Winter has shown up a little earlier this year…

In the middle of skyping with my friend Alli last night, I got a text from my site mate, snow had arrived in Gavar.  (Alli luckily kept it to herself that Baltimore was experiencing incredible pleasant, warm weather, but of course Dorrie later burst my bubble, I am sure giggling as she did.)  I quickly looked out of my window just as a car rolled past to see the snowflakes falling in the light coming from his headlights.  Snow actually fell in many parts of Armenia yesterday, quite a bit earlier than last year, which I fear means, winter is going to be a bit rougher this year than last.  This is the view I got to wake up to this morning, Baltimore friends and family, I know you are jealous as you experience your high 80 degree weather….

But I think I am ready, at least as ready as I can be.  I have more winter clothes than can fit in my wardrobe thanks to my obsessiveness with buying as many socks, Under Armor long sleeve shirts and pants, sweaters, gloves, hats and whatever else I could get my hands on as soon as I got my invitation informing me I was being sent to a ridiculously cold country.  I also spent this past weekend cleaning and winterizing my apartment to help block some of the cold.  I also am grateful for the amazing work that has been happening over the last several weeks and that promises to keep me busy for the next several months.  So, I definitely think I am in way better shape for winter this year than I was last.   That being said, I still had to throw on some reggae music this morning just to pretend I wasn’t going to have to inevitably put on the layers and face the cold weather waiting for me during my walk to Good Hope this morning.  It worked, my spirits are high and I can even appreciate that the snow covered mountains surrounding me are quite beautiful.

So, since I last wrote, the Resource Center has been cleaned, stocked, and made ready for our trainings and guests to the center.  In two weeks, I, along with my wonderful co-workers, installed furniture, equipment, decorated the playroom with sun catchers the children painted, stocked the library with books, and more.  I have been lucky that my counterparts have been 100% committed to this project from day one, but I was even more impressed with how involved the other volunteers of Good Hope and staff from CDRC have been in helping to get everything ready for our beneficiaries.  The specialists also took a lot of time and effort to prepare for their trainings and it has already paid off.  Last week, we had our first two trainings, one with parents who have children with physical disabilities, and one for parents who have children with mental disabilities, and the parents were engaged, supportive of one another, and already expressing their enthusiasm for the project.  The staff was also super supportive of one another, sitting in on each other’s trainings, helping to answer questions for the parents, and clearly showing their dedication to the trainings.  In addition, we were able to tell the parents that this project was made possible because of their input and the satisfaction my counterparts and the CDRC staff felt by being able to tell them this and follow through on their promise to further support the parents was pretty great to witness.  During our first trainings with the parents, we let them know that we want their further input on ways to continue to use the Resource Center to suit their needs and they have already started to share really awesome ideas with us.  

Getting the playroom ready

Our first visitor to the playroom

First Training

Our first training

I know it all has just begun, and I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but I am feeling pretty good about the direction this project is going and have confidence that this project and increased access to the Resource Center may prove to be sustainable well after I leave.  We also found out that the Director of Arbes will be coming to sit in on our training on Wednesday, which has gotten the staff very excited.  CDRC is under the umbrella of Arbes ( Arabkir is the main hospital, Arbes is responsible for children development and rehabilitation, kind of like Johns Hopkins is the main hospital and Kimmel is the Cancer Center) and Arbes is very interested, if our project is successful, to implement these trainings in all of the other CDRC’s throughout Armenia!

the library/computer room

Caritas kids trying on clothes from FCN

Things have also been going really well with Caritas.  Diana and I have started to change the way we are approaching our work with the NGO in Vardenis by putting together a more comprehensive plan and agendas for our meetings complete with expectations and deadlines.  We are also working on beneficiary questionnaires with them as well and have a meeting with them tomorrow to help them finalize the questionnaires and to create a timeline for project planning with the results received from the surveys.  And I am loving my time with the Caritas Little Prince program kids.  Last week, we received a generous donation of clothes from a California based aid organization called Focus on Children Now, who is committed to providing aid to children in Armenia.  (I was also selected to be on Focus on Children Now’s Small Grants Committee, a new initiative the organization started this year, focused on giving grants of $1,5000 quarterly (more if approved) to organizations with which PCV’s work.  There are four members of the committee, myself, another PCV, the Director of FCN, and a member of the board and former PC Armenia volunteer.  We spent several months putting together the guidelines, application, reporting documents, and more and have recently had a meeting and have selected our first grant!)  Tatev and I have also been working to schedule more activities and seminars for the kids and just last week had a successful World Animal Day celebration.  We did a presentation on the background of World Animal Day, relationships between people and animals, how to behave around dogs, and a story about an animal helped a human.  This story led into the children telling their own stories about positive interactions they have had with animals.  Then we surprised them by having one of the girls from the community bring her dog in, the kids loved it!  We have also started to plan future activities to include a celebration of World Food Day, where the kids will learn how to make dishes from a couple of different countries from around the world, a Halloween party, we are starting to work on their costumes this week, and a presentation and activity for the AIDS Day Pledge quilt, which we are going to do with both the kids and then their parents.

our little visitor during our World Animal Day Celebration

So needless to say, I have realized how true it is that your second year is so much better and more successful than your first!  On Thursday, I will be heading to Yerevan for an HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health TOT for a week, which I am very excited about as the misconceptions here about HIV/AIDS are pretty surprising.  And it also means I will get to celebrate my birthday with a delicious meal surrounded by several of my PCV friends, makes it a little easier to celebrate away from home J

some of my wonderful PCV friends:) Elisabeth and me

with David, Phi, Elisabeth, and Harry

saying farewell to John who has just finished his 3rd year in Armenia!

That’s the latest from Armenia, hope all is well at home and enjoy that sunshine and warm weather for me!

The cool weather has returned

Summer in Armenia has proven to go by way too quickly!  The leaves are starting to change and the weather is definitely cooler by the day here in Gavar.  The days of flip flops and t-shirts are quickly shifting to days of sweatshirts and socks, with an occasional warm day tossed in randomly.  But, as mom knows, that may not be a bad thing, as my flip flops are no longer what would be considered acceptable footwear. While, as I am sure no one is surprised to hear, I am not at all thrilled that winter is making her way, I am grateful for how busy summer here kept me and that I have a long list of things that should help me at least stay somewhat busy and sane during the upcoming months.

