Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Day 15 (May 18) - CAMP DAY 3
One of most fun and challenging days was our third day of camp where we explained officer roles and responsibilities as well as how to maintain a successful organization. The students learning about what officer duties are required in each position. The FFG has an Editor instead of a Reporter and a few other different offices. The students met with other officers in the same position and created a presentation about the duties of their position so that everyone was aware of each others responsibilities. Proper organization of meetings was introduced along with use of the gavel and parliamentary procedure. We did not have a gavel so we ended up utilizing the toy baseball bat we brought with us. By the end of the session the student really understood the basics of parliamentary procedure and how to run a meeting! The final lesson for the day involved speech and presentation development and presentation. This was especially usefully since the students just found out that elections for National FFG office would take place the next day. Each student wrote a speech about what they learned at FFG camp. Our hope was that the students would share their speeches with fellow students back home. We thought it would be fun to teach the students a dance to get them energized before each session, so we started learning the YMCA!
Day 14 (May 17) - CAMP DAY 2
On the second day of camp the students experienced a completely different style of learning. Teambuilding activities were planned to help strengthen the bond between officers. The entire morning was dedicated to fun activities. The students participated in the human knot, balloon squeeze, chocolate river, lifesaver pass, balloon bounce, a back to back standup, name ball toss, and many more. After each activity we would all circle up and debrief the game and determine what we could learn regarding teamwork. The teachers saw the students having so much fun that they joined in on the human knot exercise. After about two hours of fun and games, we allowed the students to break until lunch after which we started our sessions. Campers learned more about team accountability, team communication and decision-making, and commitment to their team. Everyone is becoming more and more willing to share their opinions with the group- especially today when we were discussing the characteristics of a successful team.
On this evening we planned a special event for the students and teachers. We brought a piece of American culture into the camp by having a campfire by the beach where we roasted marshmallows and made s’mores. The students and teachers loved them! They were a little sweeter here in Georgia than in the states, but they were still very good! After the campfire we sat around and enjoyed the music created by our Georgian friends. Everyone could sing very well and proceeded to dance. We learned a few moves ourselves; however, it was a little difficult on the rocky beach.
On this evening we planned a special event for the students and teachers. We brought a piece of American culture into the camp by having a campfire by the beach where we roasted marshmallows and made s’mores. The students and teachers loved them! They were a little sweeter here in Georgia than in the states, but they were still very good! After the campfire we sat around and enjoyed the music created by our Georgian friends. Everyone could sing very well and proceeded to dance. We learned a few moves ourselves; however, it was a little difficult on the rocky beach.
Day 13 (May 16) - CAMP DAY 1
Camp is finally here! We arrived at our campsite on Wednesday and were pleasantly surprised. Our facility was a three-story cabin with a large open room for dining and teaching. The beach was only a hop, skip, and jump away from our cabin. Students began to arrive around noon and were ready to get things started! We already knew a hand full of the students from our school visits. Day One of camp focused on leadership and personal growth. It was a shorter day because we began after lunch. Our lessons focused on four issues: vision, character, communication, and commitment. We used games and fun activates to captivate the students attention while simultaneously teaching them about leadership. At first the students were a little uneasy about this style of teaching, but as the week progressed, everyone seemed to feel very comfortable with each other. The most significant occurence on this day was the creation of a personal mission statement and a team mission statement. The students also determined their style of leadership through our leadership quiz. The quiz was a learning experience for us as well since we became aware of the meaning of the color light blue- long story. Everyone received their Georgia 2 Georgia workbooks as well as their camp T-shirt! The students were so excited about their shirts that many put them on right away. We also put in place a camp call back song so that the students knew when to come back to the room. By the end of the week the students were singing “I Like to Move It”.
Day 12 (May 15) - On the Road Again ... to Batumi
Today we packed up and made the six (plus) hour drive to the seaside town of Batumi. We stayed overnight at the Hotel Alik before moving to Buknari for the camp. The hotel was very modern and Mr. Alik himself was outside to greet us. We parked the van next to his black Hummer. He seems to be an influential man. Batumi is a beautiful port city and we enjoyed a delicious meal at a local restaurant.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Day 9 - 11 (May 12-14) - Back in Tbilisi
We made it back "home" - Betsy's hotel in Tbilisi! Curtis Stutzman, our coordinator from World Link, and Dr. Ricketts also made it into town.
