In the blink of an eye, everything can change.
A suitcase packed with memories, a horizon filled with uncertainty, and a heart heavy with longing.
Leaving behind a country, a life, and everyone you knew, searching for safety, for belonging, for hope.
This is the story of Flutra, the co-founder of the Shpresa Project, a woman who left everything behind in 1998 to start anew in the UK.
Shpresa means hope – a tiny seed planted deep in her heart, destined to grow. And grow it did. Into a movement dedicated to planting hope in refugees and asylum seekers carrying the weight of displacement and the longing to rebuild.
“We started to navigate the language, we started to navigate the system,” Flutra shared one day, her voice steady but filled with conviction.
From that moment, she and her team stepped forward – offering help without asking for a price. Whether it was establishing an Albanian language school or providing vital advice and advocacy, they approached every challenge with courage and compassion.
By 2003, their efforts bore fruit. The organisation was formally registered as a charity – expanding its horizons, weaving a tapestry of community and resilience. Their work grew from a simple truth: “By working, I mean, together we try to identify the needs,” Flutra says.
Through face-to-face workshops, one-on-one support, and digital platforms such as Zoom, WhatsApp, and beyond – they reach into the hearts of their community. They create spaces where stories are shared, voices are raised, and hope is rekindled anew. School partnerships and listening campaigns weave continuity into the fabric of everyday life, ensuring no voice is left unheard, no story left untold.
Like a mighty tree with roots deep in the earth, Shpresa’s roots reach far into the soil of the community. Despite living far away, despite finding itself in a new forest, it seeks to sustain those who migrate – reminding them that they are not alone, not forgotten.
The projects include a variety of community focused activities and services, such as:
•Women’s Support Group ;
•Breaking the Chains – Youth Group , helping unaccompanied young people;
•Albanian School Project;
•Advise and Advocacy Services;
•Leadership programme;
•Campaigning
…and lots more.
In recent conversations, Flutra expressed a longing – an aspiration – for projects like hers to be recognized and uplifted through initiatives like the Power to Prosper (P2P) campaign. She sees P2P as a catalyst – a way to amplify their collective voice, to foster systemic change, and to ensure communities like hers are rooted in resources, recognition, and decision-making power.
Their journey – like the stories they cherish – is one of unwavering resilience. It’s rooted in the hope that even amid displacement, renewal is possible. Built on community, fuelled by compassion, and sustained by a strength that refuses to fade.
Because in every story, in every voice raised, there is the promise of a brighter tomorrow. And the Shpresa Project reminds us: hope is never lost. It simply waits to grow.