Since I last wrote, my life here has continued to be a mixture of excitement, disappointment, culturally challenging moments, success, and a roller coaster ride that I seem to have been on since I arrived and one that clearly is not going to end until I leave.  The biggest and best news I have to share, is we were awarded the grant that we at Good Hope NGO have worked so hard on!  From working on questionnaires starting back in February, to building a project based on beneficiary needs and requests, to spending a day at a toy store playing with and developing a list of appropriate toys and resources for rehabilitation treatment in the home, the 1.8 million dram that I found to be in my bank account this morning has made all of our work worth it.  Even more, the amount of dedication I have seen from my counterparts, the Director of Good Hope NGO, and the specialists who are developing and will be giving the trainings to the parents has impressed more than I thought possible.  From the second we found out we were being awarded the grant, my co-workers and I have been busy cleaning, moving furniture, dancing to the music I have insisted on keeping on as we have been completely changed the current layout of the resource center, building powerpoint presentations, taking pictures, and doing everything else you can think of to prepare for the opening of our new Resource Center and the Rehabilitation in the Home Training classes which will begin October 1st.  Despite the fact that some of the other projects which I had been working on have fallen through over the last couple of weeks, resulting in a lot of disappointment, the last two weeks preparing for our project have really lifted my spirits and given me something huge to look forward to over the next 6+ months.  Which has been really good for me as I  had to  drop mom off at the airport this past Saturday after an amazing and totally eventful two weeks together.

The day my counterpart and I sent in our completed SPA application 

Over the course of the two weeks mom and I spent together, I fell in love with Istanbul as mom fell in love with one of our tour guides, realized I have a terrifying fear of heights when climbing a mountain with a path the size of your foot with no guard rail protecting you from a fatal fall with one mis-step, jumped from the top of a boat into the Black Sea, turned mom into a fan of red wine, found ways to use a new word mom accidentally made up, monopulate (mix between monopolize and manipulate), tested moms intense fear of heights a few more times than I should have which resulted in me losing the "favorite daughter" title (Dorrie this little tid bit is just for your entertainment:), exposed my backside to an entire table of Armenian men only to be told by our waiter, who, in reaction to my apparent embarrassment, clearly displayed by ever increasing red face, came out with a red fan to cool me off and continued to do so for a solid two minutes, much to the enjoyment of my mother and the whole table of PCV's who came to join us for dinner, exposed mom to a true view of Armenia, complete with the realities of living in a patriarchal society, the lack of planning which occurs here, the deliciousness of grape leaf dolma, the way an Armenian family can fall in love with you during your first meeting, how Armenians celebrate and dance, the incredible friends I have, a glimpse into what life is really like over here, and so much more.  By the time I dropped mom off at the airport, I was exhausted, but so pumped about how incredible our trip together had been, it was so much more than either of us could have asked for and as mom said, an incredible memory to put down for our history together.  And in true McGovern/Engel fashion, in our rush to say goodbye, mom managed to dump out some of the items from her carry on causing me to chase down a bottle of yogurt as she ran the other direction after a bottle of diet coke, much to the delight of the other people in the airport, it's a wonder where I get some of my mannerisms ;) I think our trip together has made our relationship so much stronger, her understanding of my experience over here is so much greater and will make our conversations and understanding of each other so much more significant as a result.  Having mom here also made me realize how many things on my to do list that I need to get started on as I kept putting them off saying, I'll get to it when mom leaves:)

and by special request, our tour guide, who became known as Alfredo because mom and I both missed his name the one time he said it and Alfredo is what mom thought he said, pretty sure the only similarity between this and his actual name is that both started with an A.  Over the course of our 8 hour tour, mom somehow managed to point out every amazing feature this wonderful man had, starting with the pajama pants he picked to wear for the day

So, with a countdown of only ten/eleven months left here in Armenia, I am starting to look at that list of to do's and, along with continuing my work, I will start to check some of those things off.  Can't believe it is time to say that I have less than a year left in country, this experience has been not at all what I expected thus far, which I am oddly grateful for, and, as things have really started to pick up, I am eager for all that is to come, well besides winter, could do without that minor detail:)  As always, sending love to all back home and thanks again for all of your support!

BRO Camp

The slideshow I made for the certificate ceremony

I just finished a week at BRO camp and it is by far the best experience I have had since arriving in Armenia and I would count it among one of the best experiences I have ever had.  When I think back to what I wanted from my Peace Corps experience, this past week is exactly what I was looking for. I can't believe how quickly the time went by and am so grateful to have had such an unforgettable experience with some young men who I feel confident in saying, will be leaders here in Armenia.  After coming back from vacation, I was feeling excited about my next year, but this last week made me fall back in love with this country.

BRO stands for Boys Reaching Out and was a leadership development summer school conducted by the New Generation Humanitarian NGO in collaboration with the US Peace Corps Armenia with support from the Democracy Commission Small Grants program of the US Embassy in Yerevan, Armenia.  The goal of the camp is to foster leadership development skills among young men of Armenia by non-formal education methods.  When I applied to be a counselor for camp several months ago, I was excited about the opportunity to work with young men as I had never worked with this population before.  I expected it to be a good experience, but had no idea how incredible it would be.  Over the course of the week, we had several lessons on environment, health and nutrition, cultural identity, healthy relationships, gender, sexual health, human rights, a debate on what can be gained from volunteerism, lots of UNO games, the boys loved playing, though they were pretty flexible about the rules:) (side note, for anyone interested in sending me something, I would be more than happy to receive UNO games so I can hand them out to my Armenian friends, it's amazing how much they love to play), and so much more.  

We had a total of 21 boys from many different areas of Central and Northern Armenia, most of whom didn't know each other, but by the end of the week, the brotherhood and friendships which they had formed was really cool to watch.  During the lessons, we had a lot of group work and I was blown away with how dedicated and engaged the boys were with each activity we did.  They were open with their opinions about certain issues and topics, were supportive of each other, and I truly feel like this week made a significant difference in their lives.  But it wasn't only their lives that were affected, this week changed my Peace Corps experience and in talking with the other PCV's, it appears the same happened for them.  We also had a few Armenian counterpart counselors who were just as committed as we were and who I also believe gained more from this past week than any of us can put into words.

I have had my struggles with cultural differences here at times, but seeing these boys, getting to know them, seeing their leadership skills, witnessing the bonds they formed with each other and with us gave me such a different view of Armenia in a way that has changed the whole outlook I have for this country and its people.  It's not to say that I won't continue to have struggles here, but the Armenia high I am experiencing right now is something I want to remember when I am having a tough day or moment.  I laughed a lot, learned a lot, and was genuinely happy all week.  And beyond all of the significant moments that happened, it's the little ones that I appreciate the most, teaching the boys how to shuffle cards and seeing the excitement they had when they finally got it down, seeing more and more boys carrying around water bottles and drinking water all day long after their lesson on hydration, receiving flowers after morning exercise, how happy they were to share their opinion and be respected by everyone in the group, witnessing the boys really come out of their shells and seeing their confidence being raised throughout the week, listening to one of the boys and one of the Armenian counselors sing the whole bus ride back to Yerevan and getting the whole bus singing and clapping, not only knowing each of the boy's names but having had enough time with every one of them to know something special about each one, the pride they had when they received their certificates at the end of camp, how much they cheered each other on when their names were called to get their certificates, and the crazy amount of pictures taken and hugs received after the ceremony, and just how much I grew to care about all of them in such a short period of time.

