The families affected by the devastating earthquake on November 26 last year in the Municipality of Shijak are finally returning to normalcy after moving into newly-built, more resilient and more beautiful homes than the ones flattened by the tremor.

A number of local families welcomed Prime Minister Edi Rama, who personally handed over the house keys and visited the new dwelling premises.

Xhevdet Mema is the first family head, who opened the front door of the 84-square meters house in the administrative unit of Xhafzotaj. Together with his wife and son, Xhevded has benefited a 2-bedroom family house under the ongoing Reconstruction Program. The family used to live in a 70-square meter home that was destroyed by the earthquake on Nov 26 last year. “We are visiting the administrative unit of Xhafzotaj. Five single-family homes are being built here alone out of 567 houses already under construction in entire municipality of Shijak. Construction of the five homes in this neighbourhood has completed,” Shijak Mayor Elton Arbana said.

“I am very happy. The new house is incomparable to the old one. We want to thank everyone who has worked to construct our home,” the lady of the house said.

The other new house belongs to Mrs. S Naxhie Varaku, a family of four benefiting a two-bedroom house under the Reconstruction Program. This family, too, has been granted a rental bonus since day one after the earthquake to the day when they moved into the new dwelling.

“Thank you for bringing smile back to the faces of all these people,” one of the family members said as he met Prime Minister Rama 

Let bygones be bygones – PM Rama says as he enters the new house. “The worst is over, the best lies ahead for everyone now”,  the Premier added.

Another single-family home already complete is that of the Dritan Mema, who heads a family of five and who have benefited a three-bedroom house with a floor area of 120 square meters to replace a 70-square meter old house that was severely damaged by the earthquake.

Shijak Mayor Elton Arbana said that builders have worked long hours to deliver on the promise and complete construction of all individual homes in Shijak municipality within December. “Construction of single-family homes is nearing completion. We have worked long hours with the sole purpose of meeting the deadlines and complete construction of all individual dwellings in Shijak Municipality within December 2020. In the meantime, a total of 85 families have demanded that a compensation grant is provided to them to build their homes themselves and the Ministry of Reconstruction has allocated the fund for these families. These 85 families opted for the compensation grant instead of having their homes rebuilt on the site of the old houses due to the terrain where dwellings were previously located,” Mayor Arbana said.

It was then the turn of the family of Mr. Flamur Hoxha, composed of seven members, and who have benefited a three-bedroom house. 

The last house built from scratch under the Reconstruction Program belongs to Mr. Festim Bajraktari, a family who has moved to Shijak from the north-eastern region of Diber.

PM Rama, accompanied by the Minister for Reconstruction Arben Ahmetaj, and the Mayor of Shijak Elton Arbana, visited another neighbourhood in Shijak to hand over the keys to the new homes of several families there.

The first visit took place at the house of Xhevdet Balla, a family of five benefiting a three-bedroom house.

The next house they visited was that of Mr. Hamdi Plaku, a family of six, benefiting a 120-square meter new house. The floor area of their old house destroyed by the earthquake was 86 square meters.

Two more newly-built single-family houses are located along same street. The new house belongs to a family of three members. They used to live in a 61-square meter house, but they have now moved into a built back, larger and seismic-resilient house. The last house to visit was that of Mr. Petrit Voci, a family of two that has benefited a one-bedroom house.

Given the current progress of construction works, no family will be living in tents on the Christmas night in the municipality of Shijak.