We spent a few days preparing for camp, doing laundry, repacking our supplies, and, of course, doing some street shopping.
We also met with our partners Keti and Nestan at the Georgian Rural Development Program (GRDP), which is part of the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA). They have helped coordinate all of our travel inside the country, as well as translated all our materials. They work closely with the FFG schools, providing resources and support through field staff and partnerships like this one with the University of Georgia.
When we stopped at the post office to pick up some stamps, we were greeted by a row of phone booths. In Soviet times, the post office was where you had to go to make a phone call. You would coordinate with the desk receptionist who would arrange the call and then you would go into one of the booths to talk. These are no longer operational, and today Georgia has one of the most sophisticated cell phone services of any country in the world.
We spent a few days preparing for camp, doing laundry, repacking our supplies, and, of course, doing some street shopping.
We also met with our partners Keti and Nestan at the Georgian Rural Development Program (GRDP), which is part of the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA). They have helped coordinate all of our travel inside the country, as well as translated all our materials. They work closely with the FFG schools, providing resources and support through field staff and partnerships like this one with the University of Georgia.
When we stopped at the post office to pick up some stamps, we were greeted by a row of phone booths. In Soviet times, the post office was where you had to go to make a phone call. You would coordinate with the desk receptionist who would arrange the call and then you would go into one of the booths to talk. These are no longer operational, and today Georgia has one of the most sophisticated cell phone services of any country in the world.
Some West Georgia Sites
Below are a few pics from our time in West Georgia:
In Kutaisi we visited several more beautiful churches. Here is one and also a view of the city.
We made it up the mountain thanks to our driver, Nugzar, and his Indian-made SUV. He and Irakli work for GIPA. They are based out of Kutaisi and served as our guides and translators while we were there.
Traveling to the “sea side” was a relaxing experience. The Black Sea literally sparkled as we sat on the beach and ate our first fresh fruit of the trip (oranges, bananas, and apples we picked up from a local market). The beach wasn’t so much sand as it was rocks, but they were smooth and oddly comfortable to sit on.
“Don’t drink the water … ” Well, we did. This spring was located at a water-bottling factory in the mountains.
“Don’t pet the animals …” Rachael tried to get close to one of the cows on the side of the road, but wasn’t quite able to pet it.
As we drive through the small towns, down the windy mountain roads, past the small farms, and along the expansive hillsides my mind can’t find enough words to describe the beauty of the country. Around every turn is another picture for a postcard. Gazing out the window takes our minds off the road (and the zigzagging cars).
Georgia is a country of diversity. There are many differences between city life and the subsistent rural culture. For an economically depressed country, people are unusually hopeful and hospitable. Dilapidated and neglected school buildings are filled with bright and energetic young people. Abandoned factories and crumbling cement buildings stand out like ghostly landmarks of another time, yet just beyond the horizon is the breathtaking view of the snow capped mountains. An old woman sells bread along a mountain road, while a young girl walks through the city with the most sophisticated cell phone on the market. An old man works the land with a hoe, or an ox and plow … he’s lucky if someone in the community has a tractor to borrow… and a young man races a Mercedes through the crowded city street. We feel so lucky to have experienced so much in such a short time.
In Kutaisi we visited several more beautiful churches. Here is one and also a view of the city.
We made it up the mountain thanks to our driver, Nugzar, and his Indian-made SUV. He and Irakli work for GIPA. They are based out of Kutaisi and served as our guides and translators while we were there.
Traveling to the “sea side” was a relaxing experience. The Black Sea literally sparkled as we sat on the beach and ate our first fresh fruit of the trip (oranges, bananas, and apples we picked up from a local market). The beach wasn’t so much sand as it was rocks, but they were smooth and oddly comfortable to sit on.
“Don’t drink the water … ” Well, we did. This spring was located at a water-bottling factory in the mountains.
