Here I am. I left the lovely USA on June 6, 2006. Thank you all for your patience, I haven’t been the best about keeping in touch! I know this is too long, but if you really want the recap..here she is..
I am through with training, and am officially a Moldova Peace Corps Volunteer.
I am not going to cop out and say that there was a lack of Internet access, because even in Moldova, the Land of Inconvenience, there is Internet access if you really want it. As with most everything, it’s just finding time and money. The PC salary is sufficient for needs, but there is not an allotment for communication to home, although in other areas sometimes they over budget-and you can use the money for other purposes.
And to tell you the truth, even though your emails are dearly treasured and anticipated, they are such an intense reality check that “home” still exists it can be overwhelming. It especially sucks when you go with other people to the internet cafÈ and things happen at home-somebody dies, somebody comes out of the closet, or whatever and they freek out about it and then you have to console so and so about Uncle JoJo in Mississippi and lose out on internet time.
I know it sounds insensitive. But I hope you understand what I am talking about here. However, it is necessary to console, not only b/c it’s humane and all that, but because what happens when something happens to you and you need the TLC! : ) For example, what if I suddenly found out my baby sister was getting married without me!
Well, actually I did not need TLC from other volunteers; I needed a plane ticket and a baseball bat….
(Sis, I am just joking. I am happy that you are happy.)
While I miss out on some very important events, please understand it is for good reason and I’ll be back soon! So take lots of pictures and send them my way so I can stay updated!
Here are some details about what I’ve been learning about here:
I joined Peace Corps. Currently, there are 7,000 volunteers working in 77 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. There are a variety of fields: education, health, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, information technology, business development, environment, and agriculture.
There is an almost 3 month training period that helps gain technical, language (Romanian-in my case), and cross-cultural skills. We also get a bunch of vaccinations including: Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, Tetanus/diphtheria, Rabies, Measles Mumps and Rubella, Polio and Influenza. Not sure why some of you wanted to know that, but there they are! :)
So, for the past 3 months I lived with a host family: Mom-(47), Dad-(49), Bro-(20), Sis-(24). They were very sweet and took very good care of me and my unintelligible Romanian. Flickering electricity at times, (and none when is stormed) but functionable for the most part. We had a bathtub, but no running water so we took baths in a bucket in the tub. We brought water in from the well outside and heated in on the gas stove. I have to distill my drinking/brushing teeth water.
They had an indoor and outdoor toilet, the indoor toilet was manual which means there was a little tree stump sitting behind the toilet with a dainty little pitcher and a water bucket for flushing, resting on top. The doors were left open during the day, and despite the flies, it was very refreshing and warm.
I had language class almost every day, other trainings, a health camp for Romanian children, a week of “practice school” with a partner teacher to students in the community (I taught about values and attitudes), and a 2-hour community presentation about diabetes, heart disease, and fetal alcohol syndrome with local health partners and 7 other volunteers.
Yes, I know that I do not have formal education in this area, but it’s funny how far our US public education can really go..and the health partners had the information, they just needed help presenting. (Thank you 567 NW presentations)
So, I made it through pre-service training.
3 days ago, we had our big swearing in party. Quite interesting. There were 2/300 people there with news reporters, ambassadors, country director, translators, other volunteers…we were sworn in and then we had a huge feast. It was rad. Directly after the ceremony; we moved our entire luggage to our new sites (the sites we will be working at, now that training is over.)
I am now settled in to the home that I will be living in for the next 2 years. My new host family consists of a Mom and Dad. They have 3 grown-up children-2 boys and a girl that do not live in the house. I met the girl and she is my age and speaks English and is extremely nice.
So now I have an amazing shower and running water and the works. I have only lived here 3 days, but so far I really like it. I have been lucky to have had 2 really great host families.
Now what?
Starting Sept. 1st I will be working with 2 partners-1 in a school and a 1 in the health center helping teach and do presentations. Why do they need me?
During the period when Moldova was part of the Soviet Union, people depended on the state for all their health care needs. The Soviet health care system was focused primarily on curative, clinical care rather than on health promotion and disease prevention. So now that Moldova is independent, there have been serious economic challenges that have greatly affected the “delivery” of health care services.
In 1993, Moldova invited PC here to help expand English Teaching because English language skills will help Moldovans participate in the international community and global economy.
More recently, there have been other programs added (stated above). I am a part of the Health Education Program teaching: healthy nutrition, personal hygiene, fitness, prevention of substance abuse, prevention of infectious diseases, prev. of violence, environmental education and first aid. There are also other after-school programs and camps and things..
So far 80 volunteers have worked in this program. 8 health resource centers have been opened, 3 youth centers, 16 health education classrooms with mini-libraries, and 12 guidebooks.
No pressure-right?! Haha. So far, I have found my time well spent and I am proud of the 3 months here. I think of all of you all the time!
Now before I start sounding like a fullout infomercial I better end this novel.
Anyway, now you have a recap of the organization. I apologize for missing birthdays, events, and things at home. I miss you all very much, and wish I could be there! Please know how much I appreciate your thoughts, concerns, questions, letters, packages, and emails!
Sorry this is so dang long. I’ll try to keep them shorter from now on.
Take care and keep in touch.
p.s. We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when… but I know we’ll meet again some sunny day… and will you please say hello to all the folks that I know, tell em I won’t be long…and they’ll be happy to know, as you saw me go..I was singing this song! -Johnny Cash
1 Comments:
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Here I am. I left the lovely USA on June 6, 2006. Thank you all for your patience, I haven’t been the best about keeping in touch! I know this is too long, but if you really want the recap..here she is..