I know I still have a year of my service left, but I think it's safe to say that this experience will be one of the defining projects of my Peace Corps service.  To me, what I got to be a part of this last week is what Peace Corps is all about and at this moment, I couldn't be more proud to be serving in Armenia.

the whole group after the certificate ceremony

Me and Narek, love this kid

My home group "freedom" Garik, Artor, Andre, and Daniel

All of the counselors

Officially in my 2nd year of Peace Corps!

We just finished our Mid-Service Training conference and together, with the other A-20's, I stepped into our 2nd year of Peace Corps.  After going home for a few weeks, I was able to take a break, reflect, and put my whole experience into a new perspective.  This has certainly been one of my toughest years, but also one of my best.  I have been challenged, celebrated successes, learned how to live in a new culture, one which felt really familiar when I first arrived but has proven to be wildly different from the one I grew up in, formed lifelong friendships, learned a lot about myself, and is nothing like what I expected.  As someone who has considered myself pretty open-minded and  go with the flow, I have learned that when living in a totally foreign place, many things which I thought I knew about myself have been challenged.  And after a lot of fighting back and pushing myself to integrate, learning to accept differences and embracing them in a way that is best for Armenia, I can say I am really pumped for my second year.  The work I have put in my counterparts has been amazing some days and incredibly difficult others, but turns out, it was all worth it and, at the end of the day,  building trust and focusing on the relationship is what is getting me further than trying to change things that may or may not want change.

Two of my counterparts, Gevorg and Diana, at MST

That being said, the last day of MST was dedicated to working with our counterparts, celebrating our accomplishments over the last year and planning for our last year together.  Over the course of the day, my energy and excitement for the coming year increased the more my counterparts and I planned.  Between the two NGO's and the orphanage, we have four major projects that I would love to be able to see through to the end.

The first is trainings for the parents of children who are patients at CDRC, a project I have previously mentioned.  My counterpart Gevorg and I are currently in the process of filling out an application for a SPA grant ( a grant sponsored by Peace Corps) and after putting in a lot of the leg work since February, I am feeling pretty confident that we will be able to see this project through.  Our plan right now is to have 4 phases of the trainings, which will be aimed at training the parents on how to continue rehabilitation treatment in the home.  The first phase will be dedicated to increasing the parents' knowledge about their child's disability as well as providing a parents support group of sorts, since the parents really don't have this resource yet.  The second phase will be hands on training with the guidance of a trainer on how to use certain games, books, resources, and more in the home.  For this phase, the children will not be present and will give parents the chance to familiarize themselves with the resources as well as to be comfortable with using them and understanding how they will further support the rehabilitation their child is already receiving.  The third phase is also hands on, but with their children, so the trainers can oversee the parents and help guide them.  For this part of the training, we will be installing a playroom in the Resource Center beforehand, which then can also be used by parents anytime CDRC is open.  The fourth phase will be follow-up either at the resource center or through home visits.  As this is a project which the parents and staff at CDRC have asked for, Gevorg and I really excited to see if finally coming to fruition.

The second project is also for CDRC and will be a transportation service for the parents and children to and from their villages to ease the financial strain they are currently facing trying to get their children to their appointments.  We currently have funding for everything but the van and have also received a commitment from the Director of CDRC that she will take care of the logistics of scheduling appointments so that children from the same villages will be seen on the same day.  Gevorg and I will be working on an online fundraising campaign for the van shortly.

The third project is for the two NGO's with which Diana and I work with in Vardenis and Chambarak.  We are going to start with helping them to put together a questionnaire for their beneficiaries to help identify their needs.  Afterwards, we are going to help them with project planning to address the needs and help with developing a fundraising plan to fundraise for their projects.  As leadership is a big problem for both of them, we are also going to work on HR focused trainings.

The last project is for the girls we work with at the orphanage.  After a year working with the girls, we have gained their trust and have grown to love them, but also have learned more about the reality of what direction their lives may take after they turn 18.  Armenia already has a serious problem with unemployment without adding on the fact that many of these girls do not have families or ways to support themselves after they leave.  So we are going to work on a professional development curriculum and focus on these trainings for the older girls.  In addition, we are already in discussions with organizations and individuals about possible programs/employment the girls can be involved with after they complete the professional development track.  One option at this point is a school for Executive Assistant Training.

While cultural adjustment continues to be tough for me, the work we have already put into these projects and the plans we have made for the future have given me new life here.  Everyday, I realize more and more how blessed I am to have such motivated and committed counterparts and I am really looking forward to seeing how all of this plays out.

Since I last wrote, one of my biggest projects to date is complete, Gavar's First Talent Show!  For the most part, it went off without a hitch.  The kids were amazing, both those who performed on stage and those who submitted artwork for the art exhibition.  The auditorium was packed with both kids and parents, who cheered on their peers as they sang, danced, played the drums, and recited poetry.  And, when my counterpart said thank you to me at the end, the kids in the audience started chanting my name.  It was a lot of work, I learned a lot about the realities of trying something new in Armenia, the challenges which are not only frustrating to me, but also to my counterpart, and also what it feels like when the people in my community are excited and supportive when something like the Talent Show is a success.  I am not sure if it will happen or not, but based upon the audience's reaction and what they said to us after the show, we have hopes of trying to do it next year, with a few minor changes.

The best part of having a successful talent show?  It helped me feel good about my work here and made me more ready to go home and be excited about coming back.  A few days after the show, I got to step foot back in America for the first time in over a year and that trip was no less than amazing.  I promised myself I wouldn't get caught up in culture shock and that I would enjoy every second I had and that's exactly what I did.  I got to spend time with so many people I love, got to stand next to one of my best friends as she married a wonderful man, got to hang with my dad in NYC, surprised mom with a birthday photo shoot, had Dorrie by my side most of the time I was home, had crab cakes, guacamole, Ben and Jerry's ice cream, bagels, good beer, caught an O's game, saw how much two of my favorite girls have grown, went camping and just enjoyed the country that my love has only grown for since I've been in Armenia.  While I was worried that going home my throw me off, it was actually the right decision and right time for me to make the trip.  I was able to be myself, not get stared at for not looking Armenian, could understand everything that people were saying, and just be happy.  It also gave me the motivation I needed to really embrace my second year here in a way I really needed.

And now that I'm back, I feel good.  I'm tired, haven't really been back to Gavar much yet because of how crazy summer is here.  Between site announcement, I have a new sitemate who will be moving to Gavar in August!, MST, the A19's heading back to America, and being a camp counselor starting tomorrow for a boy's leadership camp, I am running a little bit on fumes right now, but I am enjoying every second.  Now that the A19's are leaving, we are the old and experienced ones, which is actually a pretty great feeling.  We've been here long enough to find our way as much as we can, build relationships so we can understand the culture and how to be successful with work here, have learned to be okay with the things we may not like about this country, and have also realized the things we really love and are going to miss when it's our time to go.  And the reality that we only have a year left is also starting to set in, we have one year to get projects completed and to figure out what's next...something I am going to start working about after BRO camp is over.  For now, I am going to continue to enjoy the ride, get ready for my mom's visit in Sept! and just appreciate the pretty crazy opportunity I have had and continue to have living and working here in Armenia.

saying goodbye to two of my favorite A19's Kim and Brian

In order to remember everything that has happened over the last year, I put together a little slideshow, more for me to take a look back and see how much I really have done and experienced since I've gotten here, especially for the days when I forget, but hopefully some of you are able to enjoy it too:)

Until next time, hajoghgootyoon!  (goodbye or I wish you well:)

One year in Armenia!

