Blog

In November 2025, participants of OriginAL Cohort 8 traveled to Manastir, to visit the Museum of the Albanian Alphabet, widely known as the Shtepia e Alfabetit. For many participants, this was an encounter with one of the moments that helped shape Albanian identity across regions, religions, and generations… Inside this building, history feels close. The […]

Every story that changes lives begins with people who choose to believe in something before the rest of the world can fully see it. OriginAL is one of those stories. What started as an idea in 2022, to reconnect young Albanians from the diaspora with their roots, identity, and homeland, has grown into a movement

June 10, 2026 Hosted by Fadil Berisha There are moments in life when something awakens inside you… A feeling you cannot fully explain… A voice calling you back to your roots, your story, your people. OriginAL was born from that feeling. What began in 2022 as a simple idea has now become a movement that

Growing up between cultures can feel like living in two worlds at once. For many young people in the Albanian diaspora, identity is not always simple. You speak different languages, move between different traditions, and sometimes feel like you belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time. But in that space, there is something powerful,

When participants join OriginAL, they do not only visit places of historical and national importance. They also experience Albanian culture in ways that feel personal, joyful, and alive. One of those memorable moments is Albanian Night, an interactive cultural evening in the heart of Tirana. Located near Skanderbeg Square, this experience gives participants the chance

At first glance, this part of the OriginAL journey may look like another chapter of movement across cities, places, and historical landmarks. And yes, participants traveled to Tetovë, walked through Shkup, and stood in Manastir, at the place where the Albanian alphabet was unified. For many, these were names they had heard before, places tied

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