Blog

At first glance, the OriginAL program may look like a journey across cities, landmarks, and places that carry history, culture, and national meaning. And yes, participants walk through Prekaz, stand in Prizren, explore Tirana, and experience places they may have only heard about before. But what truly defines OriginAL does not happen only during these […]

Some cities are visited. Others are felt. Berat is not just another stop on the OriginAL journey. It is a place where time slows down and every step brings you closer to a story that has been waiting for centuries. For many participants, this is their first encounter with a city where history is not

Some places are visited. Others are felt. Prekaz is not just a stop on the OriginAL journey. It is where everything starts, and where something within you quietly shifts. For many participants, this is their first real encounter with Kosovë beyond stories, beyond family conversations, beyond what they thought they knew. And it begins here.

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

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.

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 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