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OPINEWS

When money is spent only on donkeys

Politiko 2024-07-17 16:25:41

From Auron Tare

I often pass along Vjosa. I like this landscape, perhaps unique among our years. I know this area, its people and its history well, having walked through it for years from village to village.
About 6 months ago, I noticed that there were several vacation spots across the river with an Alpine kiosk in the middle. I stopped and looked at them. Funds were clearly spent and I liked that the Valley would have some landmarks for nature and history. Vjosa deserves it, I believe, the Wild River in Europe, Park, Di Caprio, the associations that fight for its protection. Management plan, long-term plan, short-term plan, the involvement of communities, to help tourism, we love Albania very much, full of slogans like these that are buzzing on social networks.
Holiday Square and Alpine Kiosks are made with care. The Development Fund and the World Bank have placed their logos to tell us passers-by that they are serious about the Valley. The information boards are full of coordinates and apart from some historical information for the second primary class you don't see anything else.
I didn't think that inside the Iron Kiosks there would be more material for this valley witnessing battles from early antiquity to the Italo-Greek War. In March, when I saw the Alpine kiosks so pleasantly named Info Point, I imagined that during the summer they would be full of visitors who would be served by boys and girls from the area, beautifully dressed and full of history that ended in this Valley. In the meantime, I often pass by Vjosa, once to have a coffee at Beni's, once to have a haircut in Kelcyra with a young guy who can't wait to leave this place. Once I drank a brandy in a small barangay at the only shoemaker, Uncle Polua, who is left and still makes opinga. Once I bought Albanian gin from Hiqmet, the golden hand boatman, who makes brandy from all kinds of fruit, once I bought honey from Zybo's bees in Kala. Once at Mira's Guest House in Peshta to be proud of the tourism she does in this Valley. Once in Leuse to Gili and further to Leskovik to Eleonore's Bees who graze the meadows of Greece and return to Albania at night.
While I run up and down the Valley, the Alpine Kiosks by the Vjosa remain silent. Closed. Abandoned. The only visitors to be seen are the herds of donkeys from the surrounding villages who are trying to hide under the Alpine roofs of the Info Points built with World Bank money from the heat.
What if that money was given to Mira in Peshta for her guesthouse? Polo shoemaker to preserve tradition? Or the rower and Hiqmet brandy maker? Or to the sons of old man Zybo who used to harvest their honey all the way to France? What if a small part of the Kiosk Fund was given to the young barber to open a business and not leave the country? Or to help the Bees of Eleonora to become a beautiful opportunity for the tourism of the area? What if the money from the Kiosks had been used to restore the historical Palaces of the Feudal Family of Këlcyraj?
Unfortunately, no one cares about all these people of the Valley. The funds are only for Gomers.