Vaide is 80 years old, and she has no family to help her. She never had children, and since her husband died, she has lived alone. Most of the time, she is by herself. She lives in the village of Trebinja, in the Pogradec area. "She is a strong woman," says Nikoleta Xhindole, who runs NG's humanitarian program in Pogradec.

For the last five years, NG has helped Vaide with food packages, clothing, and other material needs she can't take care of herself. Last summer, team members even helped her fix up her kitchen, because, at 80, she couldn't fix it herself. "Whenever the humanitarian team visits, she feels really happy," Nikoleta explains. "She smiles all the time when the staff is there, and wants only to talk to them and be asked about different things. It is very difficult to live alone in these times, and in poverty."

Vaide is just one of the 180 households NG Albania helps every year, with food parcels and other needs. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with widespread unemployment and inflation in Albania, have only deepened the isolation and hardship people like Vaide face.