It’s amazing how quickly the time has gone by here in Armenia, even though some days have felt like some of the longest I’ve experienced, I can’t believe that in 5 days, it will have been a year since I arrived in Armenia.  From not knowing the language at all, learning how to live and work in a new culture, finding ways to do and be successful at things I’ve never had experience in, to figuring out how to overcome challenges and learn to appreciate the really great moments here, I have truly learned a lot both about myself and this country and her people in the last year.   

View from the top of Gavar

Currently, the A-19’s are transitioning to go home, the A-21’s will start their staging this week and arrive in Armenia on Friday, and my fellow A-20’s  and I are reflecting on the last year and figuring out where we want this experience to take us over the next 15 months and how we make that happen.  I spent most of tonight packing in preparation for my trip home in a little less than 2 weeks and have realized that my timing for going home is just right for me.  Work has picked up a great deal and I am really starting to see progress both with my relationships with my counterparts as well as with the projects we are working on, but as with many things in my life, I am looking forward to a little break to refocus and see this experience from the outside.  I think my time home is really going to give me a chance to regain perspective on everything I want to accomplish when I get back and over the next year as well as what I have accomplished, realized, and experienced over the last year.  I have learned so many things about myself, especially over the last few months, and greatly appreciate the opportunity to be here, I can already see how my time here has been life-changing.  But I also recognize that the cultural differences here can be really tough to navigate and finding my place and ways in which I can make some sort of a difference takes a lot of time to discover and understand.  A friend of mine recently reminded me of the Serenity Prayer and its words really resonate with me and truly define a major aspect of my Peace Corps experience thus far…”God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Pretty awesome view, American flag with Mt. Ararat in the background

The longer I have been here, the faster the time does seem to go, partially because of how busy things have gotten!  The talent show is still underway and I am hoping it will be a huge success.  We had over 40 children audition and have selected 14 acts.  Today was our first rehearsal and it went quite well.  The show is this coming Sunday and will include the 14 talent show acts, singing, dancing, acting, and more, as well as an exhibition in the lobby and a play following the awards ceremony.  This is the first time something like this has happened in Gavar, so fingers crossed it goes off without a hitch and that the community enjoys the show! 

Flyer for the Talent Show

Last week, I was in Yerevan Monday thru Friday working on the Pre-Service training for the Community and Youth Development (CYD) volunteers.  I, along with 4 other PCV’s, am a part of the Training Advisory Group, working on all of the trainings, practicum, handbook, site visits, and many other things to try to make their CYD training the most successful and useful training to date.  It was a lot of work, but we had a great team and I really hope that what we put together is beneficial for the new volunteersJ  I will also be able to facilitate some of the sessions, so looking forward to meeting all of the newbies and also share some of my experiences and advice with them.

Gevorg and I have also moved forward quite a bit with plans for Good Hope NGO in response to the questionnaires we distributed to the parents and staff of CDRC.   As a result of the questionnaire, we identified three top priorities, the most important being issues with transportation (the other two are trainings and resources).  The majority of parents surveyed explained that transportation to and from the center causes serious financial strain on their family and expressed the need for alternate options from having to always take a cab round-trip (there is not an option for a marshutni to many of the villages/towns which CDRC serves and the cost of the round-trip fare is quite high for these families), particularly since the majority of children have appointments at CDRC 2-3 times a week.  The staff also identified issues of transportation for their families as one of their top concerns. We are currently working on ways to meet the needs of transportation for our beneficiaries and have been able to come up with a solution.  Our Director spoke with Arabkir Medical Center, for which CDRC is a beneficiary, and they have agreed to fund the salary of a driver, insurance, property tax, and the gas and maintenance of the van.  In return, it is now our responsibility to secure a van, so Gevorg and I have been working on a proposal and started conversations with some potential donors.   We are working with CDRC on the logistics necessary to make the van service work ie creating a schedule so that all of the families from the same village have appointments on the same day and working on having the Resource Center open for the parents and their children to use while waiting for their return trip home.  We are also hoping to implement some trainings during this wait time, starting with trainings on how the parents can continue rehabilitation treatment with their children at home.

Other than the big projects, I’ve had some other good things going onJ We had the grand opening of Caritas's new office complete with a puppet show and a dance party in the streets.

Dance Party in the street

Diana and Rima have begun their requirement of Gender Equality trainings as a result of the TOT which we all participated in.  They have completed two successful trainings, one addressing gender, respect, and communication with the children from Caritas’ Little Prince program and the second addressing domestic violence and gender with some of the parents of the Little Prince children.  This Friday, they will be holding a leadership seminar with women who are victims of domestic violence.  I was also fortunate enough to be invited to hold a two day seminar on fundraising and donor relations at the Social Support Center in Gyumri.  

Fundraising Seminar in Gyumri

And, some of the last few weekends, I have made my way into Yerevan to play softball at the Embassy with a mix of PCV’s, Armenians, and Embassy folks, which has been a great little taste of the states and a blast to play!  I've even gotten the chance to pitch, no more handstands and cartwheels in the back field:)

Speaking of a taste of the states, last week, I went with a few others to the Opera House for Non-stop Hollywood, a wonderful concert put on by the Armenian Youth Orchestra.  In addition to great music reminding me of home, there was a big screen behind the orchestra with clips from each film the group played including The Matrix (got to see Rob Dougan’s Clubbed to Death live!), The Godfather, Braveheart, Pirates of the Carribean, Life is Beautiful,  Mission Impossible, James Bond, and many, many more.  And this past weekend, I spent my time in Talin for their Spring clean-up, which included painting a fence, planting trees and laying carpet, as well as for their Spring 5K.

Talin 5K

So that’s a little update from Armenia, have a pretty busy two weeks ahead,  tomorrow I am heading to Yerevan for Sylvie’s (my little host sister from Argel) 3^rd birthday party, my Program Manager and Regional Manager will be in Gavar Wednesday for site identification, visiting potential host families and NGO’s….hopefully getting a new volunteer in August!, Thursday we have our tech dress rehearsal for the Talent Show, Leadership Seminar Friday, Talent Show Sunday, heading to Yerevan for a training for BRO camp, the boys leadership camp where I will be a counselor this summer, visiting the NGO which Diana and I work with in Vardenis on Wednesday, BINGO with the Little Prince kids and the elderly from Caritas’ Homecare project,  celebrating my site mates birthday Monday, June 3^rd, then flying out 4:30am June 5^th!  Thanks again to all of you for your love and support, hope to see some of you while I am home!

PCV's at the end of the Talin 5K!

