On August 14, 1989, Mother Teresa returned to her homeland for the first time after repeated refusals. Despite obstacles, she persisted. She wanted to visit Albania and the graves of her mother and sister, who had passed away. Six months later, on February 14, 1990, she received Albanian citizenship.

Known worldwide as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, she dedicated her life to helping the needy. In 1979, the Nobel Peace Prize recognized her extraordinary humility and service. This award also drew attention to her Albanian nationality.

She was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje. As the third child of Nikollë Bojaxhiu from Mirdita and Drane Barnaj from Gjakova, she grew up with a passion for teaching, writing, poetry, and music. After completing her early education, she made a life-changing decision.

On September 26, 1928, she left Skopje to begin her mission of service in Calcutta, India. Initially, she worked as a teacher. Soon, she became headmistress of a girls’ school. Later, she founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1951 to serve the most destitute.

By the mid-1980s, her work had expanded extensively. She cared for 7,500 children across 60 schools. She treated 960,000 patients in 213 dispensaries. She supported 47,000 leprosy victims in 54 clinics. Additionally, she assisted 3,400 abandoned elderly and adopted 160 illegitimate or orphaned children. Her efforts combined education, medical care, and social support, leaving a lasting impact on Calcutta and the world.

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