“Water Through the Eyes of Children” Exhibition – SHUKALB Concludes the “Friends of Water” Program for 2025

SHUKALB has successfully concluded the 2025 edition of its most popular educational and awareness-raising program “Friends of Water” through the official opening ceremony of the National Exhibition “Water Through the Eyes of Children”, held on 15 December 2025, at Europe House, Tirana.

The exhibition represents the culmination of an extensive awareness-raising effort that involved around 2,000 third-grade students from 8 regions of the country (8 water supply and sewerage companies). Of these, 6 regions – Elbasan, Berat, Shkodër, Lezhë, Vlorë, and Fier – were supported by the Municipal Infrastructure Program V (WPIP/ MIP V), while Korça and Durres were supported directly by SHUKALB. Through their drawings, participating children conveyed powerful messages about the importance of water and the protection of water resources.

The “Friends of Water” program, implemented by SHUKALB since 2007 in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, aims to raise early awareness among children about issues related to water, conservation, and protection of water resources. Using a practical and creative approach, students learned basic water concepts and were encouraged to express their newly acquired knowledge through drawings, reflecting the core principles of the program.

As part of the program’s implementation, SHUKALB conducted teacher training sessions in October for the participating schools. Teachers subsequently guided students in dedicated lessons and creative activities. Children’s drawings were first presented in local exhibitions, and the three best drawings from each school were selected to be part of the National Exhibition.

After the welcoming words by Elisabeta Poci, Executive Director of SHUKALB, the event was addressed by Ms. Herida Duro, Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Flauers Shoshi, General Director of the National Water Supply and Sewerage Agency (AKUK), Mr. Ardian Islami, Director of the Directorate of Development Programs in Water Supply and Sanitation at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, and Mr. Iven Schad, Director of German Cooperation. In their speeches, they congratulated the children for the powerful messages conveyed through their drawings, and highlighted the importance of early education and institutional cooperation for the protection of water resources.

The ceremony was concluded with the announcement of the 12 winning drawings, with the winning children receiving certificates and prizes in recognition of their effort and creativity. As a tradition, the 12 drawings will be used to produce the SHUKALB 2026 calendar, with each drawing representing a month of the year. The calendar will be distributed to all water supply companies, partner institutions, and collaborators as a tool to raise awareness about the importance of water and the protection of water resources.

Since its inception, the “Friends of Water” program has involved almost 50,000 third-grade students across Albania and was recognized in 2008 by the International Water Association (IWA) as the best educational program for schools. Through this long-term commitment, SHUKALB continues to foster a strong connection between younger generations and water stewardship, contributing to a more responsible and sustainable future for the water supply and sewerage sector in Albania.

? Ordering the SHUKALB 2026 Calendar

SHUKALB invites all institutions, water supply and sewerage companies, and partners interested in ordering the SHUKALB 2026 Calendar, featuring the winning drawings from the “Friends of Water” program, to contact SHUKALB’s Program Manager, Ms. Olta Alla at program@shukalb.al .