“Don’t pet the animals …” Rachael tried to get close to one of the cows on the side of the road, but wasn’t quite able to pet it.
As we drive through the small towns, down the windy mountain roads, past the small farms, and along the expansive hillsides my mind can’t find enough words to describe the beauty of the country. Around every turn is another picture for a postcard. Gazing out the window takes our minds off the road (and the zigzagging cars).
Georgia is a country of diversity. There are many differences between city life and the subsistent rural culture. For an economically depressed country, people are unusually hopeful and hospitable. Dilapidated and neglected school buildings are filled with bright and energetic young people. Abandoned factories and crumbling cement buildings stand out like ghostly landmarks of another time, yet just beyond the horizon is the breathtaking view of the snow capped mountains. An old woman sells bread along a mountain road, while a young girl walks through the city with the most sophisticated cell phone on the market. An old man works the land with a hoe, or an ox and plow … he’s lucky if someone in the community has a tractor to borrow… and a young man races a Mercedes through the crowded city street. We feel so lucky to have experienced so much in such a short time.
The Supra Experience
A supra is a traditional Georgian meal, led by a toastmaster. Mountains of food and drink await guests. The toastmaster leads the table through a series of toasts for family, friends, good health, and many other things. Some examples of the food include: various dishes of pork, wild chicken, goat, and beef, khinkali (dumplings with meat), khachapuri (cheese bread), cheese, regular bread, various desserts and fruit, corn pudding (like grits) with cheese, fresh cucumbers and tomatoes. Tkemali is a tart plum sauce, often referred to as "Georgian ketchup". The meal ends with Turkish coffee (very thick and a little grainy at the bottom). Below are some pictures from the supras during our West Georgia travels.
Monday, May 14, 2007
School Visits in West Georgia
We experienced our first school visits during our excursion this week! We visited four of our FFG schools: Ianeti, Dvabzu, Kvaloni, and Chala.
Our first day in Kutaisi we met Nugzar who took us to Ianeti. We were really unsure about exactly how this would go, but we arrived to a warm welcome from our Georgian friends.
The students showed us the bee hives they manage. They started with five hives and have since increased to seven hives.
Next we visited the farm where they were finishing their greenhouse. On this land, which is cultivated by a student using a borrowed tractor, grew cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes. When asked what their favorite crop to grow was, the students responded “eggplant”. When asked what their most successful crop was, the Ianeti students answered “eggplant”. Being business savvy individuals, they plan to grow more eggplant next season. They also give some of the crops to vulnerables in the community.
After we toured the school, we went inside to begin our presentation. However, we had arrived close to the end of the day and spent so much time outside, that when we went back inside the electricity had turned off. We delivered our PowerPoint presentation with just the small computer screen on which to look. However, before we began the slide show, we had an activity. The students were instructed to have everyone in their group participate in building the tallest tower using only the materials in the bag- which contained balloons, straws, and tape. Everyone seemed to be having a good time and was very competitive! At the end of the allotted time, we questioned them about their experience. They knew what we wanted them to gain from this activity- a realization that teamwork gets things done!
After all of our activities we answered their questions and mingled with Ann, Toena, Nazi, Mari, David, Solemi, Omari, and Bazo. Ann taught us to write our names in Georgian and many of these students spoke English very well. Unfortunately, we knew very little Georgian.
They all stayed well after school was over, so we were honored that they wanted to hear from us. Each of them had us sign a paper for them with our name and email address. The boys carried our very large and heavy supply bag to the car. Our first visit that Tuesday made us aware of the fun we were going to have and the rewarding experiences we would encounter along the way.
We visited Dvabzu Wednesday, which was Victory day and a holiday for the students. These students made us feel extra special by coming to school just to see us. They made us feel like celebrities!
We decided to do our balloon activity outside since it was such a nice day and we had more room. They students did awesome at catching on and coming up with some pretty good ideas for constructing the largest tower. They had an English teacher who spoke very good English, and she chose our winner for us. After the activity we toured their farm where they grow tomatoes, potatoes, and hazelnut trees. Dvabzu also has their greenhouse finished and were cultivating the ground while we were there.
