Ok so after prematurely being disappointed about my project no longer being on the Peace Corps website I learned that it is actually because it is fully funded! I got to tell my counterpart today and other people I work with and it is definitely a good thing. There have been celebratory coffees today and now I am excited for all the work that lays ahead. Hopefully within 2 weeks the money will be in the new bank account I'm opening and then its time to buy stuff. In just under a month I will be on the road with 45 kids on the way to Gjinar! How exciting!
On another exciting note, the trainees swear in tomorrow and begin their 2 years of service. This is just plain crazy to me because that means I have been here over a year already! Only a year left and I will be trying to get rid of stuff, pack stuff up and be heading on to some new destination (which who knows where that will be...). This is just mind boggling for me.
On a sad note, my site mate Winifred is leaving tomorrow to travel around a bit and then off to Iceland for a few months on a project. It will be sad to not have her anymore in Lezha but she will always be here in spirit... Rruge te mbare Winifred!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Well so much for that Idea
For the past month or so I have been working with my counterpart, Yllka to create a summer camp for children who are from families who live below the poverty line. Up till about 2 weeks ago I thought it would happen. To fund it, we had written a Peace Corps Partnership grant. This basically means that people who I knew back home and reached out to, who felt like donating to this camp, would be the main financers of the project. Today as I went online to check to see how much money we were still waiting for, I was disappointed to find it no longer listed. As we had planned on having this camp at the end of this month I knew that the funding needed to come by early June. Today is Memorial Day so no one is in the office to ask if this means that the project is being stopped because we didn't get the funding we needed or what exactly are our options. If the project is being stopped I am in for one bad conversation with Yllka later. If there are some other options well then maybe there's still hope.
I'm sad that this is just one more project that most likely won't happen but at least I tried. I hope that this will be an eye opener for Yllka. She hasn't been very active in helping me look for funding. Hopefully this will be a learning expereince for her as well. Yes I am American but no I am not rich nor am I conneted to people who have access to hundreds of dollars.
The summer is about to start so with that I have hope for sunny days and more small successes. The new group is swearing in on Thursday. I'm no longer the new kid! Best of luck to them. Just remember that patience is key to being a successful PCV here in Albania. Oh and go for every coffee you can :) Time to go find Yllka and have a chat. I may need a hug later...
I'm sad that this is just one more project that most likely won't happen but at least I tried. I hope that this will be an eye opener for Yllka. She hasn't been very active in helping me look for funding. Hopefully this will be a learning expereince for her as well. Yes I am American but no I am not rich nor am I conneted to people who have access to hundreds of dollars.
The summer is about to start so with that I have hope for sunny days and more small successes. The new group is swearing in on Thursday. I'm no longer the new kid! Best of luck to them. Just remember that patience is key to being a successful PCV here in Albania. Oh and go for every coffee you can :) Time to go find Yllka and have a chat. I may need a hug later...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
I Needed That
Last week I got back from a vacation that I really needed. Everything was stressing me out a bit here so it felt good to get away. Now I'm back and I'm ready for more!
My vacation started by traveling up to Herceg Novi with an Albanian who I help out here in Lezha. His name is Ardi and he has a transportation company. He had a group of Albanians he was taking to Herceg Novi and he had an extra seat which he offered to me. It worked out great because it was the same day I was leaving for Dubrovnik, Croatia. He dropped me off at the bus station and then I had to wait a while for the bus to arrive but it was smooth sailing from there. I had barely stepped off the bus in Dubrovnik when I was pulled aside by a woman asking if I needed a room for the night. I talked her down from 20€ to 16€. The room was nice enough and there were two Americans traveling around staying there as well. We wandered around that night and again the next day. Dubrovnik is amazing! Expensive but gorgeous. My flight left at 8:30 pm so I headed off to the airport around 6 and waited for the plane to start boarding.
