''Only you believe that we are good people as wellʺ. V. is a 40-year-old Albanian woman who lives at the Sadik Dinci Psychiatric Hospital in Elbasan. It is an Albanian facility that houses more than 330 patients who often live in lonely conditions. A group of young people from the Community of Sant'Egidio in Genoa and Pavia, met her during a week of solidarity in which they organized workshops and parties: a bond that has been going on for a long time and which, for many patients, is the only human contact of the year.
Painting, cooking, music, dancing, sewing, and carpentry workshops took place inside the psychiatric hospital for a week. The initiative received praise from the Metropolitan of Elbasan Andon, who is affiliated with the Albanian Orthodox Church. In particular, during his visit, he commented on the workshops by saying that "what the Community of Sant'Egidio does here is an example of charity for the Orthodox Church as well."
At the end of the week, the young people took the patients out of the hospital to go to one of the city's finest venues, where the patients presented to all the guests the work they had done in the workshops. One of these patients explained that not even in her biggest dreams she could have ever imagined such a party.
Another group of Youth for Peace from Genoa moved further north, particularly to the villages of Malecaj, Shkemb i kuqe, and Shenkoll. There they set up a School of Peace for hundreds of children. The living conditions in these villages are difficult, especially for the most fragile, such as the disabled and the individuals who are affected by psychiatric problems.
After the week of solidarity, the Youth for Peace planted an olive tree in Shenkoll, "which is nurtured by care and attention like friendship".
