Everyone who lives in the metropolis of Tirana, through their daily commitments, work and family, can touch the change, live it in every dimension of it! There is something we need to accept unconditionally, especially in light of the developments and changes that our Tirana has undergone in recent years: the capital is no longer the first! There are paved roads, there are wide and structured sidewalks for carriages and mothers with children, there are more playgrounds, there are completed schools and more in progress, there are green spaces and a burgeoning development that makes many more acceptable and acceptable standard of living for every citizen of Tirana.
And this is obviously not a success story that is "billed" by a single person, Erion Veliaj Mayor, but also by a team of dedicated people, full of passion and ideas who want the best for Tirana. He is the right wing of Veliaj, one of the vice presidents of this institution! She is called Anuela Ristani and is one of the energetic and devout women who besides having a daily commitment, has put her "heart" and passion into her work. She comes from very long experience in the private sector and recognizes that her role in City Hall and day-to-day is challenging and beyond personal expectations. The result is tangible, measurable because it can affect the quality of life of thousands of residents and it is a direct pleasure given the nature of daily engagement. She loves the work she does, she measures the results daily from the citizens themselves, though she often happens to avenge family and children due to prolonged schedules, multiple emails, out-of-date meetings, and everything in the world of acting as a professional and vice mayor of the Municipality of Tirana. In the first vacant space she "crawls" into the family's warm shelter, as a mother of two and a devoted wife she tries to maximize the time available to them. And if they are accommodated in their things, Anuela chooses a book as the best companion or runs in contact with open nature. This is the profile of the Vice President we should all know!
Anuela is shortly after the earthquake and the consequences it left on material values, but also the psychological damage many people may have suffered. How is the support plan for these families affected by the earthquake going?
Despite the trauma it caused, the earthquake seemed to wake us all here in Tirana to return to the important things. We have all been greatly affected by the desire to help in the Municipality of Tirana and the solidarity shown not only by those who are able to help but also by ordinary citizens. Which shows that feeling like part of a large family also brings us through difficult times. All affected families and dwellings were identified in record time by staff, who in some cases walked for hours to reach areas so deep that even vehicles could not pass and there is no case too much to thank. After being given first aid, work began to recover their housing and in some cases to move them to temporary or temporary secure housing. It will take time to meet 100% of all needs and rehabilitate all apartments as there are over 1,000 of them, but work will not stop until we can.
Of course, earthquakes are unforeseen natural phenomena, but how prepared are we in the capital or all of Albania to withstand such natural shocks?
From our first year in administration we realized that preparing for natural phenomena or unforeseen urban crises left much to be desired. In these years we have had to face floods and thunderstorms of some intensity above normal, followed by months of drought, snow, hail and earthquakes and it is easy to give up and say things that we have at hand . We really don't have them, but the way we recover after them doesn't require any special talent. We need only preparation, preparation, preparation not only by the administration, but also by citizens through simulations and education mainly in schools and institutions. Tirana is part of the Resilient Cities community and as such has the priority of developing civil emergency programs and rapid urban interventions. But on the other hand, much work needs to be done in education. Emergency preparedness classes will be developed in all Tirana schools by qualified staff who will teach children the best ways to respond and protect themselves in emergency situations. How they should react, where they should gather if dispersed, how they should remain calm and follow instructions, etc.
You previously held the office of the mayor of the mayor's office. Does this mean positioning already as Deputy Mayor? More responsibility, duty?
During my first term, I served as the President's Cabinet Director where I covered more or less every area or project in terms of measuring progress. In the meantime, as Vice President will mainly cover foreign relations. Tirana has been on the map for the last four years and all of a sudden, thanks to the changes we have made in so little time, we are no longer looking to be part of city tables but (and as the person in charge of the mayor's agenda I have experienced ourselves) we have to choose where we want to sit and where we get the most value for the city and citizens of Tirana. If so far I have worked behind the scenes to make sure the mayor had all the information needed to share Tirana with the world, in the role of vice president I will be able to help and represent the city publicly by redoubling efforts. The integration of the city into modern urban development agendas goes ahead regardless of our official status in relation to the EU or other bodies. Our overall local plan, the green city action plan we drafted and are pursuing with the EBRD, the development of a child-friendly city, and the introduction of Tirana as host of international conferences are some of the areas we want to highlight even more in the next four years and with which I will have the pleasure of dealing.
The development of Tirana is moving forward with fantastic strides, and we who live here are touching change every day. More schools, kindergartens, infrastructure, what other development plans does the city have for the capital?
The city must now move from its first years of emergency and immediate needs to a stage of maturity and sustainability, where infrastructure investments or not create prosperity for citizens and continue logically and continuously. Certainly one of our biggest and most ambitious projects is to end the two-shift lesson, but there are other innovations such as extending Lana with all its roadside infrastructure, bike lanes and pedestrian lanes, finishing the boulevard. New, the rehabilitation of Zogu I Boulevard, and many more.
Let's not forget that the metropolis is not only an indicator of development. The villages around Tirana have a few problems. What do you see or consider the most urgent to resolve?
The villages not only around Tirana, but all over Albania have problems that are historical and will not be resolved by administrative intervention. On the other hand, due to private and family ownership, initiatives often remain the same and do not receive substantial proportions for the entire community. One of the goals of this four-year-old is to support local agribusiness economies and increase agrotourism for areas of the capital that besides the problems have fantastic landscapes and nature to visit and enjoy. The task of the Municipality of Tirana is to create the basic conditions so that private initiatives can then be brought to life and expanded in terms of volume of income and employment in the area but also more efficient use of agricultural land and other natural resources around.
Anuela you have convincingly invested in the public sector, and at the same time you have an admirable profile of studies and qualifications abroad. Is it more challenging to work with people? Why didn't you choose to say a more comfortable office job, eight hours, etc.?
I come from very long experience in the private sector and then in academia. Public administration was totally inappropriate in my professional plans, but it aims to be not only the most challenging in terms of personal expectations, but also the one that offers the most satisfaction. Especially working for a city where the result is tangible, measurable, and that immediately changes the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of residents is one of the most beautiful gifts you can get from professional life. It is not argued that the most difficult subject to master is humans, but the pleasure comes more truly and powerfully through their gratitude or support. On the other hand, I do not think that public administration work is for everyone at any age. There is a sense of mission and professional maturity to the desire and responsibility to give more than what is actually, much more, but as I try to tell my children every time I protest when I do not have time to take care of them, if you have the ability and the opportunity to be responsible for serving others.
What is it like working with Erion Veliaj, a politician and popular figure that people love and value enough? Do you have thoughts, strategies or projects?
I think that every professional, having accumulated experience and maturity, requires only one thing from the person in charge: to have something to teach you. I learn every day something I never knew before from Erion Veliaj and for me this is the greatest professional achievement.
Does your daily work "avenge" privacy? Family, society? How is your life beyond the profile of a mayor?
I am the mother of two children, Sibel 12 and Gias 3 who get every free minute I have out of the office. Together we try to maximize the scarce time available. But if the kids are organized and I have no emails to answer, I love to run or read.
Credits:
Photo credit: Orsola Mema