The flight was fine and when we landed in London I hurried through everything so I could finally meet David. I was so excited! He was great. I spent a full week in England with him and we traveled to Thetford, Bury St. Edmonds, Stonehedge, Windsor Castle, London and Lakenheath. All in all it was a great time and I got to see some great stuff. I was sad though because I only charged one of my camera batteries instead of both so I missed out on some great pictures while we were in London doing a double decker bus tour. I really enjoyed meeting David and finally getting to spend time with him. I was sad to leave that Monday but my journey wasn't over yet. I still had to get to Albania from Dubrovnik.
After landing again in Dubrovnik I waited around a bit to try to figure out whether I should stay in Dubrovnik or go straight for Montenegro. Well I found a minivan going to Budva which was perfect because I got an email from Ardi saying he would be there with a group of university students. After meeting up with Ardi, we had some beers and then I got some sleep. The next day the group and I went to Kotor which is by far one of the prettiest cities I have seen in the Balkans. I wish my camera had not been dead! We came back to Budva and relaxed the rest of the day. On Wednesday we left for Albania but made stops at Stephen Island, Tivar and at the Shkoder Castle. I was fed up with the university kids by the time we got to Lezha and I was so happy to be home! Overall it was a great trip and it really was what I needed. I feel refreshed and ready to go. Now only if the internet was working at the bashki......
My vacation started by traveling up to Herceg Novi with an Albanian who I help out here in Lezha. His name is Ardi and he has a transportation company. He had a group of Albanians he was taking to Herceg Novi and he had an extra seat which he offered to me. It worked out great because it was the same day I was leaving for Dubrovnik, Croatia. He dropped me off at the bus station and then I had to wait a while for the bus to arrive but it was smooth sailing from there. I had barely stepped off the bus in Dubrovnik when I was pulled aside by a woman asking if I needed a room for the night. I talked her down from 20€ to 16€. The room was nice enough and there were two Americans traveling around staying there as well. We wandered around that night and again the next day. Dubrovnik is amazing! Expensive but gorgeous. My flight left at 8:30 pm so I headed off to the airport around 6 and waited for the plane to start boarding.
The flight was fine and when we landed in London I hurried through everything so I could finally meet David. I was so excited! He was great. I spent a full week in England with him and we traveled to Thetford, Bury St. Edmonds, Stonehedge, Windsor Castle, London and Lakenheath. All in all it was a great time and I got to see some great stuff. I was sad though because I only charged one of my camera batteries instead of both so I missed out on some great pictures while we were in London doing a double decker bus tour. I really enjoyed meeting David and finally getting to spend time with him. I was sad to leave that Monday but my journey wasn't over yet. I still had to get to Albania from Dubrovnik.
After landing again in Dubrovnik I waited around a bit to try to figure out whether I should stay in Dubrovnik or go straight for Montenegro. Well I found a minivan going to Budva which was perfect because I got an email from Ardi saying he would be there with a group of university students. After meeting up with Ardi, we had some beers and then I got some sleep. The next day the group and I went to Kotor which is by far one of the prettiest cities I have seen in the Balkans. I wish my camera had not been dead! We came back to Budva and relaxed the rest of the day. On Wednesday we left for Albania but made stops at Stephen Island, Tivar and at the Shkoder Castle. I was fed up with the university kids by the time we got to Lezha and I was so happy to be home! Overall it was a great trip and it really was what I needed. I feel refreshed and ready to go. Now only if the internet was working at the bashki......
Friday, April 17, 2009
HELP THE CHILDREN!
Hello everyone! Well the time has come for all of you who have wanted to help me, to help the children. I have written a Peace Corps Partnership Grant with Yllka, my counterpart. The grant is for a one week summer camp for children whose families live below the poverty line. This camp is an opportunity for them to see another part of their own country and learn about things like leadership, team work, cooperation, respect, self esteem and creativity. Here's how it works; Peace Corps has listed my project on their site (www.peacecorps.gov). Once you go there, click on donations and then search Albania. My project will come up. Read the project description and if you feel compelled to do so, donate! Otherwise, spread the word on to others who may be interested in helping. We are working with a short time frame so the more people who know the better. Please don't let this opportunity pass you by. It's for the kids and how can you say no to their faces???
Friday, April 10, 2009
SUCCESS!!
