c o m m u n e p r o f i l e

M I R D I T A / A L B A N I A

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C o m m u n ep r o f i l e

MIRDITA

A L B A N I A

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I Acknowledgements II Chairman’s foreword III History 6IV Traditions, Rites, Customs 7V Geographical Position and Relief 8VI Climate 8VII Population 9VIII Natural Resources IX Agriculture and Breeding 1 0X Business and Employment 1 2XI Local Government 1 3XIII Education 1 5XIV Health XV Public Utilities XVI Social Assistance 1 9XVII Non-Governmental Organizations 2 0

Table of contents

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We thank the Task Force set up by the Fan Commune and the experts and staff of CANGO’s Capacity Building Programme who provided technical assistance in the preparation of the Fan Commune Profi le.

We also are indebted to MGS (Urban International Associates) in Bulgaria.

This Profi le’s preparation and publication would have been impossibile without the fi nacial assistance CAFOD UK (UK’s Catholic Fund for Overseas Development) and we wish to use this opportunity to express our gratitude to them.

This Profile is part of a CAFOD-financed project

This Profile is part of Project im-plemented by CANGO (Center for cooperation between Communities, Local Authorities and NGOs)

DISCLAIMER: The Fan Commune and CANGO Albania solely are responsible for the contents of this publication and it should, under no circumstance, be regarded as reflecting the position of CAFOD UK.

Acknowledgments

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The Fan Commune has started to cooperate with CANGO, a non-governmental organiza-tion, for the preparation of this profi le and of

the strategic plan for our com-mune’s economic development. This opportunity has been very highly valued by our staff and community, therefore, in their and my name, I would like to cordially thank CANGO and CA-FOD.

A special acknowledgement goes also to the Task Force in-volved in the profi le and stra-tegic plan preparation who, with their devotion and earnestness, played an important role in its successful accom-plishment. The Working Group was composed of commune staff, the vil-lage chairmen, and representatives from education and health institutions, business groups, civic society and reli-gious associations.

This profi le intends to modestly reveal Fan’s human and natural resources, its

history, tradition and culture to both the Albanian and foreigner reader.

In order to improve the living condi-tions in Fan, we would be grateful to anyone wishing to become part of our experience as a visitor, collaborator or donor.

Fan’s chairman Gjergj Prenga

Chairman’s F

oreword

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Fan is in the nor-thern Albania, in the north-east of Mirdita region. As the birth-place of

many important fi gu-res, it has contributed to the patriotic and educational heritage of Albania. Fan can boast of wonderful landsca-pes, but most of all of friendly and hard-working inhabitants.

The Durrës-Kukës-Mo-rinë road construction, which for many kilo-meters goes through the commune, shall usher in a new deve-lopment age for Fan. Increased movement opportunities for peo-ple and goods on both the sides of the border will bring a change for better.

MIRDITA

REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA

MAP OF MIRIDITA

FAN COMMUNE

Introduction

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Fan is mentioned in a document of 1387 which reads that Tanush Lek Dukagjini has been its lord and that his house-hold owned a large territory in Northern Albania. Purport-edly, Fan is named after the “Fan i Vogël” river. Its popula-tion descends from the Pirus tribe which had been engaged in smelting copper and other metals. This fact is confi rmed

by the existing ruins of primitive ovens, the so-called “Gurët e Xhudhive” (Xhudhis’ stones). Fan is an ancient dwelling-place (Batras country town and the Domgjon’s source date back to the times of Illyria). In 1529 Fan had 11 villages and 240 households. Until 1770 it was united with Peja’s Begoll, but afterwards was annexed to Mirdita. In the course of time it was populated by the Bisas, Dom-gjonas, Xhuxhas, Konajs and Shëngjinis households wherefrom some of the Fan villages derived their names.

Kepi i Qytezës, Xhuxhë

Bisak is a village spreading out in Shtil, Shtrungaj, Klos, Fan (Kujte) and is composed of the Upper Bi-sak and the Lower Bisak. The most ancient dwell-ing place there is the old Bisas’village. Domgjon is made up of fi ve tribes and lies in Dom-gjon, Gjakëz, Hebe and Mollkuqe. There is also the Domgjon’s source, used for irrigation, with a per-fect architecture and one of the most interesting sources in the Balkans. The oldest dwelling-place is Sukbukëra. Xhuxha is composed of fi ve tribes, the fi rst to ar-rive there are the Dedkolajs’, then the Gjinajs’, Gjonajs’, Milicajts’, Menajts’, Vocajts’ and Zezajts’ These tribes live in Bizhë, Zall-Xhuxhë, Thirrë, Sang and Srriçe. The oldest dwelling-place is Xhuxha’s hill. In Xhuxhë is the country town’s cape inhab-ited since the times of the Roman Empire.

