Conor's Corner

Hello Everyone!

Wow, this is a record for not updating the ole blog. I will start from where I left off. For Christmas, Danielle and I decided not to join the big groups of volunteers but to instead just have a small group of people come to Khartsizsk. It was me, Danielle, Janine, Johanna, and Charlie – we exchanged gifts, had a nice meal, and celebrated with a few of my Ukrainian friends. Danielle got everyone in the Christmas spirit and made us all stockings with our names on them (in Russian) and she gave me an awesome Russian hat and a scarf to help me keep warm in the cold Ukrainian winter. I gave her a Russian version of Monopoly and a few little presents. We thought that it would be a snow-free Christmas but at the last minute it snowed which was very nice. I miss having Christmas with family but this was still awesome.

For New Years, we all got together for a nice celebration and went for a walk to the central square. New Years is a much bigger than Christmas here and the celebration was quite large. There were probably a couple thousand people that meet at the Christmas tree in the center of the town. It was fun, everyone danced and had a great time. We (Danielle, Johanna, and I) thought that everyone would meet at the New Year's tree at midnight but we ended up being the only people there lol. Turns out Ukrainians spend time with there families until after midnight and then they all meet at the tree.

In January, we had a very important meeting for our little NGO “Step Forward”. The deputy director of Peace Corps, my manager, the director of PC Ukraine, and the PC Ukraine desk manager all came to my little town to meet with my counterparts and hear what we have been doing. I gave a 20 min presentation, answered some questions, and organized a lunch for everyone after the meeting. It was very nice to meet the deputy director and I think the meeting helped energize my counterparts to continue doing good work in the community. It was kinda funny because we all met in our little office (9 people) and there was a few journalists there from the local newspaper and TV station. Our office is pretty small so the camera man was literally 2 feet away from me with a huge TV camera the whole time I was giving the presentation – It was kinda nerve racking but overall it was a great success.

In January, I also attended the opening of a new monument to a famous Russian author that spent a little time in our town. It was kinda a funny situation because I was not familiar with this author and one of my Ukrainian friends pointed out to one of the TV journalists that there is an American in the crowd. Lol The journalist proceeded to interview me about my thoughts of this famous author and the new statue that was dedicated to him. Once again, I was in a very uncomfortable position and couldn't help but laugh about the situation. I kept to general information that one could say about any famous author so I think I didn't make too much of an ass of myself. :-)

Danielle's sister Nikki visited us for a few days which was nice. It is always nice to hear an outsider's impressions of Ukraine and our little community. We definitely gave her some unique experiences to remember Ukraine. We went Ice swimming in the local river which is always a huge rush. Like I mentioned last year, it is so cold that it actually feels hot. After freezing our @#%$*'s off, we rented a Russian sauna with some friends of mine. It was a really good time and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.

In February, we has a surprise interview by a national TV station based out of Donetsk. I thought it would be another small interview where I answer general questions about why I am in Ukraine and what our organization in doing but once again Ukraine won. The score is now Ukraine 5,352 - Conor 3. The interview ended up being at a professional news studio with ton's of cameras and some of the interview was in the Ukrainian language. I think it went ok though and helped get the word out about our projects.

After the interview, I caught an overnight train to Kiev to pick up my friends Josh and Derek at the airport. It was so awesome to see them. I couldn't wait to show them around Ukraine and give them a taste of my life in Ukraine. We spent a few days in Kiev just seeing the sights and catching up. We went to a ballet, sampled all the Ukrainian food I could think of, and I introduced them to some Ukrainian/Russian vodka. :-) It was awesome. After showing them around Kiev, we caught an overnight train to Donetsk which proved to be one of the funnest train rides I have had so far. We purchased some snacks for the train and proceeded to chat when josh met a few people from the compartment a few doors down from ours. Josh's new friends were very friendly and we all joked and talked throughout the night. They shared some very good Ukrainian food with us and we shared some treats that Josh and Derek brought from the US. We arrived in Donetsk very early in the morning and made our way by bus to my little town. Josh and Derek met some of my Ukrainian friends, helped with my English clubs, and learned a bit of Russian. We even made it to a Russian sauna in a neighboring city which was a bit sketch but a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I had a PEPFAR training to manage so during 2 of the days that they were here, they were on their own which had me a bit worried. Turns out they did just fine and even were able to purchase a hot dog on their own. :-) I think we all had a great time and seeing them again helped remind me of who I was before I left for the Peace Corps. Those two are my best friends and I can't wait to see them again when I get back to the states.

