USAID and 'SOS' Children's Village Cooperate on 'Greetings from Albania' postcard campain (October 18, 2006)

TIRANA-United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director, Edward T. Landau, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SOS Albania National Director, Edmond Zhupani, granting SOS Children's Village the right to promote images from USAID's "Greetings from Albania" postcard campaign. President Moisiu, U.S. Ambassador Ries, and other officials and diplomats attended the celebrations marking the 10th Anniversary of SOS Children's Village and the signing of the MOU.

"'Greetings from Albania' is a campaign to help promote Albania as a desirable tourist destination," explained Landau at the signing ceremony, "USAID is proud of the amount of attention that the postcards have received, but sees this partnership with SOS Children's Village as an opportunity to have a direct and immediate impact on the lives of Albanians."

The MOU grants SOS the right to create products using the images and sell them. In 2004 and 2005 USAID's Enterprise Development and Export Market Services project (EDEM) organized a competition among Albanian youth (ages 9-17) to design painted, drawn, photographed, or other artistic images that could be used as an electronic or printed greeting to promote tourism in Albania.  The images depicted places and/or activities of interest in the youth's home communities.  The purpose of the campaign has been to involve young Albanians in presenting and promoting their country as an attractive, inviting tourist destination.

Entries from 2004 and 2005 "Greetings from Albania" campaign can be viewed on www.shqiperia.com/edemal/gallery