The sun had barely risen when the first residents of Laknas, Tirana gathered by the river. They weren’t waiting for government action. They weren’t expecting someone else to clean up the mess. They were here to take matters into their own hands.
With gloves on and trash bags in hand, they stood beside RESU activists, ready to reclaim their environment. This wasn’t just a cleanup—it was a statement.
Cleaning Up, Leading the Way
In the framework of the MELI Project, supported by Leviz Albania and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), RESU worked directly with local residents to organize a community-led cleanup action.
This time, there were no officials, no heavy machinery—just people and their determination to bring change.
- The goal was simple: to show that the community itself could take action, proving that change starts with them.
- The message was powerful: if residents could do this with their own hands, the government had no excuse not to step in.
More Than Just a Cleanup
As the hours passed, trash bags filled up with plastic waste, broken glass, and discarded materials that had been piling up for years. The cleanup was hard work, but the impact was immediate—for the first time, people weren’t just talking about the problem; they were actively solving it.
One resident looked around at the progress and said,
“If we can do this with just our hands, imagine what could happen if the government actually stepped in?”
That was exactly the point.
The Next Step: Making the Government Move
By taking the first step, RESU and the residents sent a clear message to local authorities—this is possible. We don’t need permission to care about our environment.
And the government listened.
- Days after the cleanup, the Municipality of Kamëz was forced to acknowledge the effort.
- Soon after, they sent machinery to remove more waste from the riverbank.
- Three additional dumping sites were cleared as a direct result of the community’s action.
A Lasting Impact
This wasn’t just about one cleanup. It was about shifting responsibility back where it belonged. It was about empowering residents to believe in their own strength and proving that action leads to results.
The people of Laknas didn’t wait for someone to fix the problem. They led the way.
And when a community moves, change follows.