I can’t believe how well tonight went. I was slightly dreading the concert because of all the drama that has been happening leading up to this event but tonight I was amazed. Today was the National Day for Roma Communities. I was approached by the president of the association of Roma here in Lezha numerous times asking how I would help with this event. I told him that I had boxes coming from America that had gifts for the Roma children. Well, he at one point thought I said I would give money. That day I had to explain to him that even though I was American, I am poor. I explained to him what my role in the community is and told him that I would be more than happy to help plan the event in any way besides giving money. He did not like my answer but he came back to see me again.The next problem was that he found out that I was going to distribute the contents of the boxes I got from America at a center that children go to after school. The problem was that both Roma and Gypsie children go there. This was the day for ROMA communities and not GYPSIE communities. He explained how the two cultures are completely different. My response was that both communities are different but they do both reside in the same neighborhood, they marry each other and both are very poor. Why should only one community benefit from the boxes? In the end we decided not to distribute the boxes today but on June 1st, which is the International Day of Children. This way both communities can benefit and there can’t be any argument as to why they both are getting presents.
On to the actual event today. There was a concert arranged for 5pm at the Cultural Palace. It was agreed between the Roma and Gypsie’s that both communities would be represented and participate in the event. I could not believe how well they worked together in under 24 hours after the agreement had been reached to organize all the performers and pull the event off! The stage was all decked out for the event and I had a great time. I’m pretty sure everyone else did too. People were dancing in their seats, in the aisles and at the end, even I was pulled up onto the stage for a little traditional Albanian dancing.
At the beginning of the concert, when they were thanking everyone who helped make the event possible, I was shocked to hear them thank me. It went something like this, “Thank you to the American who is always a friend to the Roma. I’m sorry I forget your name now but know that you have helped us a great amount.” They gave me flowers and they all cheered and clapped for me. I’m not going to lie, I cried. At that moment I realized just how important my role in the community was. I didn’t realize that just by me saying hi to them every day and playing with their kids I made as much of an impact as I have, but now I know.
It’s after a day like today I really love my job. It really is true; Peace Corps is the toughest job I’ll ever love.
It’s after a day like today I really love my job. It really is true; Peace Corps is the toughest job I’ll ever love.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
This Just Might Work...
Well after so many things falling apart around me, I think I finally have gotten something together that is going to work. 2 things actually!!! First things first....
On April 8th, I was hoping that we would have a concert in honor of the National Day for Roma Communities. When I found out that they were looking to me to fund this concert, the idea ended. No concert. Well I still have these packages from America and I need to get these supplies to the Roma kids. The new plan is to hold a small party for the Roma kids at the Roma community center on the 8th. We will play some games like bingo and the children will get the stuff that my high school sent to me as prizes. This way the kids still get to have some fun and they get some fun stuff from America. My counterpart, Yllka, is onboard with the plan as is the director for the Roma community center. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this actually will happen. There's only 2 weeks for it to fall through so I'm thinking I can keep it together for 2 weeks.
The next project is a lot bigger. Again my counterpart, Yllka and I want to have a one week summer camp for the Roma children. We will take them to a village outside of Elbasan and play games, do group activities and just let these kids experience what they otherwise would not experience. We have already written the project proposal and I have translated it. After talking today with the country director, looks like we will be able to submit the PC Partnership Grant to get funding. This means that I will have 2 months to get all the money. I'm depending on people from back home to spread the word around to go to the website (when it gets posted) and donate!! I need as much help as I can get so if you're reading this tell your peeps to help out too! This will be a great project if it doesn't end for some mysterious reason. Anyways, I'm really hopeful right now so keep your fingers crossed for me!!
On April 8th, I was hoping that we would have a concert in honor of the National Day for Roma Communities. When I found out that they were looking to me to fund this concert, the idea ended. No concert. Well I still have these packages from America and I need to get these supplies to the Roma kids. The new plan is to hold a small party for the Roma kids at the Roma community center on the 8th. We will play some games like bingo and the children will get the stuff that my high school sent to me as prizes. This way the kids still get to have some fun and they get some fun stuff from America. My counterpart, Yllka, is onboard with the plan as is the director for the Roma community center. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this actually will happen. There's only 2 weeks for it to fall through so I'm thinking I can keep it together for 2 weeks.
