Paul's Ukrainian Peace Corps Blog II

8/7/15

Getting Settled at New Site

Presentation at local school in Kirovograd

My new life as a PCV has started with getting to know the community.  In the first two weeks after my arrival in Kirovograd, I visited two of the local schools with Stacy and Ola, office colleagues.  The topics of ecology, recycling, democracy, differences and similarities between civic society in Ukraine and the US stimulated lots of questions from the students. 
The students and teachers expressed a desire to invite us back to participate in a future ecological project.

Participating in Ola's exercise with students

Community Development

Kirovograd Rotary Club Meeting


My counterpart Liudmyla doing
workshop presentation

One role of community development is to assist your site staff with exploring resources and learning how to do as much of the process as possible by themselves.  The three NGOs that I work with are Flora (that works on children's rights), MAMA86 (that works on water quality), and Territory of Success (that works on legal and advocacy issues).  It has been very enlightening to find that there were very knowledgeable staff who were skilled at grant writing and planning, as well as aware of the local community resources.  One area that I have been able to contribute is to help "connect the dots" as my old supervisor used to say when I was still working at the clinic as a geriatric social worker.  One of partner organizations works with homeless people with a history of substance abuse or who are IDPs (internally displaced people).  The organization has been in need of a well to provide potable water for drinking, bathing and cleaning but had been unable to locate a funding source willing to help.  Initial efforts to find sources of funding were unsuccessful and local authorities had no funds available.  So I put my thinking cap on (an old American expression) and thought about trying the Rotary Club.  Our initial meeting with the local club in Kirovograd went well and we are now completing the application and will be asking for funding for additional items needed by the shelters from Rotary Clubs internationally.  If we are successful, it will mean a lot more help for the shelters that we had originally anticipated, and that the initiative comes from a local source by local people.  Keep posted on the progress of our efforts.


Exploring Kirovograd

Ukrainian Folk singing and

Dancing at the library

Kirovograd is in the center of Ukraine and has a lot of interesting things to see.  There is a refurbished Opera, a Philharmonia (closed until September), many art and history museums, castle ruins, a lovely Dendra Park with rides, dancing and entertainment, and bazaars.  In addition, there is a large library with a very active Windows on America section.  I facilitate an English Club there on Wednesdays and help out another PCV with his Club on Mondays.  We cover topics as varied as volunteering, vacations, American culture, and setting personal goals.  I have made numerous friends from the English Club whom I socialize with and who occasionally tutor me in Russian.  One of the Club members Grigoriy plays the flute really well, and he and I recently played a couple of tunes together (I played my tenor recorder) at a session on music.  Another Club member Sasha frequently brings his "скрипка" (violin) to the meetings and plays Ukrainian music.  This week a visiting friend Marya (who recently completed a Peace Corps Response placement in Georgia) facilitated two classes on American folk songs and a "Virginia Reel" dance session - great fun!

Tour of castle ruins from 1750

Opera House

 

  Library Stained glass 

Humanitarian Aid for Ukraine
As many of you know, I have been working with the Ukrainians of  Colorado during the past year in organizing a shipment of humanitarian aid to Ukraine (Big Box I) which was sent from Denver via ship in New Jersey in the spring which arrived in Odessa this May.  The container included clothing, bandages, children's toys, etc.  I was able to include some medical equipment (wheelchairs, canes for the visually impaired, canes, walkers, crutches, etc.) to Tatiana for her organization in Kiev that works with disabled persons who have been displaced from the Lugansk region in the east of the country. I was also able to include a computer, printer, camera, etc. for my former counterpart Olena from Donetsk that many of you may remember from previous blogs.  She is trying to relocate some of the classes from Donetsk State University to Mariupol.  The supplies were gratefully received and have been distributed to the various NGOs in Ukraine.  The Ukrainians of Colorado are now actively collecting donations for Big Box II in Denver and hope to ship it in a couple of months to Odessa.  One of the Kirovograd NGOs that works with younger disabled persons is on the list for needed items for the next shipping container.

Big Box I in Denver

Ukrainians using  equipment from Big Box I

The opinions expressed in this blog are my own and are not meant to reflect Peace Corps policy.