Presenting Pogradec! A Most Musical Town

Local guide Engjellushe Icka introduces us to the contemporary music scene in Pogradec....

Guest Post: Meet the Beatles of Pogradec!

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Darova Brothers, nicknamed "The Albanian Beatles," brought music, fun and joy through their performances in Pogradec. Granddaughter Ornella Darova shares their story....

The other side of Mitrush Kuteli

In an earlier installment of Presenting Pogradec, Engjellushe Icka introduced us to Albanian writer, poet and folklorist Mitrush Kuteli. Now, meet Kuteli the banker.....

New Issue of Impact mini!

Check out the latest issue of our newsletter, Impact.....

The Wisdom of Hard-Earned Success

Inspiring thoughts from one of Nehemiah Gateway University's 2022 graduates, Karla Cuca of Guatemala....

Matching campaign on Global Giving this week!

Matching opportunity on Global Giving this week only, September 12-16! All gifts up to $50 are matched at 50%. It's a great opportunity to increase your impact! https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/in-albania-changing-lives-through-education/

Great video from Amaro Tan summer camp!

Our friends at NG Albania put together a wonderful video with impressions of Amaro Tan summer camp. Click through to check it out!

New Issue of Impact!

Check out the July issue of our newsletter, Impact....

Beach Volleyball!: Presenting Pogradec

Beach volleyball! Since 1995, girls beach volleyball teams from Pogradec have successfully competed nationally and even internationally. Our local guide, Engjellushe Icka, tells us more about the local husband and wife coaching team that has built this successful program.....

A Great Place To Swim: Presenting Pogradec

There has never been a public swimming pool in Pogradec. But who needs a pool when you have Lake Ohrid? Our local guide, Engellushe Icka, tells us about competitive open water swimming in Lake Ohrid, and some of the people who enjoy it....

2021 Annual Report

Nehemiah Gateway USA's 2021 Annual Report is up on our website. Check it out....

Generations of Artistry: Presenting Pogradec

If you have been to Pogradec, you know what a beautiful place it is. It is no surprise that this lakeside town is home to many artists—and not only many artists, many families of artists whose craft and connection to the place go back generations. Our local guide, Engjellushe Icka, introduces us to two families with a multigenerational tradition in the arts. One of them is her own family.....

Powerful video from NG Gjirokaster

NG USA donors have been supporting the Gjirokaster after-school program since 2019. A powerful testimonial from the mother of three of the children....

Meet Mitrush Kuteli-- Presenting Pogradec

When you stop at the city center park in Pogradec, with its lush rose garden, you will see the statue of Lasgush Poradeci looking toward Dry Mountain, ready for a conversation with his friend and fellow author, Mitrush Kuteli. Kuteli has removed his hat in greeting. He has his last book of poems in his pocket, and is ready to share the verses with his friend Lasgush and hear his thoughts....

NEW! May Impact mini

We live in an interconnected world. Although there is no war in Albania, the effects of war in Ukraine, along with supply chain problems caused by the pandemic, are felt every day in Albania. Learn more in the May issue of Impact....

Pascha in Pogradec: Presenting Pogradec

Orthodox Christians in Albania celebrate Pascha on Sunday, April 24. Learn how Easter is celebrated among Orthodox Christians in Pogradec-- including the survival of a playful tradition that outlived Communist atheism....

Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine-- NG USA Partner

Mission 10forty, a Danish NGO, is bringing sorely needed humanitarian aid into the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine. We are proud to process donations for their lifesaving work....

New Issue of Impact!

Check out the new issue of our newsletter, Impact...

The Sights of Pogradec

The interesting histories of some of the places you have probably seen in Pogradec, from our Presenting Pogradec series by Engjellushe Icka....

How Can We Help? An Interview with Arnold Geiger

Arnold Geiger is the founder of NG, and Managing Director of NG Services. I had the opportunity to talk to Arnold recently about the situation in Ukraine, what NG is doing to help-- and how you can help.