History

The country town’s cape, Xhuxhë

Domgjon’s source, old

aqueduct (in use even nowadays)

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Konajt is made up of 5 tribes. The oldest tribe is that of Biblekajs divided into seven other tribes, such as the Gjonajs, Gjilekajs, Kolpërgjonajs, Mar-gjonajs, Kolgjeçajs and Halilajs who moved toward Barthor, Zubajë and Mrizë. The earliest dwelling-place is the Katundi i Vjetër (the Old Village). They say the Konajs have arrived from Berisha, moving fi rst to Peqin, afterwards at Qafë-Mollë and fi nally at Konaj.

Shëngjin is made up of four villages, the fi rst tribe being the Nokajs. The oldest dwelling-place is Rrugja and the territories of Cahan in Çipën. It seems that Shëngjin had arrived from Dukagjin. From earliest times Fan has been governed by the village elders pursuant to inherited traditional precepts. The elders would resolve every confl ict

and, in case of disagreement, the Gjonmarkajs had the prerogative of the last say. Fan is the cradle of many distinguished fi gures, leaders, writers and political activists such as Gjergj Fishta from the Domgjon’s Paci tribe, a clergyman, national poet, Anton Çeta of Xhuxha ori-gin, who moved to Kosovo 70 years back, chairman for blood reconciliation in Kosovo; Zef Kol Noka from Shëngjin, moved to Gjakova, commander of battles against the Turks and the Serbs, fellow fi ghter of Isa Boletini and Bajram Curri; Ndrec Ndue Gjoka, emeritus teacher who contributed to the opening of 50 schools in Mirdita. During the communist dictatorship, from 1945 till 1992, the com-mune’s inhabitants mainly worked in farming, breeding and forest-ry. There was mass diffusion of education, the area was electrifi ed and grain production increased at the expense of deforested land, damaging thus the oldest riches in the area. Nevertheless the living standards remained very low.

St. Mark’s Church, Klos

Characteristic house (called “tower”)

History

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Fan is one of the fewest regions in Albania whose population belongs en-tirely to the Catholic religion. Its people are hospitable, brave and loyal. Their positive traits are best displayed in wedding and death gatherings.In the northern-east part of Fan is Batra and a bit further the ruins of the country town, that has, they say, served as a citadel during many wars. The road constructed by the Romans served them as a thoroughfare from

Shkodër to Nish.Domgjon’s source is in the ruins of the old country town which had its own aq-ueduct. This monument has underground tunnels and a control well with its vault 8 meters above the water level. The source was built in the fourth century AD and is connected with the aqueduct. This same aqueduct supplied water even to Sukbukëra, the oldest dwelling-place in Domgjon. It is held as one of the oldest of its kind in the Balkans.

Fan woman

outfi t

Traditions, R

ites, Customs

Old tower, Zall-Xhuxhë

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Geographical Position and Relief

“Guri i Nuses” mountain in winter

The Fan Commune is in the north-eastern part of Mirdita. Its surface is 175 km2. The commune is an administrative unit of the Mirdita region, district of Lezha. In the south west it borders the Orosh commune, in north-west abuts on the communes of Gjegjan and Fushë-Arrëz, and in the north on two

communes of the Kukës district.

The commune has a mostly disrupted mountainous terrain, with a 21 km long north-south extension and 9 km east-west extension. It lies along a valley surrounded by the Zepa and Munella mountains and the Qafa e Kumbullës highland.

The commune’s height above sea level varies from 250m (Shtrungajë village) up to 1992m (Munella mountain), mak-ing thus the climate differ from village to village.

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View from Munella

mountain

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Climate

The commune has a mountainous continental Mediterranean climate, with a very cold winter and hot summer. The only exception is Shtrungaj village that has pre-moun-tain continental clime. This latter’s

mountain terrain tones down the summer hot, with average maximum (July) and min-imum temperatures respectively 23°C and 35°C; whereas the winter is not very cold as the mountains surrounding the village screen out the freezing northern winds. The average January temperature is about -3°C, the lowest -8°C and rarely reaches -12 and -13°C. The greatest rainfalls, 1400 to 1500cm, occur over the November April span. During winter the snow covers the whole territory with 20–30 cm thick layers in altitudes of 700m and 70–100 cm thick layers in high-er areas. Snowy days vary from 20 in low areas up to 60 in high mountain areas. The winds blowing in the commune are mainly the northern murlan, dry and cold, and the warm and humid southern and south-eastern winds.The vegetation period commences by the end of April and ends in October, in all 200 days.

