THINGS START TO HAPPEN!
Most of you probably don't know this about the Peace Corps, but we have quite a lot of trainings. When I say a lot I mean it - I've had at least one each month since I've arrived in country (last April ah!), and they haven't stopped. Trainings are all well and good, but when you put a group of very active people in a room, and tell them they can't actually start doing the things they've imagined, and wanted to do, UNTIL they complete a training 4 months away... it gets frustrating to say the least. HOWEVER, (sorry about all the caps, but these words definitely need emphasis) as I said before THINGS ARE STARTING TO REALLY HAPPEN! My counerpart and I spent most of January avoiding supras, and working on our grant application. After many MANY hours going over every last detail we submitted it in early February. We were requesting funds from SPA (Small Projects Assistance) so that we could renovate two rooms in my school, and turn one into an English Classroom, and the other into a Resource Room. Now, I won't get into specifics... but the SPA grant application is very long - VERY LONG. Thankfully, however, our hard work paid off, and as of two days ago our grant was approved! Sadly though, we were only offered half of the funds that we requested, so now we had the difficult issue of trying to decide what parts of the budget to cut.
Last night we spent a few hours doing just that, out went the floor (just concrete), out went the teachers desks (we could have just had a teaching circle?) and then all of our "extra money" from our gamgebeli (the local mayor) to purchase books for the library simply vanished into the mist. The good thing, though, was that we figured out how to proceed with the project. This afternoon, however, things changed yet again.
First of all, let me say that the community in Zesaponi has been ridiculously supportive of our grant. Before applying most PC Volunteers told horror stories about trying to get the required 25% community contribution. In Zestaponi, however, we received support from the local plant, parents of students, students themselves, local shops, the school director and especially the gamgebeli. I feel fortunate to be a member of such a wonderful community, and living a town that gives as much as it gets. I love being a Zesaponeli (someone from Zestaponi)!
Anyway, this afternoon Shorena and I went to the gamgebeli's office to let him know the status of our grant. We spoke about the funding we had received, what needed to be cut, and when we would start the construction. Additionally, we talked about this new city wide competition that I'm putting together, and whether or not other PCVs would be willing to help out. But, before I could really get into details about the competition he offered to help us again with the classroom & resource room. Cool as you can be, he offered to make up the entire amount of money that was not granted by SPA. THE ENTIRE AMOUNT! Once we talked a little more shop, with both Shorena and I almost bursting out of our chairs in excitement, we said goodbye and that we'd see each other at the competition. Needless to say - I danced down the Zestaponi City Council hallway. Broke-it-down. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To this song in my head, in case you were wondering. It's been a wonderful day.
Tomorrow I'm heading to Kutaisi to meet with two other volunteers for two other projects. First: writing the host family guide book with Emily, and then to discuss the Imereti (the region I live in) Trainings that all Peace Corps Volunteers in Imereti are going to hold every month. It's going to be completely health based. The idea is that each of us will bring two or more peer educators from our towns to each session. After the session, the peer educators will go back to their towns and give a presentation to other peers about what they learned at the training. Hopefully, if we do this right, after 12 months we'll have a small group of health educated peers in each large city (and some small villages) in Imereti. Then the trainings can be held individually in each town by peer educators, and not in the regional center by PCVs. Our first TOT (training of trainers) will be held on March 10th, so here goes nothing!
Otherwise, life here in Georgia is good, and time is really flying by! In two months the new group of volunteers will be here.... INSANE! I can't believe I will have spent a year in country as of April. It's been a complete roller coaster, but I'm glad that I have a place to tell you when I've hit some speed bumps, (or when it felt like I hit a concrete wall going 1 million miles an hour), and my triumphs. Happily, today is a triumph!
Also, I've attached a few pictures from the last month and short video of my host sister Eleni. If there is ever a day that I feel down, I just tell Eleni that I'm sad and she sings me happy birthday. It's always "Kleri's Dabadebis dreah" according to her!