March has been a big reality check for me. I attended the closing conference for my Peace Corps group (#38). We all came to Ukraine together over 2 years ago and have all had very different and varied experiences. I had not seen some of these volunteers for almost 2 years but we are all bonded from our Peace Corps service and it was really nice to see everyone. Over the last 2 years, we lost almost 16% of the original volunteers that came to Ukraine. Some quit early because they couldn't handle it, others because of family or personal issues, and a few more for medical reasons. The ones that remain are proud of their service and love this country, but most are uncertain of the impact that they have had. Most of us (myself included) have some successes that are measurable but most of the changes and differences we have made here are not measurable and it will never be clear exactly how we have impacted the lives of the people we worked with, the organizations we have helped, or the relationships we have made. I guess that comes with the territory but I think the biggest positive impact we have had has been on the Ukrainian youth. I have seen a change in attitude, behavior, and perspective – this makes me proud and gives me hope for the future but again, you can't measure this. My friend Kim organized a very nice sideshow that pretty much summed up the last two years and to be honest, it was a bit emotional. Everyone is trying to figure out what to do next and we have found that after 2 years living in a different culture with different values that some of our own values and priorities have changed.

I have been trying complete the Journalism project and the HIV/AIDS project but challenges keep coming up. Both projects have been behind schedule and it has been very frustrating. The newspaper has finally been produced however I don't know how sustainable it will be but I am happy that we were at least able to take the first step. If the organization wants to continue the Journalism center, they can and now thay have the foundation to do so which means the project was at least successful in that aspect. I have realized just how difficult it is to develop the 3^rd sector in Ukraine (NGO, volunteer sector). Most people that are open, willing, and able to work for NGOs are the youth however at some point, they must start their careers, families, and lives which makes the sustainability of any NGO very difficult. After two years of working for this NGO, we have completed projects, gained experience, developed relationships with partner organizations, and have developed a foundation for which to grow the organization. The main members of the primary NGO that I have been working with all have lives that are changing. One of them just had a new baby boy, the other will be graduation university soon, and the third just purchased a new business. It is simply too difficult to make a living while working for a new NGO and it takes a minimum of 5 years before the NGO has enough experience and a good enough reputation to qualify for any of the major grants/programs that allow them pay for full time employees at the NGO. I understand if my coworkers stop working with the NGO but it would be sad to see all of these opportunities for development fade away.

Last week, I helped Danielle with a Girl's Empowerment Camp that she organized at her school. We thought it would be good to hear from a Man about gender equality, roles, and stereotypes. It was kinda funny being the only man there for 3 days but the girls really enjoyed the camp and I think they got something out of it. I was happy to help with this camp because I wanted to start a gender equality project of my own but nobody at my organization wanted to help. It is simply a different culture – gender equality is just not a priority at least not for the older generation.

I have about 7 weeks left of my Peace Corps service and there is much work to be done. I have a million reports to write about my projects and I need to start summing up my service. I have decided to stay in Ukraine for a while after my service ends in order to be a volunteer manager with the Euro 2012 football championship, spend time with Danielle & my Ukrainian friends, and to go on a final trip with Danielle to Germany and the Czech Republic. I should be back in the states sometime in July. It will be very sad to say goodbye to everyone – I have created a life here and have come to call Ukraine home but at the same time, I have been away from family for too long and I need be home. I can't wait to see everyone.

Conor's Noteworthy Noteables:

Josh and Derek's visit – awesome! I love those guys.
Going on a camping trip with an army veteran's NGO in Crim. I went with them a year and a half ago and it was amazing. All the food we will eat for over a week will be on our backs. I can't wait for the simplicity of nature, camp fires, sleeping under the stars, and spending time with friends.
Decided to head home in July. Awesome and exciting but sad and horrifying at the same time.
Had a nice long phone conversation with my nephew Logan. I can't wait to see the McBrides and meet my niece Madi for the first time (almost 2 years old – crazy).
My brother Fer has been calling more lately. Always nice to chat. I hope it can make it to Bozeman with me in July.
The NGO I work with (“Step Forward”) is gaining more and more influence in the community. I hope they continue to provide excellent project for the town of Khartsizsk.
I need to find out how to renew my VISA so that I can stay after Peace Corps.