“Guri i Nuses” mountain in winter

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The population of Fan has continu-ally moved from Fan to Kosovo and vice-versa. These movements have

resulted in continual demo-graphic change. In 1529 Fan had 240 households with 1000 inhabitants, whereas in 1641 had 2 000 inhabitants. After the Turk-ish occupation, population in 1916 numbered 3661 inhabitants and gradually in-creased reaching its peak in 1989 with 13,000 inhabit-ants.

In the aftermath of post 1990 population move-ments (migration in great ur-ban areas and emigration es-pecially in Italy and Greece) the population dropped by 60%. Most of those who left were of young age. Cur-rent population amounts to 5368 inhabitants.

Table 1: Structure of Population

The center, commune

of Fan

Source: Register Offi ce in Commune

Population

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The Fan commune’s land surface is mainly com-posed of pastures and forests. Its large terri-tory makes the com-mune rich in water and

diverse vegetation. The most widespread low vegetation are heathers and shrubs; the most common mountainous vegeta-tion: the oak, beech and pine fo-rests; and the most widespread high vegetation consists in pa-stures. Fan has many trees and

shrubs, such as cashew, hea-th, oak, fi r, beech, hazelnut, arista (a rare tree) ash, juniper, hornbeam, etc.. Weeds such as telish, and clover are predo-minant in meadows. There are 250 kinds of medical plants, the most known of which are thyme, savory, cashew, orchis, mountain tea and the strawber-ry.

Fan i Vogël river crosses the whole of the commune with its dense network of mountainous torrents. Brrena e Domgjonit and Knella e Shëngjinit torrents ever-fl owing currents, inexhau-

stible even in summer. They have few kinds of fi sh, mainly trout.

The area is inhabited by a va-riety of wild animals and fowls favoured by an open and bro-ken territory. The area abounds also in forests. The most com-mon animals are the wolf, fox, bear, badger, roe, squirrel, boar and the hedgehog. The most common fowls are the black-bird, sparrow, culver, eagle, falcon, crow, lumberjack, par-tridge and, during summer, the swallow and cuckoo.

Fan riverThe vally of “Fan i vogel” river

Natural

Resources

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AGRICULTUREThe commune of Fan has a limited land area, in all 738 ha. Of this, a 416 ha fi eld area has been divided among the farmers, whereas the rest, 322 ha, are poor lands and, moreover, impossible to utilize because of their remoteness. Land surface amounts to approximately 750 m2 per capita. The biggest land ar-eas are in Katundi i Ri village: 36 ha and in Shëngjin: 35 ha; and the smallest in Shtrungaj, Sang and Gjakëz villages: 8 ha each. In general, the conditions in the com-mune of Fan are conducive to agricul-tural development. The most cultivated plants are maize, potato, lucern and vegetables.

The arboriculture has favourite con-ditions for production. The trees and grape-vines are not disposed in blocks and vineyards. The commune has 47,000 grape-vines and 23,000 fruit-trees, mainly fi g, nut, cherry, plum, ap-ple, pear, peach and quince trees. The most cultivated vegetables are tomato, pepper, cabbage, onion, cucumber and garlic.

The terrain is propitious to the hetero-oil plants’ growth which would improve the sowing structure, utilizing the un-productive (infertile) lands

Landscape, Hebe

Source: Cadastral Offi ce

Agriculture and Breeding

Table 2. Land Structure in the Commune

Vineyard, Zall-Xhuxhë

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Table 3. Agricultural Production Indicators for the year

Source: Agriculture and Food Offi ce, Lezhë

Table 4. Cultivated Land by village

Source: Cadastral offi ce

Plum trees, Petoq village

Agriculture and Breeding

Autumn, Hebe village

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BREEDING

The Fan commune has advantageous conditions for breeding development. From its outset it has relied on breeding wherefrom 90% of its revenues are generated. A peculiarity in the com-mune is that goats (with an average 40 kg weight per head and 150 liters of milk annual production), account for 75% of the cattle. Goat breeding is of low cost. Pasture capacity is nearly 25,000-30,000 heads of cattle and 10,000 heads of bovine.

