Someone to stand beside them

Agron and his wife Delvina had moved with their two sons to Durrës in Albania, hoping for a fresh start with more opportunities for work and a better future for their children.

Instead, Agron found himself crushed by the pressure to sustain his family, weighed down by fear and exhaustion as each day passed. With no steady income and no extended family to fall back on, providing for his family – including a son with autism – became daily survival.

It was the help of sponsors that meant regular support could make its way to their doorstep and ease the strain of living. But what made the greatest difference was who walked alongside them.

Being a part of our Family Sponsorship Program meant that Arjana, an MWB coordinator, could visit them regularly. She had the chance to spend time with them – listening, encouraging, praying, offering guidance, and building trust with their family.

“When I met the family, I saw in Agron not just a father in pain, but a man who had lost hope,” said Arjana. “He was mentally exhausted and emotionally blocked. He kept saying, ‘I can’t do it. We are alone. There’s no way out.’”

Both Agron and Delvina felt closed off from regular work because their son Edison needed their care – But in the midst of feeling like there was no way out, another voice was there to speak into their uncertainty.

“I told him, ‘If you only look at life from a place of fear, you’ll stay stuck there. But if you change how you think, even just a little, you’ll begin to see the light,’” Arjana said.

With encouragement, Agron began searching for work and eventually found a job as a night guard. It meant he could care for Edison during the day and earn a steady income at night. For the first time in a long time, he could see both provision and possibility.

“That was the turning point. Arjana believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. She didn’t give up. Her hope gave me the courage to move,” said Agron.

“Sometimes all a person needs is someone to stand beside them and say, ‘You can do this,’” Arjana said. “That’s what we did for Agron, and he chose to take that step.”

There are families who still haven't heard these words yet. Will you be the one who makes it possible?