Written by Leyla I’m 24 and I was born in Belgium. My dad is Bosnian and my mom was Albanian. She passed away when I was a child, so I never had the chance to know her or that side of my heritage. For a long time, I didn’t feel entitled to say I was …
We invite young Albanians from worldwide, ages 18 to 24, to apply for this transformative educational and cultural program to our homelands. OriginAL’s mission is to bring the Albanian youth on a free two-week trip to their homeland countries every year that will: For 2026, applicants can select their preferred participation period, making it easier …
Belonging to a Culture I Learned to Call My Own Written by Christine Swanson, 7th Cohort (August 2025) I went to Albania to find my roots. What I didn’t expect was to find a part of myself I never knew I was missing. My great-grandparents were from Korçë and immigrated to the United States, but …
OriginAL Cohort 8 marked the third and final cohort of 2025. It brought together 28 participants from the diaspora for an immersive journey across Kosova, Albania, and for the first time North Macedonia. As with every OriginAL cohort, the experience focused on presence, learning through direct engagement, and building lasting connections with people and place. …
OriginAL Cohort 8, a journey shaped by experience Read More »
Where Roots Speak Louder Than Words Written by Flaka Krivanjeva, a proud OriginAL alumna residing in Kosovë. A Journey Begins: The Call of OriginAL OriginAL wasn’t just a program. It was a quiet calling, an invitation to see my homeland through new eyes. Not just my own, but through the hearts of those born far …
Written by Aurela Selimi, 7th cohort August 2025 As an Albanian, third-generation from Paris, and I’m so excited to share my experience as part of the 7th generation of Original, August 2025. This journey was unlike anything I’ve ever lived before. Honestly, I was really nervous about starting the program. I was also super excited because …
Written by Mert GÜN ZHINIPOTOKU. Being part of the Albanian diaspora in Türkiye came with certain challenges. Even though we weren’t physically far from the motherland, we often felt distant from it. We spoke Albanian to some extent and tried to keep our traditions alive, but there was always a sense of separation. Growing up …
3rd generation born and raised in Türkiye, originally from Kosova. Read More »
Thirty-nine participants from eighteen states, including youth from North Macedonia and Kosova, came together in August 2025 for the 7th cohort of OriginAL. Their journey began in Prishtina, where team-building activities at the Innovation Centre Kosovo and a guided city tour set the tone for connection and discovery. In Prekaz, participants stood in silence as …
GERMIN invites you to a unique evening of connection, culture, and purpose — for the first time in Zurich! This special gathering supports our flagship program, OriginAL, which reconnects Albanian youth from the diaspora with their roots through transformative experiences in their countries of origin. Join us on 3 October at SOHO Zurich for an …
“Roots that Unite Us” – OriginAL Networking Night Read More »
Written by Vlera Beqiri, OriginAL alumni, June 2025 In June 2025, I had the great privilege of participating in the program OriginAL for diaspora youth powered by Germin and The Global Albanians Foundation. Today, I would love to share my story and experiences with the program. Ever since I was a child, I always looked …
Application will open on May 25th, 2022.
Aplikimi hapet më datë 25 Maj, 2022.