Table 5 -Data on the living stock in 1995 and 2007

Source: Commune’s veterinary inspector

Cattle, Thirrë village

Agriculture and Breeding

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Lately the business in the commune has started to liven up. It consists mainly in family businesses such as wood material processing, fi re wood production, stone processing, quarries, trade of live stock and

agricultural productions, apiculture (bee breeding), and milk processing. The “Durrës-Kukës-Morinë” highway construction shall strengthen the extant breeding and other businesses and shall encourage the birth of new business activities.

Breeding production at present is destined to meet family needs. Pasture capacity enables breeding and hibernation of 20-30 thousand heads of cattle and 5 thousand heads of bovine.

Wood processing business, Klos

Bee hives, Petoq

Business and Employment

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Stone –pit in Klos

Fuel station in Klos

Table 6.

Source: Tax Offi ce in commune

Business and Employment

The public sector provides job for most of the

population.

• Education 67 people

• Health 27

• Forest sector 7

• Road maintenance 33

• Commune administration 18

• Public Order 4

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In the territory of the Fan com-mune there are 17 villages: Shtrungaj, Bisakë, Klos, Fan, Ka-tund i Ri, Konaj, Shëngjin, Petoç, Zall-Xhuxhë, Gjakëz, Munellë, Domgjon, Hebë, Sang, Thirrë,

Dardhaz and Xhuxhë.

Klos village is the administrative cent-er housing the local government build-ing. The local government is made up of a decision-making body: the Com-mune Council and an executive body: the Commune chairman and his staff. Both the Council and Chairman are di-rectly elected by the voters.

The present Council, elected in 18 February 2007 for a 4 year mandate, has 15 members from 13 political par-ties.

The commune administration has 18 employees paid by state budget funds.

Each village is represented by its own chairman elected by the citizens. The Villages’ leadership, depending on the village size, ranges from three to fi ve members.

Meeting with village chairmen and commune councilors

Local Government The Fan commune admin-istration in a meeting with church representatives

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Table 7. Budget of the Commune over years, in 000/ALL

Source: Finance Offi ce

Commune’s Organization Chart

The Fan commune administration

Local Government

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The fi rst school in the Fan area was opened in 1927, in the house of Gjon Ndue Ndreca. It had only 13 pupils. From 1932 till 1936 Dom Zef Skana let the pupils, 27, have their lessons in the church premises.

After the liberation of the country, on 14 Decem-ber 1944, at Bisakë the fi rst school was opened (38 pupils). It was followed by the opening of other schools in Konaj, (35 pupils, whereof 13 females), in Domgjon (59 pupils, whereof 14 females), in Xhuxhë (60 pupils, whereof 18 fe-males), in Klos-Zallë (59 pupils, whereof 19 fe-males), in Hebe, Mollkuqe, Dardhaz and Petoq. Secondary schools were opened at Bisakë in 1951 and at Domgjon in 1960.

In September 1976 a high school, agronomy branch, was opened in Klos and in 1985 a glo-bal branch was added to it. In the ‘80s, the United High School of Klos had 800 pupils and 50 teachers.

Following the democratic changes and move-ments, the number of pupils and teachers dropped. At present Fan has 14 schools: 7 pri-mary, 6 secondary and 1 high (the United High School).

High School “Ndrec Ndue Gjoka” in Klos

Education

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Table 8. Children and Nursery-schools in the Commune

Source: Directorate of Education, Rrëshen

High school

class, Klos

Table 9. Pupils and Schools in the Commune

Source: Directorate of Education, Rrëshen

Secondary school, Domgjon

Education

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Health service in the commune of Fan is provided around the clock in health centers both in the commune center and in villages,

including the maternity service. The health staff is composed of 2 physicians and 24 employees. The commune center has also an auto-ambulance.

Medical examination at the health centre

Table 10 . Statistics on Health in the Commune

Source: Health Center, Klos

Health

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Road under construction

The commune of Fan offers a number of public services, name-ly:

1. ROAD NETWORK IMPROVEMENT AND

MAINTENANCE UTILITY.

Road maintenance service is provided for the internal roads connecting the villages with each other and with the center of the commune. The Fan commune is connected with the town of Rrëshen through the 45 km long Fan-Reps-Rrëshen thoroughfare, a road that connects the Fan commune with the Orosh commune and the villages of Shtrungaj, Bisakë, Klos with the Fan commune center. The road network in the Fan commune is 84km long and has a125 km2 surface. 25% of it is paved with fl int stone and 75% with gravel (mountain grit).

