Special Needs Fun Days!

Last week I met with the volunteers of Konotop. I have been working with the director of one of our youth organizations on developing a better volunteer organization and I would like to mold them into a leadership group as well. I had the opportunity to meet a handful of them and share my stories of volunteering with them and describe to them what the Peace Corps is all about. It was really great to see so many people interested in volunteering but I really want to get them out and doing more work.

So the special needs working group which I am a member of has implemented a series of "special needs fun days" where volunteers at their sites organize lesson plans about children with disabilities to advise other kids that there are "different" people in the world and how to deal with them that they are people too and then we have a "fun day" where the kids play games.

I headed to Ivano-Frankivsk where I took a marshrutka to Tlumach to meet a few fellow PCVs and help them out with this exciting day. I came late unfortunately because of the train times so I missed all of the lessons but I was there for some of it and the lesson plans they put together to inform children about people with disabilities was really good. They made it very easy for children to understand and they made it fun!

We had a great group of children show up. There were mainly children from the orphanage so not too many kids had a "disability" but we did have one child come in a wheelchair. We were able to include him in the games as some of them weren't necessarily equiped for disabilities. We had such a fun day. We had six different fun stations and we started with younger children and then we played with the older kids. At the end one of the PCVs played his guitar for the kids and they loved it!! It was super fun and the kids really enjoyed themselves.

It was my first overnighter on the train by myself and it was a 13 hour train ride but I did great. I slept on the top bunk going to Ivano and the bottom coming back. They both have their plus' and minus'. If you are on the top you have to get up there and your only option is to ly down or you have to sit down on someone else's bed if you stay on the bottom and maybe they want to sleep! You don't know. If you are on the bottom you have to worry that the person on top doesn't want to go to sleep yet and he/she will sit on your bed until they are ready to get up there which means you can't lay down untli thy move. You also have to figure out where everyone's luggage is going to go. If you put it in the compartment under the bed at the bottom you might have to wake someone up to get it out when your stop comes and risk not getting it or you have to lift up above the top bunk or sleep with it on your bed. You can view it either way. It is an experience all the time. You just have to love the traveling situation in Ukraine. I actually do love it. It is pretty damn convenient and "knock on wood" reliable too! There usually aren't late trains and if there are they make up time somewhere along the ride but you sure enough show up on your track on time and so far my train has always been sitting there when it is time to get on. Of course I still have to ask people which track the train is on. Most cities haven't caught on, like Kiev, about putting up a digital board and putting the track number there when the train arrives so people know where to go. They just announce it on a sometimes awful loud speaker and if you don't know Ukrainian you can't understand it anyway so you always have to ask somebody!!

Ivano was a great little city. Not much to do there. You can get around it in a few hours and pretty much see everything which we did! Although I didn't find out until I got back to my site that they have a waffle house...DAMNIT! Now I have to go back just for that!

Rememberance...

Today I, other PCVs, my city, his family and so many other people lost a great man! Gregory, whom I've talked about many times and blogged about a few weeks ago passed away today. He was one of the first people I met in this city and he was so welcoming and helpful and knew everyone and everything about this city and so many other things. I loved hearing about history and war from him as he was a survivor. He always had so much to tell. He introduced me to the Jewish Center here in Konotop and the lovely ladies that I used to visit on Thursday's. A part of Konotop will be missing from now on. I only knew the man a short time and for the last few weeks he has been in the hospital and I haven't been able to talk to him or see him around and I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. I know his grandson well too and I feel as though I lost a grandfather today.

I will pray for his family. His wife, his daughter and his grandson you are in my thoughts and prayers always. Gregory was a great friend and will truly be missed!

Random adventures

I left off with the Village of Popivka. I returned to the village on Friday for "Old People Day". Friday was a big day there were lots of celebrations going on. You had "Old People Day" and "Teacher's Day". Teacher's Day is actually Sunday but they were celebrating it on Friday. So I raced to Popivka to have a wonderful lunch with the village and the village Mayor. I sat next to him. There was lots of food and singing. They presented all the babushkas with little cards of congratulations. Some of them were teachers in their past lives and others were just special! I even got a gift! They presented me with a coffee mug. A really nice one! Me and the Mayor got the same one. It was awesome. I told them not to do that but they did it anyway! They are such wonderful people.

After shoveling the food in my mouth and rushing out the door we took a few more photos of all of us together and then they rushed me in the car and off we went to the House of Culture for more singing and dancing from the students of Konotop for teacher's day.

So back to Kiev on Saturday. I should get an apartment there for the next 2 years considering I am there all the time! I went to Kiev for the HIV/AIDS working group. I was excited for this to come. I am on a few different working groups but each one of them is very interesting to me and I am excited to get some project ideas as well besides meeting great new PCVs and learning a thing or two. I am extremely exhausted from all the traveling but it is fun and part of my job here is to see Ukraine so I will do that. I am off to Ivano-Frankivsk this weekend for a project with my special needs working group. I can't wait to see Ivano and learn how to start a fun day in my town for children with special needs.

