FLASH
Shkruar nga Ilir Çumani
They were not simply employees of a state institution; they were our earthly angels, warm shelter during the long nights of loneliness, the hands that kept our childhood alive.
There are photographs that are simply family memories, and there are others that become monuments to the soul.
This 1971 photo, taken in the courtyard of the Pogradec Preschool Children's Home, is not an ordinary black and white frame; it is the eternal trace of an unusual childhood.
In the first row, lined up like birds on a branch, are the small faces of orphaned children.
Among them, I, a five-year-old boy with white hair, did not understand at that time what weight our simultaneously smiling and sad eyes carried. We were without parents, but not without love.
Behind us stood those dedicated women, educators, nurses, sanitation workers, and cooks, who became our mothers and family.
Their faces reveal the fatigue of long days, but also a soft light that gave meaning to their sacrifice.
They were not simply employees of a state institution; they were our earthly angels, warm shelter during the long nights of loneliness, the hands that kept our childhood alive.
Photography is a magical gateway.
Every time I see it, it takes me back to the noises of the yard, to the calls of names that I remember fondly today, to the smiles of friends that time has scattered along different paths of life.
Some I remember clearly, some have faded into the fog of memory, but they all still live together in this small frame.
On World Photography Day, this photo is not just a personal memory. It is a testament to the love that grows where the lack is greatest.
A silent thank you to those women who made our lives easier, more bearable, more humane.
Photography never ages. It is a trace of the soul, an eternal testament to time.
And this image from 1971 remains a living testament to my gratitude, a memory that time, the weight of the years, and oblivion will not erase...
The mosaic of memory
Preschool Children's Home Staff, Pogradec 1971
Ollga Gusho – Director,
Nasta Martini – Educator,
Sofika Popllo – Educator,
Ervehe Ristani – Nurse,
Athina Gusho – Cook,
Vangjeli Vesho – Assistant Cook, Zarife Elmasllari – Sanitary,
Servite – Sanitary,
Sadete – Sanitary,
Hurma Firanji – Launderer, Kostandina Laska – Night Watchman,
Children in the photo
Ilir Çumani,
Artur Kiptiu,
Liljana Topalli,
Karafile Toga,
Fatmira Molla,
Besniku (unclear surname),
Bianka Shllaku,
Greta Martini,
Morena Mirdita,
Mimoza Dhanili,
Lefter Konini…
(as well as three other children, whose names unfortunately cannot be remembered).
Lini një Përgjigje