I am through with training, and am officially a Moldova Peace Corps Volunteer.
I am not going to cop out and say that there was a lack of Internet access, because even in Moldova, the Land of Inconvenience, there is Internet access if you really want it. As with most everything, it’s just finding time and money. The PC salary is sufficient for needs, but there is not an allotment for communication to home, although in other areas sometimes they over budget-and you can use the money for other purposes.
And to tell you the truth, even though your emails are dearly treasured and anticipated, they are such an intense reality check that “home” still exists it can be overwhelming. It especially sucks when you go with other people to the internet cafÈ and things happen at home-somebody dies, somebody comes out of the closet, or whatever and they freek out about it and then you have to console so and so about Uncle JoJo in Mississippi and lose out on internet time.
I know it sounds insensitive. But I hope you understand what I am talking about here.
However, it is necessary to console, not only b/c it’s humane and all that, but because what happens when something happens to you and you need the TLC! : )
For example, what if I suddenly found out my baby sister was getting married without me!
Well, actually I did not need TLC from other volunteers; I needed a plane ticket and a baseball bat….
(Sis, I am just joking. I am happy that you are happy.)
While I miss out on some very important events, please understand it is for good reason and I’ll be back soon! So take lots of pictures and send them my way so I can stay updated!
Here are some details about what I’ve been learning about here:
I joined Peace Corps. Currently, there are 7,000 volunteers working in 77 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. There are a variety of fields: education, health, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, information technology, business development, environment, and agriculture.
There is an almost 3 month training period that helps gain technical, language (Romanian-in my case), and cross-cultural skills. We also get a bunch of vaccinations including: Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, Tetanus/diphtheria, Rabies, Measles Mumps and Rubella, Polio and Influenza. Not sure why some of you wanted to know that, but there they are! :)
So, for the past 3 months I lived with a host family: Mom-(47), Dad-(49), Bro-(20), Sis-(24). They were very sweet and took very good care of me and my unintelligible Romanian. Flickering electricity at times, (and none when is stormed) but functionable for the most part. We had a bathtub, but no running water so we took baths in a bucket in the tub. We brought water in from the well outside and heated in on the gas stove. I have to distill my drinking/brushing teeth water.
They had an indoor and outdoor toilet, the indoor toilet was manual which means there was a little tree stump sitting behind the toilet with a dainty little pitcher and a water bucket for flushing, resting on top. The doors were left open during the day, and despite the flies, it was very refreshing and warm.
I had language class almost every day, other trainings, a health camp for Romanian children, a week of “practice school” with a partner teacher to students in the community (I taught about values and attitudes), and a 2-hour community presentation about diabetes, heart disease, and fetal alcohol syndrome with local health partners and 7 other volunteers.
Yes, I know that I do not have formal education in this area, but it’s funny how far our US public education can really go..and the health partners had the information, they just needed help presenting. (Thank you 567 NW presentations)
So, I made it through pre-service training.
3 days ago, we had our big swearing in party. Quite interesting. There were 2/300 people there with news reporters, ambassadors, country director, translators, other volunteers…we were sworn in and then we had a huge feast. It was rad. Directly after the ceremony; we moved our entire luggage to our new sites (the sites we will be working at, now that training is over.)
I am now settled in to the home that I will be living in for the next 2 years. My new host family consists of a Mom and Dad. They have 3 grown-up children-2 boys and a girl that do not live in the house. I met the girl and she is my age and speaks English and is extremely nice.
So now I have an amazing shower and running water and the works. I have only lived here 3 days, but so far I really like it. I have been lucky to have had 2 really great host families.
Now what?
Starting Sept. 1st I will be working with 2 partners-1 in a school and a 1 in the health center helping teach and do presentations.
Why do they need me?
During the period when Moldova was part of the Soviet Union, people depended on the state for all their health care needs. The Soviet health care system was focused primarily on curative, clinical care rather than on health promotion and disease prevention. So now that Moldova is independent, there have been serious economic challenges that have greatly affected the “delivery” of health care services.
In 1993, Moldova invited PC here to help expand English Teaching because English language skills will help Moldovans participate in the international community and global economy.
More recently, there have been other programs added (stated above). I am a part of the Health Education Program teaching: healthy nutrition, personal hygiene, fitness, prevention of substance abuse, prevention of infectious diseases, prev. of violence, environmental education and first aid. There are also other after-school programs and camps and things..
So far 80 volunteers have worked in this program. 8 health resource centers have been opened, 3 youth centers, 16 health education classrooms with mini-libraries, and 12 guidebooks.
No pressure-right?! Haha. So far, I have found my time well spent and I am proud of the 3 months here. I think of all of you all the time!
Now before I start sounding like a fullout infomercial I better end this novel.
Anyway, now you have a recap of the organization. I apologize for missing birthdays, events, and things at home. I miss you all very much, and wish I could be there! Please know how much I appreciate your thoughts, concerns, questions, letters, packages, and emails!
Sorry this is so dang long. I’ll try to keep them shorter from now on.
Take care and keep in touch.
p.s. We’ll meet again,
don’t know where, don’t know when…
but I know we’ll meet again some sunny day…
and will you please say hello to all the folks that I know,
tell em I won’t be long…and they’ll be happy to know,
as you saw me go..I was singing this song!
-Johnny Cash
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