Meet Lasgush Poradeci

Our first "Presenting Pogradec" article is about Lasgush Poradeci, one of Albania’s greatest writers. He so strongly identified with his hometown, he adopted the pen name of Lasgush Poradeci—Llazar Gusho of Pogradec. His poetry is almost impossible to translate. In fact, only five of his poems have been translated into English.....

Presenting Pogradec! Introducing our new series...

Introducing a new, occasional feature on NG USA’s platform, Presenting Pogradec. Whether you have been to southeastern Albania, are thinking of going, or are from there but are living somewhere else right now, this series will provide an authentic, in-depth look at some of the people and things that make the area around Pogradec unique and wonderful...

A New Year and a New Name!

We have changed the name of our newsletter! Also, there is a new newsletter for you to read...

For Vaide, Visits from Friends

Meet Vaide, who is 80 and lives alone. She has been receiving visits from NG's humanitarian team for 5 years now....

New Compact mini, Holiday Edition

Happy Holidays! Check out our latest Compact mini, which shows all the amazing work you support when you support NG USA....

A new playground for Amaro Tan

Is there anything more exciting than getting to play on a brand new playground? The kids at Amaro Tan School in Pogradec got to find out thanks to a generous district grant from Rotary Club of Estes Park this fall....

New faces in Gjirokaster

New students in the after-school program in Gjirokaster....

30 Years of NG in Albania!

Today marks 30 years of NG in Albania.....

An update from Uganda

Back in July, NG USA held a micro-fundraiser for Nehemiah Gateway University graduate Sandra Akoli of Uganda, so she could help people in her community during the COVID crisis. An update on what Sandra was able to do with our donations....

New Issue of Compact!

Check out our latest issue of Compact, all about NG's global programming at the University and through partner organizations....

Michelle Mann's Keynote Address, NGU Graduation 2021

Congratulations to Anitha, Evi, Harriet, Nathpali, Riksena, and Sindi, Nehemiah Gateway University class of 2021! Michelle Mann, Executive Director of Nehemiah Gateway USA, delivered the keynote address. You can read her remarks here....

At Amaro Tan, Developing Incentives for Grades and Attendance

How do you motivate parents with no formal education to support school for their children? At Amaro Tan, the team is trying a new method.....

Help families in need in Uganda!

One of our NG University graduates, Sandra Akoli, needs your help to support her community in Uganda during a COVID-19 lockdown...

Summer fun in Gjirokaster

a fun day at the park for the children in the after-school program in Gjirokaster.....

New Issue of Compact!

A new issue of Compact, all about the wonderful volunteers who help us every day at NG...

Success! And Thank You

A challenging and unusual school year is drawing to a close in Albania....

2020 Annual Report

NG USA's 2020 Annual Report is now up on the website....

Trainings for teachers, courtesy of Rotary

With funding from a Rotary Global Grant and in partnership with Rotary Clubs in Estes Park and Pogradec, NG Albania is hosting trainings for local teachers this week with Dr. Migen Sulaj, who is one of Albania's leading experts in childhood autism....

New Compact mini!

New issue of Compact mini, here....

In School in Albania's City of Stone

In Gjirokaster, NG is helping Roma children stay in school....

NEW! March Issue of Compact

Check out the March 2021 issue of our newsletter, Compact....

Video from Elona Rira, Director of Nehemia School

In this video, Nehemia School Director Elona Rira talks about how the school is using technology to keep students and teachers connected....

Staying Connected in the Crisis

Pogradec, Albania is currently designated as a COVID-19 hot spot, and high schools throughout the city have been all online for the past two weeks. Last week, elementary and middle schoolers also stayed home and participated in their classes online....

Changes to NG USA Board of Directors

Join us in welcoming Lazaron Gusho to the Nehemiah Gateway USA Board of Directors.....

NEW! February Compact mini

New in 2021, check out our Compact mini newsletter!

...By Horse or Mule, if Necessary!

The Amaro Tan team had to get creative to bring food and firewood to some of its clients recently....

