A passion for the education system and youth empowerment lead Nensi to the world of community organizing. While completing his master’s degree, hedeveloped a fervent desire to bring student clubs to his university to give his peers opportunities for professional development through internships and other activities. This process was the catalyst to his relationship with the Albanian Education Foundation, also known in Albania as FASH, where he went from a volunteer role to serving as the executive director. 

Five years after starting his work with FASH, Nensi felt a calling to give back to his hometown of Gramsh, Albania, by establishing the Center for Development of Gramsh with decision-makers in the community. One big project of the development center was the creation of a youth council that works with elected officials in the town to elevate opportunities for young people. In an attempt to get more experience in localized youth development, Nensi applied for the Professional Fellows program and was placed in Chicago, Illinois, with the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA). 

While in Chicago Nensi observed LSNA’s decades-old youth mentorship program where parent volunteers are placed in classrooms to act as secondary support for teachers, a method he noted would be highly beneficial in overcrowded classrooms in the major cities back home. The education system in Albania faces a lot of challenges that directly affect teachers and young people and this is what motivates Nensi’s work. He is driven by his belief that supporting youth means supporting a positive future for his home country, especially at a time when many young people are strongly considering emigrating out to attend university and to find work. 

One major facet of his work is to educate himself on the issues, a practice that he says all organizers should utilize because people must know all about an issue before they can genuinely fix it. Along with being an expert on an issue, he says you must truly believe in what you do in order to leap over hurdles that may pop up along your path. Your knowledge and strong desire will motivate others to work with you as a collective, which Nensi believes is the key to community organizing. 

Follow Nensi’s work with Albanian Education Foundation at https://www.facebook.com/fashfanpage/ and his work with the Center for Development of Gramsh at https://www.facebook.com/centerofdevelopmentgramsh/.