Spring in Armenia!! Hopefully:)

Greetings from a sunny and warm (is it crazy that I consider 48 degrees warm?) Gavar.  I think I can finally officially say that spring is making her way to Gavar.  It has been a week since the last blizzard, which followed three summer-like days, as is the way things happen during March here in Armenia. (Armenians call it gizh – crazy because it will literally be a gorgeous summer day and within a few hours the clouds roll in and coat the grounds with snow and ice, two days later? Summer again)  I realize that the last few months have started with something weather related, my apologies, it’s just that, during winter, weather is a big topic of conversation.  While winter was much milder this year than last, I am so happy it was over, the length of it and the cold, always snow and ice covered roads and sidewalks was starting to get to me, so I am pumped for spring!!

View of Gavar on one of my morning walks

The last month and a half has been pretty great here.  Work has picked up, I am feeling really adjusted, I seem to have found somewhat of a groove, and my relationships with those in my community and my NGO’s keep getting stronger.  I’ve started an English film club with a lot of the 20 somethings who I’ve become  friends with and it’s been super successful, with at least ten people attending each film.  So far we have watched Groundhog Day, Mona Lisa Smile, and Finding Nemo and plan to watch Mr. Nobody next week, and I am really enjoying the conversations following the movies and how much they laugh during the comedies.  It’s pretty interesting and fun to hear the perspectives of the Armenians on topics covered in the movies, courage, marriage, women, and change and they are eager to ask questions (and disagree with me on certain subjects) any chance they can.  I also, along with two other volunteers, did a presentation about Black History Month, to the same group which we presented on World AIDS Day, up in Gyumri and really enjoyed being able to spend some time up there with the other volunteers.

Black History Month Presentation, American Corners, Gyumri

The move to the office for Caritas has been delayed for a week because the house is not quite ready, so we will be spending next week cleaning and moving everything.  Luckily, the kids have still been coming for the afternoon seminars, trainings, and parties.  In addition, I recently learned that a lot of the kids are not being provided much food at home as their families can’t afford it, so I’ve been able to enjoy dinner alongside them a few nights, as Caritas cooks for them as well.  While there is a little bit of a language barrier, I am getting to know them better and am really enjoying the afterschool program.  Last week we finished filming a video that we are putting together for Women’s Month thanking the women who have meant something to the kids.  I will spend the next week editing it and we will have a party in two weeks in celebration of Women’s month and will be showing the film at the time.  Tatev and I are also in the planning stages for the Talent Show which we will be holding at the end of May.  We have secured Gavar’s Cultural House, have sent letters requesting applications for talent and artwork for the art exhibition, and have identified the judges.  I am really excited about this as nothing like this has been done in Gavar and if successful, Caritas is hoping to make this an annual event.  

Easter with Caritas

Diana and I have also been busy with meetings with the NGO’s with which we work and most recently completed a seminar on Fundraising, Stewardship, and NGO Presentation at the Cross of Armenian Unity NGO in Edgimatsen.  I was really impressed with this NGO, they have been in existence for 25 years and are one of the most advanced and successful NGO’s I’ve met here in Armenia, I can’t wait to continue working with them.  Their mission is to work with children who have special needs or are from vulnerable families and to give them skills to successfully integrate into society.  Caritas also celebrated Easter last Wednesday and I was really excited to learn that Armenia has a tradition that my family and I also have, the egg picking game.  So, while I won’t be with family to celebrate this year, it was pretty cool to still have a taste of home here.

Egdmiatsen with Diana

Last week, Gevorg and I started to go through the answers from the questionnaires which we distributed to the parents and staff of the Children Development and Rehabilitation Center.  While Gevorg is bi-lingual, we still have to create excel spreadsheets for both English and Armenian and it amazes me how much time that takes.  More and more I realize how lucky I am to work with counterparts whose knowledge of English is pretty incredible.  We are going to use the responses to identify trainings and resources which the parents and staff need.  The biggest issue we have come across so far is transportation.   CDRC is visited by children from all over Gegharkunik region, many of whom have very little means, so actually getting to CDRC for their appointments is an incredible challenge for their parents.  I am not sure how Good Hope is going to address this yet, but doing so may be one of the projects Gevorg and I work on while I am here.  In addition, we have continued to work on Good Hope’s PR and have created a brochure which I hope we will send to print shortly.

Training for CDRC Parents on the relationship with their children

On March 8, one of the biggest holidays here in Armenia was celebrated, International Women’s Day, which actually is a celebration that Armenia continues throughout the entire month.  Because it is such a big holiday, everyone has the day off and I spent it with my host mom Alita, host sister Liana, and site mate Donna.  Below is a link to a website with more information about what Women’s Day is all about it, so feel free to check it out!

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Women's Day with Alita, Donna, and Liana

Last week, I spent quite a bit of time in Yerevan for the Gender Equality TOT.  I went in the weekend before as my friend Elisabeth had her brother and sister-in-law visiting and also got to go spend some time with my host family in Argel.  I am going to try to get to Argel as much as I can up until October, they have decided to move to Russia as the employment opportunities are much better and so that they can be with my host father, Liova, who has been working there for years and sending them money.  I am pretty sad that they are going, but of course understand it is what they need to do. But it was of course amazing being with them, they really are my family and Liova the baby is getting so big!!

Soosana and Sylvie

Elisabeth’s family invited us over for the most incredible meal I have had since I’ve been in Armenia, tostados.  It was really awesome to meet some of Elisabeth’s family, it’s easy to forget how much of each other we don’t know about, pretty cool to get the chance to see each other with our families and spending some time with them got me even more excited for my own family to visit (working on planning mom’s end of August/September visit!)

TOSTADOS!!

The Gender Equality TOT went very well and I am looking forward to the seminars my counterparts Diana and Rima and I are going to hold.  Over the course of three days, we discussed gender, domestic violence, leadership, rights, and more.  I have included a link to the documentary on domestic violence here in Armenia which we watched if you are interested, there are some difficult stories to listen to, but I think it is worth passing on.

http://www.myspace.com/video/mariam/the-butterfly-armenian-version-with-english-subtitles/107558860

At the end of the conference, we worked with our counterparts on the seminars which we are planning to give in our communities.  Rima, Diana and I plan to give three separate seminars.  The first is to the women with whom Rima works, who are all victims of domestic violence.  We are planning to do a discussion on leadership and to also bring in a strong woman leader in our community, Anahit, to speak with the women.  The other two seminars will be with the children and parents from the Little Prince Program of Caritas.  With the kids, we are going to talk about gender and healthy relationships and with the parents, we are going to give an overview of the presentation we are going to give their kids and then are going to talk with them about domestic violence.  I am happy I was able to be a part of this TOT and am looking forward to working with Diana and Rima on our seminars.

Gender TOT with Rima and Diana

So I think that is a pretty good overview of some of the good things going on here in ArmeniaJ  Next week, I have been invited to play softball in Yerevan with some people from the Embassy  and I am really excited about it.  While I am still enjoying yoga and my walks around Gavar and the neighboring villages, I can’t wait to play a sport that reminds me of spring/summer in the states!  Speaking of the states….I will be back in a little over two months for a couple of weeks for my dear friend Anne’s wedding and to celebrate mom, dad, and Dorrie’s birthday!  Can’t believe it will have been a year since I’ve been home!! 

