Prime Minister Edi Rama today attended the ceremony of inauguration of a new block of 155 housing units built by Firdeus Foundation in the town of Thumane, the worst-hit area by the devastating earthquake in November 2019.

In his remarks to the participating local residents, the government head noted that Thumane now represents the model of sustainable urban and social development.

“I believe that, since the devastating disaster struck, I have probably visited Thumane more than 40 times and I have been really looking forward for the moment when everything was to come together and all the new homes were to be enlivened as the quake-affected families now move into them. Most importantly, I am very happy that after having opened the doors of adjacent apartments on the blessed Christmas Day in December, we are opening the doors of more new homes on another blessed day of the Eid-al-Fitr holiday.

I would like to avail myself of this occasion and extend my best wishes to all Muslim faithful for good health and prosperity in their families and may God accept their fasting, their prayers and all their good deeds done in the holy month of Ramadan.

I am very pleased we are here to celebrate this joint effort, with each and every one of us doing whatever we could and with everyone giving away whatever they could, but, in the end of the day, as the film that was screened had it, every single brick in this new neighbourhood bears the name of an unknown individual, of someone who might have never visited or travelled through Thumana, of someone who probably has no idea where Thuman is locate, of someone whose name would probably never be learned, yet they have given a bit, a piece of their own selves so that all these families can now have a shelter.

If Elvis declined to respond to those who repeatedly levelled accusations that the donations made by citizens, the donors’ pledges, billions of money provided by the world allegedly disappeared, I can’t actually help, but respond and tell them that a project is not delivered once one sees excavators digging in the site, but they start with the study, the design, and work continues on the contracts and implementation of the project. So, delivering a project takes time and the work we have already completed speaks for itself.

Meanwhile, all the houses, here in Thumane too, be them either those built by the government, by the Firdeus foundation, or those built by Behgjet Pacolli here, are all for free and they are now your family properties.

Thumane is today a model of sustainable urban and social development and one can openly now state that many residential complexes across our country would very much wished to be like Thumane that resembled to a scene from hell after the deadly earthquake.

But today Thumane is experiencing rebirth in the truest sense of the word and it is a rebirth for everyone regardless whether they vote for the centre-left government or the centre-right opposition, for those who practice religion or not and it is definitely for all the DP supporters, whose number is considerable here in Thumane.

Since I started by extending my Eid-al-Fitr greetings, I would like to conclude my remarks by quoting Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon Him, who said: “If the Final Hour comes while you have a shoot of a plant in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, you should plant it.” 

May God be with you and with us all!