Most of you probably don't know this about the Peace Corps, but we have quite a lot of trainings. When I say a lot I mean it - I've had at least one each month since I've arrived in country (last April ah!), and they haven't stopped. Trainings are all well and good, but when you put a group of very active people in a room, and tell them they can't actually start doing the things they've imagined, and wanted to do, UNTIL they complete a training 4 months away... it gets frustrating to say the least. HOWEVER, (sorry about all the caps, but these words definitely need emphasis) as I said before THINGS ARE STARTING TO REALLY HAPPEN! My counerpart and I spent most of January avoiding supras, and working on our grant application. After many MANY hours going over every last detail we submitted it in early February. We were requesting funds from SPA (Small Projects Assistance) so that we could renovate two rooms in my school, and turn one into an English Classroom, and the other into a Resource Room. Now, I won't get into specifics... but the SPA grant application is very long - VERY LONG. Thankfully, however, our hard work paid off, and as of two days ago our grant was approved! Sadly though, we were only offered half of the funds that we requested, so now we had the difficult issue of trying to decide what parts of the budget to cut.
Last night we spent a few hours doing just that, out went the floor (just concrete), out went the teachers desks (we could have just had a teaching circle?) and then all of our "extra money" from our gamgebeli (the local mayor) to purchase books for the library simply vanished into the mist. The good thing, though, was that we figured out how to proceed with the project. This afternoon, however, things changed yet again.
First of all, let me say that the community in Zesaponi has been ridiculously supportive of our grant. Before applying most PC Volunteers told horror stories about trying to get the required 25% community contribution. In Zestaponi, however, we received support from the local plant, parents of students, students themselves, local shops, the school director and especially the gamgebeli. I feel fortunate to be a member of such a wonderful community, and living a town that gives as much as it gets. I love being a Zesaponeli (someone from Zestaponi)!
Anyway, this afternoon Shorena and I went to the gamgebeli's office to let him know the status of our grant. We spoke about the funding we had received, what needed to be cut, and when we would start the construction. Additionally, we talked about this new city wide competition that I'm putting together, and whether or not other PCVs would be willing to help out. But, before I could really get into details about the competition he offered to help us again with the classroom & resource room. Cool as you can be, he offered to make up the entire amount of money that was not granted by SPA. THE ENTIRE AMOUNT! Once we talked a little more shop, with both Shorena and I almost bursting out of our chairs in excitement, we said goodbye and that we'd see each other at the competition. Needless to say - I danced down the Zestaponi City Council hallway. Broke-it-down. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To this song in my head, in case you were wondering. It's been a wonderful day.
Tomorrow I'm heading to Kutaisi to meet with two other volunteers for two other projects. First: writing the host family guide book with Emily, and then to discuss the Imereti (the region I live in) Trainings that all Peace Corps Volunteers in Imereti are going to hold every month. It's going to be completely health based. The idea is that each of us will bring two or more peer educators from our towns to each session. After the session, the peer educators will go back to their towns and give a presentation to other peers about what they learned at the training. Hopefully, if we do this right, after 12 months we'll have a small group of health educated peers in each large city (and some small villages) in Imereti. Then the trainings can be held individually in each town by peer educators, and not in the regional center by PCVs. Our first TOT (training of trainers) will be held on March 10th, so here goes nothing!
Otherwise, life here in Georgia is good, and time is really flying by! In two months the new group of volunteers will be here.... INSANE! I can't believe I will have spent a year in country as of April. It's been a complete roller coaster, but I'm glad that I have a place to tell you when I've hit some speed bumps, (or when it felt like I hit a concrete wall going 1 million miles an hour), and my triumphs. Happily, today is a triumph!
Also, I've attached a few pictures from the last month and short video of my host sister Eleni. If there is ever a day that I feel down, I just tell Eleni that I'm sad and she sings me happy birthday. It's always "Kleri's Dabadebis dreah" according to her!
Eleni and our snowman!
Because sometimes you just need good friends!
Myself in Georgia, Gabe in California and Kanika in Indonesia!
Berry Pancakes at Nastia's. For future reference: I love them burned, gooey centers are weird.
View of the lake in Boseleti, location of our IST & TOT trainings. Peace Corps loves acronyms.
Lake at sunset.
It's just not a proper bowl of fruit in Georgia unless it's on fire.
Georgia has the truck, but not the beer. Sad.
Eleni and a friend singing me happy birthday! Sorry for the bad quality.
Excellent photos and post! Love the happy birthday video
ReplyDeleteAnd that fruit bowl is extraordinary!! I think we might have to adopt that practice....yes, indeed.
ReplyDelete