Happy Easter to those who celebrate and lots of love from Armenia!  

Thank you Sherry for this fantastic comic:)

I hope you like jammin' too!

Listening to a little reggae while I write this, helps me pretend it's warmer than it is:)

Time for a little update from sometimes wintery, sometimes springy Gavar!  The weather doesn’t seem to ever know what it feels like doing, so sometimes there is a blizzard outside (by Maryland standards) with a ton of snow and wind which seems to come out of nowhere and some days it feels like Spring, all of the snow and ice melts, the streets flood because there is no drainage system here, and I realize how good it feels to walk without being worried I am going to fall every step I take on the super icy sidewalks!  That being said, it is only 10am in Gavar and I’ve already seen sunshine, snow, and gray skies.  Good thing is, I think I have actually gotten used to the cold as it doesn’t really seem to bother me at all anymore.  I do look ridiculous when I go outside, all bundled up and wearing snow boots rather than the high-heeled black boots that the Armenian women still wear to truck through the snow and ice in winter, but I’ve gotten over the laughing and staring that seems to be a part of every walk into town, and I quite enjoy when I do get a compliment on my choice of winter attire for the day (Aunt Sally and Mom, they love my flowered headbands!).

View of Mt. Ararat Super Bowl morning

So, yet again, a lot has happened since I last wrote!  First things first, Ravens won the Super Bowl!  And of course, since my favorite team was in the big game, I decided to arrange our own little Super Bowl party here in Armenia.  The Enovy Hostel, located in Yerevan, was wonderful in helping with my planning and agreed to let us watch the game, which started for us at 3:30am local time, cook snacks, and three of the staff even stayed up all night with us to watch!  One of the other PCV’s, Trent, sat with them to explain all of the rules and they were almost as into it as the rest of the us by the time the game ended, pretty good exchange of cultures I’d say!  There were about 15 of us total watching the game and I am proud to say I have recruited 12 new Ravens fans!  The other two already had B-more prideJ  We finally got to bed around 8am, and got a whole 45 minutes of sleep before our days had to begin, but it was definitely worth it.  I must admit, I am feeling my age, it took me at least three days to recover from staying up all night!  So until next season, time to cheer on those O’s hon!  One of the best parts was, I got into Yerevan early the morning of Super Bowl and decided to walk into town from my marshutni stop, which is a little bit of a haul.  But on my way in, I got to see the most extraordinary view of Mt. Ararat I’ve seen yet, the way that mountain towers over Armenia’s capital is something else.

PCV's and Envoy Staff cheering on the Ravens!

Work continues to be pretty amazing, I am still just so pleased with my NGO’s and counterparts.   Gevorg and I completed the needs assessment for Good Hope NGO and last week passed out a questionnaire to the parents and staff from the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center asking about trainings which may be beneficial for them, what kinds of resources they need, what problems their children are having both personally and socially, and more.  Our intention is to use these answers to build Good Hope’s strategic and project plans.  One of the goals for the NGO is to create a monthly calendar of trainings both for staff and parents.  One of the biggest problems for the parents currently is that they do not have the knowledge nor resources to continue care for their children at home. Our hope is to be able to work with them on this, in addition to other issues which we identify through the surveys.  In addition, we are talking about doing an awareness event for members of the community.  A common misconception is that if there is a child with special needs in a family that all of the members offspring will also be born with special needs.  So a great deal of a child with special needs siblings never are able to marry because potential partners are afraid of what would happen to their offspring.  Our hope is to hold discussions and/or informational sessions with the community to discuss these fears and other stereotypes which very negatively affect these children and their families. Today is also the Presidential Election for Armenia and Good Hope was one of the NGO’s selected by the Human Rights Protection Center in Yerevan to monitor handicap accessibility at the polls. I unfortunately was not allowed to assist with these efforts due to safety reasons, but am just happy that Good Hope may be a part of helping with reforms in this arena.  Since today is Election Day, I will share the following article with you just for a glimpse into what is happening here.  I did go, with my two other site mates, and Gevorg, to see the current president speak last week, so have tried to keep up with what is going on here politically.

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/02/armenias-bizarre-campaign-season/273233/

Caritas has also just identified a new office space and will be moving on April 1^st!  This new office provides a great deal more space and will allow for the expansion of the Little Prince Program.  While it was initially planned that the Little Prince program would re-open on March 1^st as they had hoped to find a space in enough time, it has been decided that the kids will come to the old office during the interim and will be a part of the transition process into the new space.  So the later move date won’t take away from the after-school program for the kids, which is good.  Tatevik and I continue to work together on the seminars I had mentioned previously, but we are also starting to move forward with other projects, including a Talent Show- we just received approval from Caritas HQ for the event, which we hope will be held at the beginning of June at Gavar’s Cultural House ( with the hopes of not only including all NGO’s in Gavar serving youth and the schools, but also including the whole community in Gavar in terms of attendance- Gavar does not have a great deal of events for the community to socialize with each other, so we hope this may encourage them to come together), a scavenger hunt throughout Gavar which will highlight some of the unique traits of the community (I just learned last week that the HQ for Caritas in Gyumri is going to ask each Little Prince program to do a presentation on what makes their community special, so we are hoping this activity will compliment that presentation), and a celebration for International Women’s Day, which is one of the biggest holidays/celebrations in Armenia.  For this celebration, we are hoping to videotape all of the kids in the program talking about a woman who has made a difference in their life.  We then hope to have a party, where we will invite many members of the community, to air the film and also to just celebrate women!  And last but not least, for the Aramazd program, I am currently putting together a presentation/workshop on the realities of fundraising in Armenia and what an NGO needs to do to make themselves attractive to potential donors.  Diana and I have also met with the Activities Coordinator from the Orphanage and will be starting up with the girls again next week.

I also feel very fortunate that Peace Corps gives you an opportunity to get involved with other projects outside of your primary assignment which I have decided to be active in.  First, I am part of the Gender Equality Steering Committee and we are currently working on the agenda for the Training of Trainers conference which will be held from March 18-20 in Yerevan.  So far the topics include Gender Equality 101, Domestic Violence, Leadership, How to give presentations (as each group has to return to their communities to present on gender equality with a minimum commitment of 10 hours), a panel discussion from NGO’s addressing Gender Equality, and more.  I am also going to be giving a presentation with fellow PVC Kim at the American Corners in Gyumri in celebration of Black History Month at the end of February.  And I am also a part of the committee to work on The AIDS Pledge Quilt project.  For this project, there will be a presentation given by PCV’s to their communities and then each member will put together a patch for the quilt and making a pledge to increase awareness about HIV/AIDS throughout Armenia.  Our hope is to film this ongoing project and to air the film and put the quilt on display next World AIDS Day.  I am really excited about this one!