Making winter warmer in Gjirokastër

The NG Gjirokastër team is helping families in need get through the winter...

NG Gjirokaster Director Arjan Kociu

Arjan Kociu runs Nehemiah Gateway Albania's programs in Gjirokaster....

Aid Program Director Nikoleta Xhindole

Nikoleta Xhindole, director of the aid program at NG Albania, explains why aid parcels are so important....

NG Albania Executive Director Herolinda Shkullaku

NG Albania Executive Director Herolinda Shkullaku talks about the importance of the aid parcel program in the following video....

Amaro Tan director Marin Piqoni

Give the gift of aid this Christmas!

This holiday season, Nehemiah Gateway USA is fundraising to bring urgently needed humanitarian aid to people in Albania who are suffering hardship as a result of COVID-19.

NEW! December Issue of Compact

The December issue of our newsletter, Compact, is here! Check it out...

Classroom Improvements in Gjirokaster

Thanks to a generous donation from Rocky Mountain Church in Estes Park, the Gjirokaster classroom has a much better ceiling...

Estes Park Fire Update

Over the weekend, two new fires started south of Estes Park, near Boulder. Crews are using aircraft to try to protect populated areas from the Cameron Peak fire, which is now over 204,400 acres...

Fire Near Estes Park

The Cameron Peak Fire has become largest in Colorado history at 188,000 acres this week, and flames and smoke are visible from all over Estes Park...

A Greener Way in Pogradec

With help from a generous US donor, NG Albania is phasing in cloth bags for village aid deliveries-- reducing waste while providing something villagers can use again and again...

Update from Gjirokastër

In Gjirokastër, after a long interruption due to COVID-19, the Roma children in the school program are back in school, and coming to the center in the afternoon....

Nehemiah Gateway University Graduation Remarks, continued....

Dotto Boniphace of Tanzania graduated from Nehemiah Gateway University this September. Following are his remarks. Congratulations to Dotto and NGU Group 8!

NEW! October Issue of Compact

Check out the new issue of our newsletter, Compact!

Remarks from a recent graduate of Nehemiah Gateway University

Four students graduated in Nehemiah Gateway Class 8, including Nembuan Loserian of Tanzania. Read an exerpt of her remarks here...

Professor Roy Atwood's Keynote Address at Nehemiah Gateway University

September 18 was graduation day for Nehemiah Gateway University Class 8-- Coletha, Dotto, Nembuan, and Adelina. Professor Roy Atwood delivered the keynote address from his home in Idaho....

Back to School Albania-style

In Albania, the new school year has started, with new precautions....

Amaro Tan Summer Camp

This August, Amaro Tan School held its annual summer camp, with generous support from Rotary Club of Estes Park.

Laptops for 47 Teachers in Albania

After the COVID-19 lockdown began in March in Albania, teachers at NG's Amaro Tan and Nehemia Schools put together virtual classrooms from their homes, using the technology they had at hand. With blended learning mandated by the Albanian Ministry of Education in 2020-2021, we request your help in equipping 47 teachers with laptops to help them manage virtual classrooms for 647 students effectively and efficiently.

Summer Camp for Children with Special Needs 2020, Buçimas

Twenty-one children with special needs enjoyed summer day camp at the NG Buçimas campus this June...

Article about Rotary Club of Estes Park (Noon Rotary)

Estes Park Noon Rotary is an excellent, longstanding partner of NG USA. Check out this article in the Estes Park Trail Gazette about their work with us and others....

Kindergarten-- Back in Session in Albania

In Albania, as COVID-19 restrictions are easing, children are going back to preschool and kindergarten.

NEW! June Issue of Compact

Check out the latest issue of our newsletter, Compact!

Buçimas Clinic Reopens

After a 2-month closure, NG's free clinic is open again.

School from home in Albania

In Albania, students of all ages have been learning from home since March. Here's what they've been up to....

Children's Learning Center-- Exciting Update!

