Since we both started our training a year ago in June, the
theme for this month’s Vs post will be comparing the trainings between our two
Peace Corps programs.
Duration – My PST lasted from the 17th of June
until the 28th of August, so it was just under 2.5 months
Living Conditions – For the first few days we stayed at a
conference facility with private rooms, so I had my own toilet, shower and
comfy bed. We got some training about how to live in the village, lots of
vaccinations and info about security and medical stuff and some basic Chichewa
lessons. After that I lived with a host family for the rest of my training. I
stayed in a house with no running water nor electricity. But we did have goats and
chickens and pet rats.
Sectors – In PC Malawi there are three sectors—Education,
Environment and Health. Education PCVs teach in Community Day Secondary
Schools. Environment PCVs usually work with issues of deforestation, invasive
weeds and sustainable agriculture. Health PCVs volunteer at village health
centers.
Intake Groups – In Malawi they have two PC intake
groups a year. The Health and Environment groups arrive and train together. I
think their group usually has around 40 trainees. They arrive in March and
start their service in May. The Education trainees arrive in June and start
service in August. The Education groups usually have around 20 trainees.
Site Announcements – Our site announcements happened about
five weeks into our training. They led us all out to the field, blindfolded,
and when we opened our eyes we were standing in a giant map of Malawi that the
trainers had made out of rocks and sticks and other natural materials. For my
site, they had made a mini Mount
Mulanje
Site Visits – We had a two day conference with our
counterparts at a local hotel in the Boma, then we traveled to our sites with
our counterparts. I traveled with my Deputy Head Teacher. During Site Visit I
checked out the school, local villages, the Boma, met the local PCVs and met
the Chief. I also took my first bike-taxi!
Swear-in Ceremony – Our ceremony was held in the homestay
village, then we went to a local conference hall for a small celebration. There
was real cake and dancing, so it was a blast.
Going to Site – PC provided transport for us. We had three
PCVs to a vehicle. Each vehicle had three mattresses and three bicycles on top,
plus all our stuff inside. I thought it was really cramped, but that was before
I had to take mini-buses on a regular basis. It is true what they said—PC
transport is the nicest ride we ever get in Malawi : )
Moldova
Duraion -
I left for Staging in Philly on June 1 and arrived in Moldova for PST on June 4. My swear-in date was August 13.
Living conditions -
Directly after arriving in Moldova, we were all taken to a college where we were greeted by PC staff and PCVs. We were given a quick security lesson with important phone numbers to put in our phones. Then we were separated into groups, depending on our training villages, and driven to our training host families. After not having slept for over 24 hours, i was exhausted, so when i got to my new host family, i took a shower (i actually had a semi-working shower there, which was located in the kitchen) and my host mom made coltunasi (a meatball/ravioli thingy) for me for dinner, and then i went straight to bed. Although we had a kinda shower, we didn't have a toilet, so i spent the summer using a squatty-potty, which can get quite stinky in the muggy summer heat. We had a HUGE garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, gooseberries, currants, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, apricots, and on and on; chickens (meaning fresh eggs...YUM!), a pig, a cat, and 2 dogs that were never unchained - 1 super sweet that loved to be loved; the other wanted to kill me. We had water pumped in from a well and intermittent electricity.
Sectors -
There are 4 sectors here: Health Education (HE), English Education (EE), Community Development (COD), and Small Enterprise Development (SED).
I'm a healthE (HE), and like all other healthE's here, we teach health education with Moldovan partner teachers in schools in rural villages. Most of us (including myself) teach Middle School, which here is 5th - 9th grades. A few others teach Primary and/or High School levels too.
Moldova
Duraion -
I left for Staging in Philly on June 1 and arrived in Moldova for PST on June 4. My swear-in date was August 13.
Living conditions -
Directly after arriving in Moldova, we were all taken to a college where we were greeted by PC staff and PCVs. We were given a quick security lesson with important phone numbers to put in our phones. Then we were separated into groups, depending on our training villages, and driven to our training host families. After not having slept for over 24 hours, i was exhausted, so when i got to my new host family, i took a shower (i actually had a semi-working shower there, which was located in the kitchen) and my host mom made coltunasi (a meatball/ravioli thingy) for me for dinner, and then i went straight to bed. Although we had a kinda shower, we didn't have a toilet, so i spent the summer using a squatty-potty, which can get quite stinky in the muggy summer heat. We had a HUGE garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, gooseberries, currants, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, apricots, and on and on; chickens (meaning fresh eggs...YUM!), a pig, a cat, and 2 dogs that were never unchained - 1 super sweet that loved to be loved; the other wanted to kill me. We had water pumped in from a well and intermittent electricity.
Sectors -
There are 4 sectors here: Health Education (HE), English Education (EE), Community Development (COD), and Small Enterprise Development (SED).
I'm a healthE (HE), and like all other healthE's here, we teach health education with Moldovan partner teachers in schools in rural villages. Most of us (including myself) teach Middle School, which here is 5th - 9th grades. A few others teach Primary and/or High School levels too.