Some other exciting news, my former counterpart, Gegham, has been accepted to a Master’s Program in Italy and is actually in route as I type this post (I was iming with him right before I started writing and he is in Moscow for a layover).  I am thrilled for him that he has this opportunity and it has been kind of cool being able to talk with him about my experience of leaving home both the challenges and positive experiences.  While we may no longer work together, Gegham has become one of my dearest friends in Armenia and I am certainly going to miss him for the next 6-10 months (he is not sure how long he will be gone yet), but I really couldn’t be happier for him!  Two weeks ago, we had a Peace Corps conference called In Service Training (IST) and one of the sessions which stood out for me was a discussion on looking at Peace Corps and having a volunteer from the point of view of your counterpart and it was incredibly effective.  Matt, the leader, read us a paragraph or so talking about the challenges they go through having to take care of us, help us integrate, being patient with our transitions, frustrations, challenges with the cultural differences, etc and it just made me appreciate the things Gegham had done for me when I first arrived to Gavar.  At the time, I was frustrated because I was here to work and get things done and he was more worried about how I was settling in, integrating, and adjusting to life here.  He tried to help me by introducing me to people, taking me to birthday parties, helping me move into my apartment, answering and coming to help me anytime I needed him (even when it was something as ridiculous as me thinking my hot water heater was broken when, in fact, I was turning the wrong valve), and looking back, I am just so grateful for all of his time and effort.  My transition professionally, personally, and socially was tough, as is the case for most PCV’s, but Gegham really did what he could to help me in that and tried to be the best friend to me he could.  Now that I am starting to really “get” Peace Corps, the work, the relationships, the things I am learning about myself, and the friendships and relationships I am building in my community, I realize how lucky I am that I was placed with him my first few months at site.  I continue to reap a lot of benefits from all he did for me.  That all being said, I can’t wait to be in touch with him during his time in Italy and to see all of the things this experience does for him!

Celebration lunch with Gegham

I finally had some of my Armenian girlfriends over for an “American style” dinner and it was so much fun!  We had hummus, tacos, and chocolate/peanut butter no-bake cookies and it was all a hit to my relief.  Dinner was delightful and something I hope to do fairly frequently and our conversation really surprised me and helped me realize that my relationships with these women continue to get stronger and stronger and that we are developing a trust that I am not sure I was expecting.  

Our financial manager for PC Denise had a wonderful idea to start a book club and I am loving being a part of it, it is my first one!  It is interesting, I have so many unique experiences with my fellow Peace Corps volunteers, but a lot of our relationships are built on common experiences and things we are dealing with and going through here in Armenia.  Because there is enough to talk about it and work through with just those topics, it is interesting how little a lot of us know about our lives before Peace Corps.  But through our conversations before, during, and after book club, I have gotten to know a lot of them in such a different way and I am really enjoying that opportunity.  The first book we read was Wild, by Cheryl Stayed, which was not my favorite book, but made for some interesting conversations and now we are reading Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver which I have really gotten into and would recommend to those interested in a new book.  Our next meeting is March 2^nd and I am really interested in what others have to say about this one.

Other than that, life is just going really well here in Armenia.  I have gotten really into yoga and eating well, even treated myself to a juicer the other day, and am just feeling really good about my service.  The snow and cold does get to me sometimes, but I recently decided to start my mornings with a little reggae music and pretending I am at the beach and it is amazing how much of a difference that has made.  So happy to report, I am doing well living and working in Armenia and, for the moment, I am where I am supposed to be!

Hope all is well, send me updates when you get a chance.  Lots of love and hugs from Gavar!

I get by with a little help from my friends...and apparently I shower with them too:)

 

Yesterday was one of the best days I’ve had in country so figured it was the perfect time for an update from sunny, but cold and icy Gavar!

Add caption

I’ll start with the end of the December.  Because I really just started with my NGO’s at the beginning of December and because the holidays were quickly approaching, my time at Cartias and Good Hope was more about celebration of Nor Taree (New Year, the biggest celebration here in Armenia) and just getting to know the people I was going to be working with.  I did go with Diana (Caritas) to Chambarak and Vardenis to meet with and get to know a little bit about the two NGO’s we are going to be working with in those towns. 

I also got to go to both Nor Taree celebrations for Good Hope and Caritas, which was a great way to get to know the staff and kids I’ll be working with.  Caritas’ party was over 5 hours long and there were presentations on Christmas and Nor Taree celebrations throughout the world (I presented on New Years in the States), singing (Armenian’s love Abba’s Happy New Year and Wham’s Last Christmas- which the English club performed for us and everyone in the room sang along to the chorus…interesting song choices, but they love them!), a Secret Friend game (basically Secret Santa), and of course lots of dancing.  I had a wonderful time and it made me realize how happy I am to be working with the staff and kids at Caritas, though those kids wore me out!

with my Secret Friend, Hovhannes
For my gift, he made me a purple rose, and drew me a picture which he had the English teacher write Have A Nice Day in English:)

 

Dzmer Papik (Santa Claus) visit the kids at Children Rehabiliation and Development Center

Then I went to Argel with David to see my host family before the holidays and I swear I fall in love with them more everytime I am with them.  The day really could not have been better.  Liova, the baby, is getting so big and the second he saw me he started to smile, warmed my heart, and his mom Arpine said, this is your sister:)  Soosana was so excited to see me, she brought out the wine, totally an Armenian thing to do for the men, but was pretty funny that Soosana did it.  So at 2pm, we had dolmas and wine.  And Soosana told me she needed more Old Bay because she uses it all of the time!  I'd say that's a pretty good show of PC Goal #2: Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.:)  After a wonderful afternoon with my host fam, I went over to David's host family's home to celebrate his host mother, Alla's birthday.  Just watching both of our host families and the love shared in the room, David and I both agreed, it couldn't have been a better day:)

Sylvie, Liova, and Arpi

To celebrate Christmas, I had several Peace Corps friends over.  My friend Arpine was kind enough to loan us a projector for a few days, so we ate some traditional American food, played Dirty Santa, listened to Christmas music, visited the town of Noratus to check out their famous hatchkars, and watched Christmas movies on the wall of my apartment.  I have to admit, it never quite felt like Christmas so I really didn’t experience homesickness which is good. Armenians don’t celebrate until January 6^th, so December 25^th is just another day here in Armenia, but being surrounded by some of my dearest Peace Corps friends made it a very special couple of days. I also got to skype with mom, Dorrie, and dad back home and in true Engel/McGovern fashion we just laughed our way through our conversation, kind of hard not to be happy after that, especially since mom included her grocery list in my Christmas boxJ



Christmas in Gavar



Then, after counting down since August, I packed up for the trip I had been waiting for:  10 days in Prague and Budapest with my sister and several of my other friends.  And what a trip it was!  We got to see all of the sites, eat delicious food, drink tasty beer, laugh a ton, indulge in mulled wine, take a ton of jumping shots, experience new things and places, be serious in completely inappropriate situations (Robin you'll have this done by June;), and just enjoy a real vacation.  And we all got along amazingly which made it even more incredible!  Having been in Armenia for 7 months prior to the trip, I hadn’t realized how much I missed just blending in, being able to speak English, talk about life and future stuff, and be around people who know me incredibly well.  It was a great time to just be me, enjoy the company of my sister and some of my best friends, go back to my favorite city, and re-think my goals during my time here in Peace Corps.  And everyone knows how much I love my sister, so just being with her was the best thing I could have asked for. 

