PONT board visits Albania.

The week of 23^rd to the 25^th May saw the PONT board visit Albania. We kicked off the visit with an event at Reja “The Cloud” on the 23^rd of May. PONT hosted its Tirana based partners and beneficiaries at the modern interactive art installation in front of the National Gallery of Arts. It was an opportunity for all to meet and for beneficiaries to present their work.

PONT started granting five years ago, initially providing grants in the Wider Prespa Area then geographically expanding to include the Wider Ohrid Area in October 2021. As part of the visit, the Board toured Shebenik National Park and Pogradec Protected Landscape on the 24th May to experience some of the developments that have taken place in the area. Staff of the Regional Administrations of Protected Areas Elbasan and Korca showcased their work. Local NGOs partnering with the Protected Area authorities illustrated how both parties work together to manage the Protected Areas effectively.

The visit then concluded on the 25th May with a board meeting back in Tirana where a planning grant was approved for the newly proclaimed Shar Mountain National Park in North Macedonia. PONT will now sign the grant agreements with the Public Institution Shar Mountain National Park and two local NGOs in the Korab-Shara-Albanian Alps area. These areas were included in the PONT focus region in December 2021 and this will see us formally launch our grants in the area.