I got to meet this new person in PC that I have been hearing lots about. I left from Kiev and went to a town called Kovalivka. It was really cute. It was like a mini disney land. Apparently, there is a woman there that paid for the brand new school, brand new restaurant that looks like wedding hall, the brand new church and the brand new hotel. She was in politics or something which is where she got her money from. She has done some amazing things there hopefully all for good things.

A strange turn of events the HIV/AIDS working group got tickets to see Bill Clinton in Kiev. He is giving a speech on the subject and the things he has done to prevent HIV. They had a big concert and a bunch of cool Ukrainian singers came and put on a show. There were so many people and there was a lot of shoving and crazy moshness going on but it was super awesome. We got to see Bill and his 15 minutes of fame in Ukraine. We tried to shake his hand at the end. We were even yelling "We are Americans"..."We are Peace Corps Volunteers"! But he wasnt hearing us!

Good times and back to site for 3 days and then we do it all again...

The Village People...

Today was a pretty awesome day. I apologize for not writing often this week but I have made myself so busy that my only spare time is spent sleeping! I have been continuously meeting new organizations in and, now, around Konotop. Each day brings another organization and a whole new set of challenges. I am now looking at a bunch of puzzle pieces, enough for a picture, but I can't figure out how they fit together.

So I am working on about 4 different projects and one of my new responsibilities was to get a list of organizations in Konotop that deal with special needs people. Which I did. And with that I contacted the only NGO listed and I met with them. Well I ended up at a meeting with two other organizations as well and then I am in a car and off to an Elderly Center in a village called Popivka. You've gotta love Ukraine and the Peace Corps because everyday is just different and exciting! How will I go back to the states and work at a desk? Anway, so I am visiting a "village center" if you will which is a place where the elderly and disabled congregate and wash their clothes, get their hair cut or just sit around and sing and trade recipes. There are many centers like this in Ukraine. Well this one is in a village of about 5000 people. It was about the distance that Stari Bilous was from Chernihiv.

So I meet the director Tatiana and she is a big, lovely woman just so full of life and happiness. She couldn't have been happier to see me and talk to me. I don't know all of what she was saying at times but I never took my eyes off of her. She even spoke some English words to me. They showed me their washing machines and the DRYER! I had no idea dryers existed in Ukraine. I would have thought they would use too much energy. Well they exist and this little village center GOT ONE! So I check out the place and then we go to the "meeting room" where everything happens. The babushkas sing to me in Ukrainian which is sweet and then we go check out the mini museum. There we've got all kinds of Ukrainian costumes and art and many things embroidered. AND...this is the fun part. So they have some wedding stuff and they put a head piece on my head...the kind that brides wear and they want to take a picture...ok! Then they get Victor to put his head piece on and take a picture with me...ok. Now it is Luda's turn. It is just too much fun dressing up like a bride. Too bad we didn't have any dresses. Tatiana got such a kick out of it!

After a few more songs and an encore from the singing group we took to the nurse's room for some afternoon chai and cookies. We had some great convo in Rushlish and they invited me to come back tomorrow for some more food because I am too skinny and some alcohol! Apparently it is "the day of old people"! So of course I agree. And then after I return to the city center I am invited to more festivities because it is "teacher's day" tomorrow. Can't wait for tomorrow another day of getting absolutley none of my work DONE but I will have lots of FUN!!

Then we are ready to leave and we take it outside where more conversation happens. Well just before that....can't leave this out... I meet Maria who is an English teacher at the school in the village. She is an older lady probably late 30s and she is just as happy as a peach too. She loves to talk to me in English. And I didn't realize it until now but while the babushkas were singing to me she was sewing me a little something. She presented it to me right before I left. And she even embroidered it to me... "To Kim M". How sweet is that? M is for Maria by the way! I couldn't believe it. I was there only an hour and I got such a wonderful, unexpected gift! That is Maria by the way in the picture holding up the alphabet that she sewed. Wonderful!!

So now back to the front yard. So we are hanging out and rearing to go when all of a sudden where am I? I am on a bike. I am on a bike that is probably as old as the people I am with. I was asked if I could ride a bike and suddenly I am on this thing riding around the front lawn. I know that I had to look ridiculous because I felt ridiculous but it was super fun at the same time. My only regret is that I don't have a picture of this ridiculousness! Luda (my partner at this point) doesn't use a camera well. We will have to have a meeting about that. When things like this happen I need to teach her that it is imperative that you GRAB THE CAMERA ASAP!

That is all I have time for today!

ng

Английский клуб

So Tuesday was my first English club. I am partnering with Jud because I am no English teacher. So I asked him for help and he is helping me. I am not interesting in multiple English clubs especially beginner English. This was Jud's English club anyway so I am unsure why it was so important to change it to me. Although I did get a better showing. 22 people came to the club. If all it takes is to change the volunteer to get people motivated than I am game but I would prefer Jud to continue teaching. There are so many project ideas I now have for my city and none of them involve English clubs.

