New UK human rights charity launched at Albanian Embassy

Dr Mary McHugh, Chair, Ambassador Qirko and Sr Imelda Poole IBVM - Image: Anthony Tynan-Kelly

A new UK human rights charity, working to eliminate human trafficking, was launched at the Albanian Embassy in London last night. Around 30 people attended the reception, which also celebrated the centenary of the opening of diplomatic relations between Albania and the United Kingdom. Mary Ward Loreto UK aims to support the work of the Mary Ward Loreto Foundation in Albania and to enable to cross-border work between UK and Albania supporting Albanian trafficking victims who are mainly women and children.

Speaking in front of the flags of the Union Jack and the double-headed black eagle on the red flag of Albania, the Albanian Ambassador, Mr Qirjako Qirko, welcomed the charity Mary Ward Loreto UK.

He said: "it could not be more appropriate in this 100th year of diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom, that the tireless work being done by the Mary Ward Loreto Foundation in Albania is now being strengthened by a new organization on the ground here in Britain - bringing new sources of funding, stability and expertise to six advice and service centres across Albania".

The Ambassador praised Sister Imelda Poole IBVM, President of the Foundation in Albania and a founding trustee of the new charity, saying she nourished "the close connection between Albania and the Loreto order."

In thanking the Ambassador, Sister Imelda said: "It is time to recognize the enormously hard work undertaken not only by our Foundation in Albania, but also by the Albanian community here in Britain as well, to protect and prevent their young people from having their lives destroyed by temptations visited upon them by human traffickers. Tremendous progress is being made. Working cross-border, as we always do, we see that there are a distressingly large number of Albanian victims who are still being recovered here in the UK. I am - as I am sure the Ambassador is - profoundly grateful to my colleague trustees engaged in this new charity, as well as to the public impetus here that helped it into being."

The British Ambassador to Albania, Alastair King-Smith, expressed his thanks to Sr Imelda and the Mary Ward Loreto team for their "impactful" mission. They run six centres throughout Albania with 12 staff. In the UK, support services are offered to discovered and recovered victims, resulting in hundreds of people being enabled to return to Albania.

Mary Ward Loreto UK (MWL UK) has a fundraising target of £600k this year to enable its network across Albania to maintain services providing shelter, protection, counselling and trauma therapy as well as enhancing education, digital skills and social business opportunities.

A film was shown of the work, highlighting the susceptibility of vulnerable people in one of the poorest countries in Europe.

The Ambassador then showed a second film, highlighting the natural beauty of Albania - with its 12 national parks, pristine coastline and 500 lakes - and spotlighting famous Albanians - the most well-known being Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

LINK

Mary Ward Loreto UK - www.marywardloreto.net