A refugee mother's resilience helps her rebuild a life for her son in Albania

On the sidelines, Eva watches her son Viki, with a smile of pride and contentment on her face. It's a moment of normalcy, a stark contrast to the turbulent journey that brought them here. Eva's story is one of resilience, a testament to the strength of a single mother rebuilding her life in Albania as a refugee.

Eva's days are filled with a busy routine centred around Viki. "I wake up, prepare breakfast for my son, walk with him to school, and then go to work. After work, we eat lunch together, and I take him to football practice," she describes. Her life revolves around ensuring Viki has a fulfilled and happy life.

Eva's life before fleeing to seek safety in Albania was filled with dreams and aspirations. She was two months away from completing her law degree when political instability in Democratic Republic of Congo disrupted the life she had known. Pregnant and fearful for her and her unborn child’s safety, she made the difficult decision to flee her home country. "The thought of the child I was expecting gave me the courage to flee," she says.

Recalling her first few weeks after arriving in Albania as an asylum-seeker, Eva says, "I knew of Albania from what I learned in school. When I first got here, it was very hard because it was a new country. I didn’t know the language, I didn’t know anyone, and I was also pregnant.

Soon after her arrival, through the referral of the national police, Eva's path crossed with Refugee and Migrant Services in Albania (RMSA), UNHCR’s national NGO partner, which provided counselling on the asylum process and available services. "Two weeks before I gave birth to Viki, I met RMSA and learned about the accommodation at the National Reception Centre for Asylum in Tirana. The support from RMSA and the Centre made me feel safe and surrounded by family," Eva recalls. "The Centre had a French-speaking psychologist, which helped a lot. RMSA assisted with my documents and language lessons, helping me integrate. I learned Albanian in four months and started a cooking course," she adds proudly.

Reflecting on her journey, she says, "I put my son’s life first. I only thought about my son and then myself. Thanks to God and my will, I managed to arrive where I am today. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my son. It was very hard for me, being in a new country, leaving everything behind, with a small baby."

"When Viki was six to seven months old, I needed to start working and had to send him to pre-kindergarten. I was so afraid to leave him alone," Eva remembers. "I was terrified that the teachers would treat him differently from the other kids. I cried so hard the first day I left him because I had no other choice but to work. To my surprise, after a few days, I noticed he didn’t cry at all when I picked him up. The teacher was so happy with him and praised him for being calm and well-adjusted. I realized that all my fears were in my head. Slowly, Viki started adjusting, and I noticed that people weren't prejudiced towards me or my son. At that moment, I decided that Albania was a place where we could start a new life."

Her determination to provide for Viki drove Eva to seek opportunities actively. "I had to get out of my comfort zone and ask for jobs everywhere," she says. She recognizes in retrospect how learning Albanian opened many doors for her.

When the social workers at the Centre asked what kind of work she was interested in, she immediately thought of her passion for cooking. After completing a cooking course, she started her first job in a kitchen. However, it didn't go as planned. Undeterred, Eva quickly found other jobs and has worked in various roles during the eight years she has been in Albania. She currently works at a call centre. While she enjoys her current job, she adds, "My heart is still in the kitchen. If I find a good opportunity to work in a kitchen, I would do that."

Eva's resilience and positive outlook helped her navigate the challenges. "I have learned one thing in life," Eva reflects. "Back home, we have an expression: ‘When a small bird is born, it gets fed by the mother, and then the bird has to learn how to spread its wings and fly.’ That was me back home—I lived with my family and had everything brought to me. But when I came here with my baby, I started a new phase of my life. It opened my mind and thoughts, and no matter what I have or don’t have, I need to keep going. I am very strong and courageous, and I always think that if I cannot make it, how will my son? My only thoughts are about him."

"I have rebuilt a life for the two of us in Albania," Eva reflects. "I think that every bad thing that happens has a meaning behind it. You cannot let bad things put you down; you need to get up and learn from them—you don’t really have a choice.”

“I didn’t leave my country because I wanted to; I left because I had no other choice. When I came here, I found security, and I thought, why not start a new life here?"