The crew at Hero's Square in Budapest, Hungary

St. Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic

New Years Eve with my sister

The first week back to Armenia was a little tough, there is definitely a transition you go through when you come back here from vacation.  And to top it off, I had no water, no power, it was cold, the first person I ran into asked me when I could start teaching them English, a snowstorm was on its way, and after being with my sister and friends for over a week, I really missed them and America.  Power went back on after a day and a half but I still had to unfreeze my pipes, so for two days, I had heaters propped up to my hot water heater and pipes trying to unfreeze them.  After a few bucket baths, you have no idea how amazing a hot shower is, possibly even worth the week of no water!...well maybe not:)  But once I got through that part, I realized my attitude and excitement for Armenia and Peace Corps is even stronger than it was before I left.  After adjusting to life in Armenia, getting to know my community and myself here in Gavar, switching NGO’s, making Armenian friends who are becoming more dear to me by the day, and getting through some of the challenges of being in Peace Corps and living in a different country with a different culture, I really feel as though my life here has begun.  I have gone through a lot of the transitions and now things are really starting to settle and I feel really good about what the next year and a half of my service are going to be like. 

I will say, two weeks of not speaking Armenian, you can lose it so quickly.  When I got back, I went shopping, which is kind of a lost cause right after the Nor Taree celebrations because the stores are wiped out , literally, shelves empty, no bread, no dairy, and no cheese, which was exactly what I was seeking.  So I went to five stores, no luck.  Then ran into my friend Narine who took me to the store who apparently got the only shipments for Gavar after Nor Taree.  I ordered a kes kilo of cheese (half kilo) and the woman said something back to me.  I hadn't heard or talked in Armenian for two weeks so I just said yes.  Turns out she said don't you want a whole kilo...so guess who has been eating cheese all week, and there is still too much left.  First two days back in country and I spent $10, way more than my PC salary allows on cheese that I can't possibly eat on my own!

Last week I really started my work with my two NGO’s and my work with them gave me new life.  Monday and Tuesday, I worked with Gevorg at Good Hope.  We began a needs assessment of sorts in preparation for developing a strategic plan.  We discussed ideas for sustainable programs and trainings for the kids and their parents, ways to engage the community, the background and history of Good Hope, and a lot about the differences and similarities between non-profits in the US and NGO’s in Armenia and what Gevorg may be interested in implementing based upon our discussion.  We accomplished a lot in two days and I feel really good about working with him, it was a very encouraging two days! 

Then I was with Diana and Tatevik from Caritas on Wednesday and Thursday and we also had a lot of success.  Diana and I are working with the two NGO’s in Chambarak and Vardenis on how to become more sustainable organizations, developing their planning process, and working to increase their donor pull.  Armenian NGO’s really very heavily on foreign aid and international grants and donations, it is an issue which many are trying to address here in country.   Diana and I are trying to develop some new strategies for these two NGO’s to diversify their funding both within their community and externally as they both solely rely on Caritas for support at this time.  The Little Prince program just received a renewal of their funding for the program which included an increase in support, a very exciting time for them. So right now, Tatevik is trying to find another location for the program.  Currently, all of the Caritas programs are located in the same office, and Little Prince just needs more space to serve the kids and families they work with.  With the new funding, they are able to identify a new space, a process which is currently ongoing.  The hope is to move within the next couple of weeks and have the kids back in the center by the beginning of March.  In the meantime, Tatevik and I are working together to plan life skills and professional skills training for the kids including, healthy lifestyles and decisions, exercise, computer skills, business etiquette, gender equality, leadership and teamwork, etc. as well as trying to put together a talent show which will involve all of the schools and NGO’s which serve children as well as the entire community of Gavar.

Tatevik, my counterpart for Little Prince

 

 

I am also on the GenEq TOT (Gender Equality Training of Trainers) steering committee.  From March 18-20, there will be a gender equality training which will be held for Peace Corps volunteers with two counterparts from their community, which I will be helping to facilitate.  The ultimate goal is to have these PCV’s and their counterparts hold GenEq trainings for members of their community.  I will be bringing Tatevik as well as a lady named Karine who works for an NGO called Women’s Rights NGO, an organization which serves women and children who are victims of domestic violence.  Until I asked Diana who she thought would be best for this training, I was unaware that this NGO existed in Gavar and I was very pleased to know that this resource is available for women here in Gavar.  We will begin planning shortly, so more to come on this!

So all of this brings me to the wonderful day I had yesterday!  Diana called to invite me to the home of Araik and Irina (the driver and one of the social workers for Caritas) to have lunch.  I was hesitant initially because my shower is broken, I can’t turn my water on right now because my whole bathroom floods, and my sitemate was going to come help me fix it.  But, especially having just come back from vacation, I knew I needed to spend time with some of my friends from the community and Araik has one of the best personalities of anyone I’ve met in Armenia, I love the chances I have to be around him.  What was supposed to be just lunch turned into 8 hours of eating, dancing, drinking, laughing, and one of the best days that I have had since I’ve been in Armenia.  Araik and Irina are one of the most fun and loving couples I have met and their two kids share their amazing dispositions.  Being at their home for 8 hours a few months ago would have been too much for me, but yesterday I was just comfortable and happy, wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.  And that is when I realized that I was in love with Gavar again, being welcomed into their home the way I was and how much I loved being there was just what I needed.  Araik can’t speak English so we communicate in the little bit of Armenian I know and Diana helps translate a lot too.  The day was made even better by the following conversation as I was trying to explain the disaster that is my bathroom:

me (in Armenian): My shower broke, water sprayed all over my bathroom and is everywhere.

Araik (in Armenian): That's bad, do you shower every day?

me (in my bad Armenian and apparently not understanding Araik): Yes, my friends help me.


this picture doesn't quite do it justice

I had clearly not been paying enough attention to what he was saying, I thought he was asking if anyone was going to help me and I also made the mistake of replying in present tense rather than future…took me a minute to figure out why the whole room couldn't stop laughing:)  And he loves to laugh and give people shit, so I know I will be hearing about this for the next year and a half, which I am good with, makes me feel like I am a part of the groupJ



Venera, me, Diana, Irina, and Araik

 

So that is the latest from here in Gavar.  Feeling pretty good about life these days and really looking forward to what the next few months are going to bring my way.  Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and GO RAVENS!  Yes, I, along with two other volunteers, will be up at the crazy hour of 3:30 am to cheer them on against the Pats…got to enjoy a little taste of home when I can!

 

my other counterpart Diana has purple pride too:)