The next project is a lot bigger. Again my counterpart, Yllka and I want to have a one week summer camp for the Roma children. We will take them to a village outside of Elbasan and play games, do group activities and just let these kids experience what they otherwise would not experience. We have already written the project proposal and I have translated it. After talking today with the country director, looks like we will be able to submit the PC Partnership Grant to get funding. This means that I will have 2 months to get all the money. I'm depending on people from back home to spread the word around to go to the website (when it gets posted) and donate!! I need as much help as I can get so if you're reading this tell your peeps to help out too! This will be a great project if it doesn't end for some mysterious reason. Anyways, I'm really hopeful right now so keep your fingers crossed for me!!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
1 Year Down, 15 months to go
I have been in Albania for one year as of today!! I can't believe how fast the time has been going. The new group of volunteers arrived yesterday. 34 new trainees. I can't wait to meet them. It's hard to believe that I am no longer the "new kid" and that next year at this time I will be close to leaving. The experience here has been everything I thought it would be but so much more. I have learned Albanian, have helped with numerous projects, have built relationships in my community and now feel as though Lezhe is my home. Just walking to work today I had to stop and have conversations with 4 people on the road. I have been so lucky with my placement and service. The continued support from my friends and family back home has also been tremendous and I am so happy that I have them behind me on this adventure. This would be much harder without their continuing support.
On another note, I just got back from Athens, Greece on Tuesday. The bus ride on the way down wasn't as bad as I thought the 14 hours would be. There was an American backpacking through Europe so he kept me company until we all started dozing off. My first day in Athens I walked around A LOT and saw most of the "typical" tourist sites. I stayed with a couchsurfer that night and he showed me around at night and we met up with another couchsurfer for drinks. The conference that I went to Athens for started on Friday and I met up with Dile, an Albanian from Lezha there. The conference was ok but a lot of things didn't apply to us since it was for the European Union and Albania is not a part of the EU (yet...). Anyways, Dile and I slept at a Greek girl's place for the last 3 nights. Sophie was a great host as well and I had fun talking with her. The conference ended on Sunday and there was time for more shopping, sight seeing and eating. I was so happy to eat my authentic greek salad and gyros!! Haha. Dile left early Monday morning but my return bus didn't leave until 8pm. I spent the day with Dile's cousin and his family. They were really nice and showed me around Pireaus (the port of Athens). The trip back to Albania was much longer but I made it back :)
Now I will be busy for awhile helping prepare materials for the new trainees, making materials for my municipality and helping with some smaller projects. Spring is going to fly by and it will be summer before I know it!!
Hugs to everyone!
Leslie
On another note, I just got back from Athens, Greece on Tuesday. The bus ride on the way down wasn't as bad as I thought the 14 hours would be. There was an American backpacking through Europe so he kept me company until we all started dozing off. My first day in Athens I walked around A LOT and saw most of the "typical" tourist sites. I stayed with a couchsurfer that night and he showed me around at night and we met up with another couchsurfer for drinks. The conference that I went to Athens for started on Friday and I met up with Dile, an Albanian from Lezha there. The conference was ok but a lot of things didn't apply to us since it was for the European Union and Albania is not a part of the EU (yet...). Anyways, Dile and I slept at a Greek girl's place for the last 3 nights. Sophie was a great host as well and I had fun talking with her. The conference ended on Sunday and there was time for more shopping, sight seeing and eating. I was so happy to eat my authentic greek salad and gyros!! Haha. Dile left early Monday morning but my return bus didn't leave until 8pm. I spent the day with Dile's cousin and his family. They were really nice and showed me around Pireaus (the port of Athens). The trip back to Albania was much longer but I made it back :)
Now I will be busy for awhile helping prepare materials for the new trainees, making materials for my municipality and helping with some smaller projects. Spring is going to fly by and it will be summer before I know it!!
Hugs to everyone!
Leslie
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