EEs teach English with Moldovan partner teachers, usually in raion centers (the major towns throughout Moldova - much more urban than the villages where healthEs teach) Primary through High School ages.
CODs also usually live in raion centers and partner with local Moldovans to work on developing and improving their local communities.
SEDs also live in raion centers partner with local Moldovan business partners to develop and improve small businesses in their communites.
Intake groups -
All 4 groups arrive together in early June. CODs and SEDs trainings are 8 weeks, compared to HEs and EEs which are 10 weeks. When we arrived last year, there were about 70-75 PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees) - with 18 healthEs - all together, which we were told, was one of the largest intake groups ever in Moldova. This year there were a similar number of PCTs that arrived - with 17 healthEs.
Site announcements -
Our permanent sites were announced a month after arrival to Moldova. They drew a giant sidewalk chalk map of Moldova with numbers all over the map. Then they called our names out 1 by 1 and handed us an envelope with a corresponding number to the numbers on the map and a site name - Vasilcau, Soroca (Vasilcau is my village name and Soroca is the raion center i live in) for me. Inside the envelope was compiled information about our various sites - host family info, school info, partner teacher info, etc.
Site visits -
We had a 2-day training with our school directors at PC HQ before going to site. Then the last day of training, we went with our school directors to our sites. Once there, i went directly to my host family's, where masa (feast) was ready :o]
Whereas in my training site i had a kinda shower and a squatty potty, my permanent site was the opposite - indoor toilet, but now shower. Again, the water is pumped in from the well on the property. Like my training host family, my permanent home has a HUGE garden, chickens, cats, and dogs - which are allowed off the chain every so often.
After masa my host mom and her boyfriend drove me to the actual town of Soroca and showed me around.
The next day i was shown the way to walk to my school, where i met with the school director, vice directors, and one of my partner teachers (my other partner teacher was on vacation). My partner teacher walked me around the school, bought me ice cream, and walked me back to my host family's.
When my host mom came home from work (she's the director of the kindergarden), she walked me to the Mayor's office, health center, and post office - all on the same street right next door to each other.
We stayed at our future permanent sites for 3 days/2 nights.
Swear-in -
We (the healthEs and EEs; the CODs and SEDs swore-in 2 weeks prior) went back to the college for our swear in on August 13th. The news media was there and interviewed a lot of us. There were many speakers and congratulations all around :o]. There was also catered in food, which was delicious!
Going to site -
Directly after swearing-in, we left with our school directors again to move to our permanent site! EEK! and YAY!!
CODs also usually live in raion centers and partner with local Moldovans to work on developing and improving their local communities.
SEDs also live in raion centers partner with local Moldovan business partners to develop and improve small businesses in their communites.
Intake groups -
All 4 groups arrive together in early June. CODs and SEDs trainings are 8 weeks, compared to HEs and EEs which are 10 weeks. When we arrived last year, there were about 70-75 PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees) - with 18 healthEs - all together, which we were told, was one of the largest intake groups ever in Moldova. This year there were a similar number of PCTs that arrived - with 17 healthEs.
Site announcements -
Our permanent sites were announced a month after arrival to Moldova. They drew a giant sidewalk chalk map of Moldova with numbers all over the map. Then they called our names out 1 by 1 and handed us an envelope with a corresponding number to the numbers on the map and a site name - Vasilcau, Soroca (Vasilcau is my village name and Soroca is the raion center i live in) for me. Inside the envelope was compiled information about our various sites - host family info, school info, partner teacher info, etc.
Site visits -
We had a 2-day training with our school directors at PC HQ before going to site. Then the last day of training, we went with our school directors to our sites. Once there, i went directly to my host family's, where masa (feast) was ready :o]
Whereas in my training site i had a kinda shower and a squatty potty, my permanent site was the opposite - indoor toilet, but now shower. Again, the water is pumped in from the well on the property. Like my training host family, my permanent home has a HUGE garden, chickens, cats, and dogs - which are allowed off the chain every so often.
After masa my host mom and her boyfriend drove me to the actual town of Soroca and showed me around.
The next day i was shown the way to walk to my school, where i met with the school director, vice directors, and one of my partner teachers (my other partner teacher was on vacation). My partner teacher walked me around the school, bought me ice cream, and walked me back to my host family's.
When my host mom came home from work (she's the director of the kindergarden), she walked me to the Mayor's office, health center, and post office - all on the same street right next door to each other.
We stayed at our future permanent sites for 3 days/2 nights.
Swear-in -
We (the healthEs and EEs; the CODs and SEDs swore-in 2 weeks prior) went back to the college for our swear in on August 13th. The news media was there and interviewed a lot of us. There were many speakers and congratulations all around :o]. There was also catered in food, which was delicious!
Going to site -
Directly after swearing-in, we left with our school directors again to move to our permanent site! EEK! and YAY!!
No comments:
Post a Comment