Check out this article about a recently funded Rotary Global Grant that will greatly expand services for children in Pogradec with special needs! https://www.eptrail.com/2020/04/12/rotary-international-approves-local-clubs-global-grant/

Relief aid deliveries in Pogradec and Gjirokastër

Since the COVID-19 lockdown began in Albania, the Nehemiah Gateway humanitarian teams have delivered aid bundles to over 670 households....

NEW! April Issue of Compact

Check out the latest issue of our newsletter, Compact.

A chance to help out

March 23-March 27, Global Giving is matching all donations up to $50 at 50%. We are fundraising for bundles of aid supplies for Albanians in need during the Coronavirus crisis: globalgiving.org/microprojects/aid-deliveries-during-covid-19-epidemic-albania/

COVID-19 response in Albania

On March 8, the Albanian government closed all schools and public gatherings throughout the country to limit the spread of coronavirus. Students at Nehemiah Gateway's schools and programs went home, and the elderly and sick people who come to Nehemiah Gateway's soup kitchens were told to stay home. Many of these people are very poor, and missing school means missing meals. For people with no other reliable source of support, this project may be the only food and care they get during the crisis.

New issue of Compact

The February issue of Compact is out!

After the Earthquake

It has been 2 ½ months since a devastating earthquake hit Albania, leaving many people homeless. Naim and his family live in the village of Peza, southwest of Tirana. Their home was condemned, so they are spending the winter in a tent. Although organizations like NG partner ProFamilja are helping them with food and supplies, it is cold and damp in the winter, and staying clean and healthy is a constant battle.

Albania Earthquake Update

It has been almost a month since the strongest earthquake in decades shook Albania. Homes and businesses were wrecked; fifty-one people lost their lives, two thousand were injured, and four thousand lost their homes. The biggest quake hit at about 4 am, with the epicenter near the coastal city of Durrës. There were tremors for days afterwards—a reported 1,300 aftershocks, even as rescuers searched for people in the rubble. Read more about Nehemiah Gateway Albania's work to help the survivors....

Bringing Aid to Mokra

The Nehemiah Gateway Albania Social and Medical Improvement team was back in the mountain villages near Mokra recently, bringing aid to villagers.

New issue of Compact

The latest issue of Compact is out!

Albania Earthquake

A deadly 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Albania in the middle of the night November 26. The quake was centered near the coastal city of Durrës, and has been followed by many hours of aftershocks.

New issue of Compact

New issue of Compact, check it out!

Article in the Estes Park Trail Gazette

A profile of NG USA in this week's Estes Park Trail Gazette, courtesy of the Estes Park Nonprofit Resource Center. Estes Park, home of NG-USA, is home to several thousand elk (pictured).

Back to School in Gjirokastër

Last Monday, September 16, was the first day of school in Gjirokastër. Thanks to NG USA donors, twenty Roma children were able to register for school with help from Nehemiah Gateway staff. They arrived bright and early with all the rest of the Gjirokastër school children, with new backpacks on their backs, filled with school supplies they need to participate in class. Five of the children are first graders and are attending school for the first time. All the families are receiving food aid, helping them to enjoy nutritious meals at home.

Making New Friends in Gjirokastër

This June, a group of NG coworkers, as well as five volunteers from the US, got the chance to visit the new NG soup kitchen in Gjirokastër. They got to help with lunch and join activities with a group of twenty at-risk Roma children.

Learning the Rules of the Road at NG-Albania

First-time visitors to the Nehemiah Gateway campus at Buçimas may be surprised by the well-labeled and signed, paved segments of street between the buildings that house NG operations. Why would a mostly pedestrian area surrounded by walls need a roundabout, lane dividers, crosswalks, traffic signs, and even traffic lights, all slightly smaller than in real life?

Roy and Beverlee Atwood Return to the US

Roy and Beverlee Atwood, NG University’s Vice Rector and Head of the University’s Exam Office, respectively, returned to the USA in mid-May to seek medical treatment for the two herniated discs in Roy’s back. “Regrettably, finding medical relief for my back pain required us to return to our US home and to leave our NG University posts, the students and colleagues we love, our dear Albanian Christian brothers and sisters, and the beautiful Pogradec community. We already miss them all,” Roy said.

