Our bonfire with the campers
The volunteers outside our cabin
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Summer Camp!
August 17-21st I volunteered at my friend Martha’s Youth Summer Camp. Together with four other PVCs and four other local volunteers, we took 26 kids (between 13-17 years old) 3 hours north of Jalal Abad into the mountains. We stayed at an old soviet-built camp in a small village named Kizulunkor.
The camp was a huge success, despite the decaying condition of the camp facilities and the lack of amenities – such as running water.
Each morning we broke the group into teams and they rotated through three 1-hour sessions on topics such as: goal setting, self-esteem, nutrition and fitness, sexual health, gender roles, giving presentations, and critical thinking. Each afternoon the campers had their choice of arts and crafts, sports, games, or free time to work on preparing for the talent show. Night activities included movies, games, a talent show, and a bonfire.
On the 21st we traveled back to Jalal Abad and a married couple – Fritz and Ginger – cooked a huge delicious chili dinner for all of the camp volunteers.
It was definitely an exhausting (and dirty week – no showers!) but I’m so glad I helped out. The other volunteers and I maintained a super positive attitude all week and we had a lot of fun spending time with each other. We left with the sense that the campers all benefited from the camp too.
Above are some pictures from the camp. We took over 300 photos and videos so I’ll be happy to show more when I get home in 3 weeks!
The camp was a huge success, despite the decaying condition of the camp facilities and the lack of amenities – such as running water.
Each morning we broke the group into teams and they rotated through three 1-hour sessions on topics such as: goal setting, self-esteem, nutrition and fitness, sexual health, gender roles, giving presentations, and critical thinking. Each afternoon the campers had their choice of arts and crafts, sports, games, or free time to work on preparing for the talent show. Night activities included movies, games, a talent show, and a bonfire.
On the 21st we traveled back to Jalal Abad and a married couple – Fritz and Ginger – cooked a huge delicious chili dinner for all of the camp volunteers.
It was definitely an exhausting (and dirty week – no showers!) but I’m so glad I helped out. The other volunteers and I maintained a super positive attitude all week and we had a lot of fun spending time with each other. We left with the sense that the campers all benefited from the camp too.
Above are some pictures from the camp. We took over 300 photos and videos so I’ll be happy to show more when I get home in 3 weeks!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
AUGUST!!!!
I can’t believe it’s mid August already. This summer has been super busy and has been flying by. In June I took my cat to Bishkek to get spayed and spent some time with my PST host family. In July I traveled to every oblast to conduct TOTs for the anti-Bride Kidnapping Toolkit I helped create and revise. And this month my NGO – the Central Asian Alliance for Water had a Youth Festival. It was more like a camp because the 90 children all slept over. I helped with icebreakers and sports and pool games. Three of the K17s helped out too. On the last night my NGO invited us all for a celebratory dinner at a fancy restaurant. I got chicken with mushrooms in a cream sauce. It was yummy.
This summer I’ve also been spending a lot of time on my thesis. Draft 1 was submitted June 1st, the second draft submitted July 1st and I’m currently working on my third and final draft.
Next week I’ll be helping a volunteer friend with her summer camp. I’ve always wanted to be a camp counselor. I’ll get to co-lead sessions on self-esteem, healthy relationships, and arts and crafts! It’s a 6-day camp about 4 hours from where I live – up in the mountains at a camp facility. We’ll sleep in cabins, use outhouses, and bath in a stream. I’m looking forward to the cooler temperatures. It’s been about 100 degrees or hotter everyday here and I never knew I could sweat so much. My favorite summer activity has been cold showers! When you live in a place with no A.C. you do what you gotta do to cool off.
It’s almost time to start giving away my stuff and think about packing up. I leave Kyrgyzstan in 33 days – and will be arriving home September 16th. I haven’t been home in two years. I feel like I’ve been in Kyrgyzstan forever, but I sort of feel like I haven’t been away from the US that long. Either way though, it’s going to be a huge culture shock. So if I act a little weird when I first get home, just give me some time to readjust to that fast-paced life I used to know.
I’m already starting to get sad thinking about saying goodbye to my friends, co-workers, and community here. But I’m really excited about seeing and reconnecting with my family and friends at home.
Oh and the food! This is what I want to eat/drink upon my return to Americastan (in no particular order): Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla Iced Coffee, bagels with cream cheese, sandwiches (with kosher spears), a chicken finger sub, guacamole, sushi, Burke’s mint patty and coffee health bar frozen yogurt, chicken pot pie, salads (with lettuce and salad dressing!), good spicy Mexican food, margaritas, salmon, a lobster roll, broccoli, blueberries, bacon, spinach, nachos, quality wine, quality beers and micro brews, seltzer water, limes, and anything my dad cooks/grills. I will be poor and unemployed upon my return so if anyone wants to take me out I’ll pay you back with crazy stories and good company!
This summer I’ve also been spending a lot of time on my thesis. Draft 1 was submitted June 1st, the second draft submitted July 1st and I’m currently working on my third and final draft.
Next week I’ll be helping a volunteer friend with her summer camp. I’ve always wanted to be a camp counselor. I’ll get to co-lead sessions on self-esteem, healthy relationships, and arts and crafts! It’s a 6-day camp about 4 hours from where I live – up in the mountains at a camp facility. We’ll sleep in cabins, use outhouses, and bath in a stream. I’m looking forward to the cooler temperatures. It’s been about 100 degrees or hotter everyday here and I never knew I could sweat so much. My favorite summer activity has been cold showers! When you live in a place with no A.C. you do what you gotta do to cool off.
It’s almost time to start giving away my stuff and think about packing up. I leave Kyrgyzstan in 33 days – and will be arriving home September 16th. I haven’t been home in two years. I feel like I’ve been in Kyrgyzstan forever, but I sort of feel like I haven’t been away from the US that long. Either way though, it’s going to be a huge culture shock. So if I act a little weird when I first get home, just give me some time to readjust to that fast-paced life I used to know.
I’m already starting to get sad thinking about saying goodbye to my friends, co-workers, and community here. But I’m really excited about seeing and reconnecting with my family and friends at home.
Oh and the food! This is what I want to eat/drink upon my return to Americastan (in no particular order): Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla Iced Coffee, bagels with cream cheese, sandwiches (with kosher spears), a chicken finger sub, guacamole, sushi, Burke’s mint patty and coffee health bar frozen yogurt, chicken pot pie, salads (with lettuce and salad dressing!), good spicy Mexican food, margaritas, salmon, a lobster roll, broccoli, blueberries, bacon, spinach, nachos, quality wine, quality beers and micro brews, seltzer water, limes, and anything my dad cooks/grills. I will be poor and unemployed upon my return so if anyone wants to take me out I’ll pay you back with crazy stories and good company!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
