Leoandro, an #EU4SocialCare ambassador for change

Meet Leoandro, 17 years old, from Cërrik. He is a talented young man, who attends the “Tomorr Sinani” high school, while also plays as a goalkeeper for the local football club of KF Turbina. He is a passionate and active person, who engages daily with his peers and shares his dreams with vivid details. As a goalkeeper, this young man has one dream – to wear the same jersey as Buffon used to wear while playing for Juventus, one of the most famous Italian football teams.

While following his passion, Leoandro has also been an active member of the Multifunctional Community Center Cërrik, eversince it opened its doors in summer 2025. In the company of his peers, there he discovered that young people can truly make a difference. “When I first joined, I didn’t expect much,” he says, “but over time, I realized that even small discussions and debates, can change how we think and act in our community.”

Apart from his football dreams, Leoandro is also a very good student. His understanding of school ges beyond just the textbooks. “School is not just about learning facts, but I’ve come to understand that it is also about building character and values,” he explains with a big smile on his face. He proudly explains the key skills he has developed while coming to the Multifunctional Center. With improved communication and teamwork skills, he now understands the responsibilities he holds as a young person in a community like Cërrik.

While we take a short walk in the main street of the town, Leoandro starts talking about an issue that affects his peers, not only in Cërrik, but across the country. He pains to see many of his classmates not utilizing their free time properly, so they can develop skills for their future. “I want to be a positive example,” Leoandro shares, “to be a voice for young people who believe in change, motivate others to participate, and contribute to a better community.” Everyday, when the last class bell rings, he makes a call: “Is any of you coming with me to the Center today?” And every day he says, there is a new person coming with me. 

Thanks to many other “Ambassadors for Change”, the Multifunctional Center has now increasingly become a point of reference for the whole town. The parents are happy and calm when they know that their children are at the center, the children themselves enjoy the time there, and this serves to show the importance of local partnerships, which with the support of the European Union, can hold a transformative power for such communities.

For Leoandro, change starts with each one of us. Whether on the football field or in the community, he strives to grow personally while positively impacting those around him.

These services at the Multifunctional Community Center Cërrik are provided within the framework of the project "BOOST – Delivery of Social Care Services in Cërrik", implemented by the Municipality of Cërrik in partnership with Help in Albania and QES “Skills” through sub-grants of the "EU4Social Care" program, funded by the European Union in Albania.

EU4SocialCare is implemented by UNICEF Albania and Word Vision Albania in partnership with Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.