Support Estes Park Volunteer Trip to Albania!

For the next two weeks, you can sponsor a duck to support the first group of Estes Park volunteers traveling to Albania to help out at Nehemiah Gateway’s summer camp for at-risk children.

Nehemia School Graduates Give Back

This June, one lucky 9th grader at the Nehemia School will be awarded the inaugural Dr. Jorgji Jajcari Academic Excellence Scholarship. The $1000 scholarship will support 10th grade tuition at the Nehemia School, reducing the financial burden of tuition so that the recipient can focus on his or her studies. Selection is based upon academic achievement, with consideration given to extracurriculars. The scholarship is the creation of two Nehemia School graduates, cousins Lazaron Gusho and Lori Çobani....

A New Love of Learning

“Mathematics is the subject I love most!” Elisa, 7th grade. “I know it will help me in my future.” Kristi, 9th grade. “I love going to the Albanian and English Language courses.” Xhystina, 8th grade. “Now I have more confidence in myself.” Kristi, 9th grade.

Interview Time at Nehemiah Gateway University

For a select group of young people, January is an exciting and suspenseful time. Last fall, aspiring students to the Nehemiah Gateway University class of 2022, nominated by a handful of carefully vetted partner humanitarian organizations in Africa and Latin America, turned in their applications for admission...

Winter Aid Deliveries in Pogradec

Over the last two weeks, the humanitarian team at Nehemiah Gateway distributed over 150 food parcels to families in need in the Pogradec area, braving wintry roads to bring food, clothing, medicine, and shoes to Albanians living in poverty. We visited many people society has left behind, including the very old, disabled people, and minorities such as the Roma. Your generous support has made it possible for these 150 households to enjoy a respite from hunger and want, and for that, they, and we, thank you.

From Amaro Tan to High School

Ambra and Jorida graduated from the Amaro Tan School in Pogradec in June. Although you would not guess it by looking at them, both girls come from desperately poor families. By successfully completing ninth grade, they have already attained a higher level of education than most girls from their Balkan Egyptian and Albanian communities. But they aren’t done yet. Ambra and Jorida were awarded full scholarships to the private, college preparatory Nehemia High School in Pogradec, and started tenth grade there this fall.

A Right To Play and Have Fun

The theme of Amaro Tan’s 2018 summer camp was “I have rights.” This may seem like an unusual theme for a summer camp, but for the children of Amaro Tan, it is a vitally important one.

Their Joy is a Blessing to Us All

Nehemiah Gateway Albania’s Social and Medical Improvement team held their annual two-week summer camp for children with disabilities and special needs on July 2-13. The camp took place at the Nehemiah Gateway campus at Buçimas, which is enclosed for safety and has green spaces and play equipment for all ages. The 25 children who participated enjoyed outdoor play and open-air activities together every day. Thanks to generous donors like you, this camp was offered completely free of charge.

Visiting Villages in the Albanian Mountains

On a warm, sunny day in early June, I joined Nehemiah Gateway social workers on their twice-yearly visit to the mountain villages in the Mokra region near Pogradec, Albania. The villages seem to be close by on a map, but it takes several hours and excellent driving skills to reach these remote places. Arnold Geiger, founder of Nehemiah Gateway, first visited these villages in the 1990s, after the fall of communism. Since then, the organization has been visiting twice a year, bringing parcels of food and donated clothes and shoes to the poorest people in a very poor region. According to Albania’s 2011 census, about 46,5 % of Albanians still live in villages like these—a number that continues to shrink, as it does in many parts of the world.

Humanitarian Aid is Where it All Started for Nehemiah Gateway

In the late 1980s, Arnold Geiger started helping convoys of humanitarian relief to many countries, for example Russia, Romania and Turkey. A 1991 trip to Albania, then newly emerging from 50 years of totalitarian government, profoundly moved him.