February Fo'sho with a Mashing in of March.

I think I am just getting silly with blog titles now, but really, just typing the name of the month is so boring.

TAG Meeting
So I may or may not have said this before, but I am the TAG (Training Advisory Group) rep for TEFL Group 41. This means I get to have a hand in preparing PST (pre-service training) for incoming groups. February was my first TAG meeting where I met with all staff who have their hands in creating a PST program and other PCVs reps from both my group and earlier ones. So again, for the 3rd time the span of a month, I was off to Kiev! At this meeting, I (along with the Youth Development and Community Development reps from Group 41, Matt and Pete) had to present the results of our Post-PST surveys as well as recommendations for the upcoming PST for Group 43. We discussed Language, Safety, Cross-Cultural, and Technical training over the course of a few hours and developed a list of changes to be implemented. It was a really great knowing that we were being listened to and our opinions being considered and utilized by PC Staff. Our Training Manager, Iryna, is amazing and really cares about PCVs and doing what is best for them.

At the end of the meeting, Iryna invited me, Pete, and Matt to attend Group 43's arrival retreat in March so that they could meet and hear from current PCVs before heading off to their training sites.

PEPFAR Training

Me presenting our HIV-related project
idea.

Alas, a mere few days after returning back home from Kiev, I was on my way back again. This time I had my counterpart, Lilly, and one of our 10th form students in tow. We were on our way to a PEPFAR Training in Kiev. PEPFAR stands for "President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief" and the focus of the training was "HIV Risky Behaviors Prevention" and covered everything from biology to stigma and discrimination to how to create HIV awareness and prevention projects in our communities. Unfortunately, Ukraine has the highest HIV infection rate in Europe and there is a lot of stigma and discrimination associated with a positive HIV status. It was a very interesting 5-day training and I was glad I had the opportunity to attend with people from my village. It was especially great hearing positive feedback from my student and counterpart, especially in regards to hearing from HIV positive people themselves.




Working Groups
I am involved with two working group here in Ukraine in addition to my TAG duties. Working groups are groups of PCVs that meet a few times a year to discuss and exchange project ideas, create materials, and organize Ukraine-wide initiatives. I am involved with the Multicultural Awareness Council (MAC) and Safety and Security Council (SSC). I attended the MAC meeting right after PEPFAR where I got myself involved with our working group's camp, Camp Unity, as a part of the Lesson Planning Committee.

Sad blurred picture :(

One great benefits of working groups is being able to meet with people who share similar goals for projects, not to mention it is a chance to hang out with people you may not have seen for awhile! A few of us MAC-ites tend to find ourselves out to lunch post-meeting. This occasion called of pizza.

Closer to the end of the month I headed to Kiev for the 4th time in 2 months to attend the SSC Meeting.
So. Many. Trains.

Group 43 Arrival Retreat!
Arrival Retreat happened in March and since it is the only thing that really happened in March (aside from a trip to Turkey which gets its own post) I figured I'd squish it in here!

Once again I found myself in Chernigiv where my own Arrival Retreat happened. I hitched a ride from Kiev with the PCMOs, Matt, and Pete which got us there in time to settle into our rooms before the arrival of all the new PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees)! I totally lucked out with a re-modeled room that I got all to myself, whereas the boys had the joy of being roommates.

The reason for our presence there was to help answer questions and to sit in on sessions to give a PCVs point of view in our respective fields and our lives in general as PCVs in Ukraine. The only downside to this was we all sat in on the same 45 minute talk three times since YD, CD, and TEFL group were divided up!

I was excited to be there and meet the new trainees, one of which I had been talking to for awhile before her arrival. I was told by a PCV friend in Uganda to keep an eye out for her since they have a mutual friend. Diana (the new PCT) was nice enough to bring me a bag of peanut butter cups while another newbie brought me a couple new pairs of flats I ordered with her TEVAS discount and had sent to her house. Which was beyond awesome since I know what a pain packing can be and how precious space is! It made my feet way happy to have new homes.

Over the course of our time there, we did our best to teach the PCTs the game of Durak. It is such a great way to integrate in Ukraine and since pretty much everyone plays it is a valuable game to know and also very hard to learn if you don't have anyone to teach you the rules in English!

My ride back to Kiev as with our two Safety and Security Coordinators and Pete. It involved Pete, Papa Sergei, as he is affectionately known (he is also PC Ukraine's Chuck Norris), and I telling jokes. Mostly of inappropriate nature.