I have been meeting a lot of contacts in Ukraine and I am very excited about it that might be able to help me with some project ideas I now have! I tracked down this woman who lives and works in Donetsk at a library and she is visually impaired. Another volunteer helped her with a project to bring new computers with visually impaired software to Donetsk and this is something I would really like to bring to Konotop. I will be traveling the east side of Ukraine in the month of October if everything goes well. I still have many contacts that I was introduced to in Kiev. Things might be working out!! Atleast I have some direction now at my site. I have a bunch of ideas! Yey!!

Off to Kiev again this weekend. It is the special needs working group. I am looking forward to it because we will meet with Ella again from East Europe Foundation. It will hopefully be another successful trip to Kiev! Networking!!

Network much?

I just returned from a very productive weekend in Kiev. I headed down there on Friday morning. I took the 5am train from Ktop to Kiev so I could get there by 730amish to meet up with some fellow volunteers. We had to show up at the conference by 930am. I walked to the train station from my apartment at 445am in the morning. I wasn't sure at the time if that was a good idea. It was pitch black outside but surprisingly warm. Fortunately, there were other people out. Not many but enough. Someone was actually walking behind me the whole time to the train station. It is about a 25 min walk to the train from me. It just doesn't make sense to pay 20 UAH to go to the train station when it is so close but this is one of the cardinal rules in Peace Corps safety...DON'T WALK ALONE IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING! I don't think it is put that way exactly but something like it. Either way I broke the rules. I will break them again on Saturday when I walk to the train station again to go to Kiev. I will be in Kiev just about every weekend for the next few weekends. I am in a bunch of working groups. I am trying to be involved in a lot of things. I want to work on projects and be involved in everything I can. I can bring a lot of things here I think.

So the conference took place at the Hotel Kiev Rus in Kiev. Very nice hotel. We met some people from different organizations in the Lugansk and Lviv oblasts. I met some people from EEF as well. The conference was very beneficial. The project that they did was very successful and right up my ally. It is all the things that I want to do here in my city. (for example, community centers, education for the blind, traffic signals for the blind, training people on how to work with people with specials needs, etc) And the woman who got me in touch with the people that put this conference on her director invited us to come to her organization and talk more about our needs in our communities. FANTASTIC! This could mean that we have an "IN" into these organizations in Ukraine or close by that can help us put together a project for our communities. Or atleast be a contact so we know someone in the organization. Anyway all in all it was a great conference.

On Saturday I attended the GAD meeting. This is a working group put on by other Peace Corps volunteers. In this group we discuss things like gender and development, counter trafficking, LGBT issues, Womens rights, etc. It is a great group of people who are excited about what they are doing and they are very motivated to do it. I joined mainly for the counter trafficking subcommittee. One of the reasons for joining Peace Corps was to do something with human trafficking and being in Ukraine is a sign that I should do something. Even more so that they have a working group geared towards this issue. We got to meet a woman from IOM who works in the counter trafficking department. So it was a great weekend for networking! It is very important to have contacts in this country.

Back to KTOP! Had my first real English lesson and I realized that I was right. It is really difficult to teach English to someone who knows nothing and I couldn't imagine doing it with more than one person at a time! So I am ixnaying (sp?) the beginner English clubs. Only advanced welcome!! Maybe next year...right now too much!

Resume writing anyone?

Today was a pretty exciting day. I wasn't sure how it was all going to turn out which is always the case. So I had a Resume Workshop planned for today that I worked out with the Unemployment Center here in my town. We have had it on the schedule for something like 3 weeks or so maybe longer. Yesterday she calls me to tell me that there will be at least 47 people coming. WHAT?!?!! Wow I was expecting maybe 25! So apparently at the Unemployment Center they don't mess around. And if you say you are going to come and you don't you have to deal with the consequences. I am not sure what that is but considering that 52 people came to my seminar today I am thinking the consequences are pretty hefty!

So I tried to maintain my cool after she told me the happy news! I wasn't prepared for such a big group. Let's be honest I am not prepared for any group! But I stuck to my plan of making this an interactive resume workshop and I went in there and did what I planned to do and fortunately for me all went incredibly well! I also had the other volunteers come from my city. So all in all there were 58 people in the room including myself. Thankfully we had a BIG room. With a nice projector no less! AND THANK YOU LUDA! My translator is AWESOME! Couldn't do all of this without her.

So one notch on my belt! I have successfully completed one project in Konotop. Now the cobwebs are clear and I can begin to do some real work hopefully. I plan to continue my resume/career development seminars as this one was a big hit and try to elaborate a little bit on them. Should you have any suggestions for me please don't hesitate.

I think the other Americans enjoyed it as well. They got a chance to meet Alla, the woman I work with at the center, to see that she doesn't mess around. She knows just about everyone and everything and she knows how to make it happen! Kind of like me only she knows the language really well!!

Goodnight!