HELLO!
My name is Fotion and I'm from Tirana, Albania. Today, I serve on staff with Young Life, and I have a very specific calling on my heart: to bring the Gospel to the teenagers living in the very same orphanage where I grew up.
To reach these kids, I will be using the core, time-tested strategy of Young Life: Young Life starts by going where kids are. I know what it is like to walk those halls. I will spend time showing up, being present, and building genuine relationships with the teenagers there to earn the right to be heard.
I believe football provides a unique opportunity to connect with boys—not just through the game, but by walking alongside them in their spiritual journey. Through coaching, mentoring, and prayer, I hope to lead them toward a relationship with Jesus, just as He has transformed my own life.
MY DREAM:
My dream is to start a Young Life ministry specifically for the youth living in the Tirana orphanage. I want to share the love of God with them so that when they eventually leave the institution and step out into the world, they do so with Jesus already in their hearts, knowing their true value and purpose.
We will create an environment where kids can be kids—laughing, playing games, and hearing the Gospel presented in a way they can understand.
For those who want to learn more, we will study the Bible together, helping them grow a lifelong foundation in Christ.
I plan to take these teenagers away from their everyday environment to Young Life summer camps, where they can experience the love of Christ in a distraction-free, life-changing setting.
To make this dream a reality, I need a team to stand with me in prayer, in service, and finances.
MY STORY:
From the time I was three years old until I was fourteen, I was raised in a state orphanage. Growing up in an institution without parents was hard. For a long time, it felt normal to me not to have a family, but deep down, I constantly asked myself: Where do I come from? What is my purpose? What is this life all about? I felt unvalued, and filling that gap on my own was impossible.
I had to grow up fast to learn how to take care of myself, which built a strong character in me. But the most important thing that happened during my time in the orphanage was that I was introduced to Jesus. People used to come to the institution, run Christian camps, and share the Gospel. Because of their faithfulness, I heard about God's love.
When I aged out of the orphanage, I supported myself by playing professional football and continuing my education. Later in my life, during a severe health issue that brought me great stress, I cried out to Jesus and felt an immediate response. My heart was completely transformed. Since then, I experience His guiding and comforting presence daily. I don't blame God for my difficult childhood; instead, I give thanks to Him, because knowing Him is the most important thing in my life.
Now, God has placed a heavy burden on my heart to go back. I want to do the exact same thing for the next generation that those volunteers did for me.
MY EDUCATION
DGL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Sports University of Tirana
Bachelor of Physical Education
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SERVE IN ALBANIA
Football has given me a way to connect with these kids and build trust, and my heart is to serve them and be present in their lives. At the same time, many of them face real hardships—poverty, the need to work at a young age, and growing up in a Muslim background. These realities can make ministry more difficult, but they also make it meaningful, as I trust God to work in their lives.
MY FUNDING NEEDS
To cover daily living expenses including housing, food, and transportation, I must raise my salary. Please consider joining my support team so that I can focus on ministry with the teenagers in my neighborhood and expand God's Kingdom in Albania.
JOIN MY SUPPORT TEAM
MY STORY
I was born into a Muslim household that followed Allah without any questions until my older sister received Christ and become a Christian. Our parents followed in the faith. Ever since my life has not been the same because Jesus is at the center of it now. I'm an ordained minister of the Gospel in my church. Now a Developing Global Leader, I am combining my gifts and passions and pursuing a degree in graphic design and video editing at Milton Margai Technical University.
My greatest strength is my ability to motivate and help the younger generation by bringing out the best in them. My vision is to remain actively involved in the next generation through Young Life and give counsel and help as they identify their own talents.
MY MINISTRY FOCUS
I work in a community where many teenagers have to work to support their families as street vendors, on farms, or low-paying informal jobs. Teenage pregnancies, early marriages, and the need to support family income often force teens—particularly girls—out of school. Crime, drug abuse, and gangs are a common threat.
That's why Young Life is such an important part of this community. We give kids opportunities for healthy friendships, fun activities, positive role models and, most of all, the chance to hear the gospel and grow in faith.
I currently lead two clubs, one in the city center and the other one that is just starting in a nearby neighborhood. Our focus is on high school kids and we are training leaders to open a Wyldlife club in the next six months.
MY PRAYER REQUESTS
• More volunteer leaders for the Waterloo club. We are expanding and reaching younger kids so we want to start a Wyldlife Club in that community but we do not have enough leaders to do it well.
• Upcoming camp - that we would be able to have dependable transportation there and that many kids hear and respond to the Gospel.
• For God's favor on my family – improved health for my mom. My sister is finishing secondary school and dreams of going to university. We are praying that she will receive a scholarship.
YL MINISTRY IMPACT IN NORWAY
LEARN MORE ABOUT DEVELOPING GLOBAL LEADERS
Through sponsorship, Young Life's Developing Global Leaders (DGL) Program offers Young Life leaders in the world's poorest developing countries a pathway to a future they never thought possible – the opportunity to attend university in their own country and impact their community with the Gospel. $250 per month is all it takes. LEARN MORE