At present Durrës-Kukës-Morinë (Rrëshen-Kalimash) highway is under construction. It goes across the central part of the Fan commune for 67km connecting six of its villages: Shtrungaj, Bisakë, Klos, Zall-Xhuxhë, Sang and Thirrë (at Thirrë is the entrance of the Qafë-Kumbulla tunnel)

Working site for the highway Durres Kukes Morine in Fan

Public Utilities

Foot bright in Mashterkore

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Table 11 - Distances in km

Source: Offi ce of Utilities

Bridge upon the Fan river, Gjakëz

2. TELEPHONE UTILITY.The mobile Vodafone and AMC providers account for 90% of the telephone service. The remaining 10% is covered by the fi xed sys-tem network offered by Rrëshen Telelecom.

3. DRINKING WATER PROVISION.Being a predominantly mountain zone, the Fan commune has abundant waters springing from the mountains. These are used for familiy needs and irrigation. At present there are a number of wa-ter-suppliers built over years such as those of Domgjon’s Source, one of the oldrest in the Balkans, that of Klos restructured only a few years ago, those of Xhuxhë, Shëngjin and Bargjan, the latter supplying water to Rrëshen town and Shtrungaj village.

The commune, through a grant and other funds, is making im-provement and maintenance works and plans to construct new water-suppliers.

Public Utilities

Watersupply in Bargjan

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4. FUNERAL AND CEMETERY MAINTENANCE SERVICE.Funeral and cemetery main-tenance service is offered by the commune, religious asso-ciations and by the inhabitants. Almost every village has its own cemetery, except three of them covered by the cemetery of the Fan com-mune center.

Table 12.. Capital Investments in the Commune of Fan during 2003 -2007

Source: Finance Offi ce and Utility Offi ce

Water Source, Shëngjin

Public UtilitiesChurchyard,Klos

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Social Assitance

Social assistance in the com-mune is offered by the Of-fi ce of Economic Aid which is dependent both upon the Regional Directorate and the Commune. Social assi-

Table 13.

Source:Offi ce of Economic Aid

stance is supported by Central Govern-ment funds allocated by the Ministry of Work and Social Affairs in the form of a grant based on the need assessment carried out by the Offi ce of Economic Aid through the Regional Directorate.

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ZEPA, Association of Forests, Pas-tures and WatersZepa Association was founded in March 2004 from a group of 5 ini-tiators. Ever since, it has continu-ally grown in number. From August

2004 until October 2005, under the patron-age of the General Directorate of Forests and of the World Food Aid Programme, it has implemented a number of projects such as works for the protection of areas in danger of erosion, cleansing of the territory from rotten trees, etc.

Sisters of Charity In 27 September 1998, in response to a call from Monsignor Angelo Massafra, bishop of Lezhë-Rrëshen, the Sisters of Charity started to provide services and qualifi cation courses: sewing for women and embroidery for fe-male teenagers. They have also offered am-bulatory health services and have distributed medicines for nursery school children.

The Sisters of Charity and the Albanian Cari-tas have jointly embarked on a project (the ECHO project) funded by the European Com-munity which provides for fi nancial aid for pupils and villages. During the summer, Ital-ian or French volunteers assisted Albanian youngsters, run summer camps for Fan com-mune teenagers. Sisters of Charity

Non Governmental Organizations

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CANGO CANGO (Center for cooperation be-tween Communities, Local Authorities & NGOs) is intensively involved in ca-pacity building for public administration and key representatives of the civic so-ciety and community in the commune as well as in developing a Development Strategic Plan for the commune. It has offered a special help through a series of trainings on management (such as Human Resources & Financial Manage-ment), public communication, duties and responsibilities of the commune councils, etc.

Austrian Caritas From 1994, the Austrian Caritas has made considerable contributions, initial-ly offering human aid, food and clothing for families in need. It has also fi nanced the construction of a bakery in Klos, the reconstruction of several schools, the provision of didactic supplies, books, clothes and food mainly to orphans and needy children in secondary schools at Gjakëz, Petoq, Shëngjin, Xhuxhë, Hebe, Shtrungaj, Domgjon, Konaj and in “Ndrec Ndue Gjoka” global high school

The commune working group in charge of the profi le preparation and CANGO experts

Caritas Austria activites in commune

Non Governmental Organizations

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c o m m u n e p r o f i l e

M I R D I T A - A L B A N I A

For more information about Fan commune please contact at:

Address: Komuna Fan, MirditaContact Person: Gjergj Prenga, Chairman of Fan Commune, Mirdite

Tel: +355 692567020Tel:+355 684069212Email:komunafan@yahoo.com