We presented our show in the computer lab and many of the students spoke fairly good English. Little of what we said was translated for them so we hope they received all of our information.
We picked up a few more words from some of the students such as: beautiful, excuse me, and sorry. Many of these students want to be bankers when they grow up and some journalist, lawyers, and doctors. However, Teona wants to be a traditional Georgian dancer and she demonstrated their native dance which was very beautiful and artistic.
After visiting with the Dvabzu students, we joined the principal for a supra.
Thursday marked our third day in Kutaisi. Our school visit was to Kvaloni where we were greeted by over forty students!
They had a wonderful farm and greenhouse at this school. They grew cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, beans, cucumbers, and eggplant, pretty much everything!
The school did not have electricity so we had the students view the presentation on both of the computers; they really got a kick out of how well we treat our swine. The balloon activity went very well except that we had left our tape at our first school visit so we only had one roll left! These students really made great use of their resources and came up with some innovative ideas!
Kvaloni was very welcoming and the students and teachers were very kind to us!
Once the students left for home, we enjoyed a supra with the director of the local FFG.
Our last school visit was way up in the mountains. It took two and a half hours one way to get to Chala. Chala has a benefactor who just recently built them a new school. The school is very fancy- tile flooring, computer lab, and much more. We only had a few students because the other half was helping work the land in the neighborhood.
They really had a fun time with the balloons and scared everyone with numerous popping balloons!
After our slide show we asked them what they liked most about the show. They responded they thought the pictures of calves in little huts and pigs being washed were humorous.
Chala’s greenhouse would be finished in the next two days, and they plan to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and potatoes. They plan to sell their harvest for profit towards the local FFG.
School ended and we went inside to the lunch room where we joined many of the teachers for a supra. Mia the English teacher spoke great English and asked us for books in English and pictures of English writers for her students. The Chala students had us sign their balloons as mementos of our visit.
Our first day in Kutaisi we met Nugzar who took us to Ianeti. We were really unsure about exactly how this would go, but we arrived to a warm welcome from our Georgian friends.
The students showed us the bee hives they manage. They started with five hives and have since increased to seven hives.
Next we visited the farm where they were finishing their greenhouse. On this land, which is cultivated by a student using a borrowed tractor, grew cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes. When asked what their favorite crop to grow was, the students responded “eggplant”. When asked what their most successful crop was, the Ianeti students answered “eggplant”. Being business savvy individuals, they plan to grow more eggplant next season. They also give some of the crops to vulnerables in the community. 
After we toured the school, we went inside to begin our presentation. However, we had arrived close to the end of the day and spent so much time outside, that when we went back inside the electricity had turned off. We delivered our PowerPoint presentation with just the small computer screen on which to look. However, before we began the slide show, we had an activity. The students were instructed to have everyone in their group participate in building the tallest tower using only the materials in the bag- which contained balloons, straws, and tape. Everyone seemed to be having a good time and was very competitive! At the end of the allotted time, we questioned them about their experience. They knew what we wanted them to gain from this activity- a realization that teamwork gets things done!
After all of our activities we answered their questions and mingled with Ann, Toena, Nazi, Mari, David, Solemi, Omari, and Bazo. Ann taught us to write our names in Georgian and many of these students spoke English very well. Unfortunately, we knew very little Georgian.
They all stayed well after school was over, so we were honored that they wanted to hear from us. Each of them had us sign a paper for them with our name and email address. The boys carried our very large and heavy supply bag to the car. Our first visit that Tuesday made us aware of the fun we were going to have and the rewarding experiences we would encounter along the way.
We visited Dvabzu Wednesday, which was Victory day and a holiday for the students. These students made us feel extra special by coming to school just to see us. They made us feel like celebrities!
We decided to do our balloon activity outside since it was such a nice day and we had more room. They students did awesome at catching on and coming up with some pretty good ideas for constructing the largest tower. They had an English teacher who spoke very good English, and she chose our winner for us. After the activity we toured their farm where they grow tomatoes, potatoes, and hazelnut trees. Dvabzu also has their greenhouse finished and were cultivating the ground while we were there.
We presented our show in the computer lab and many of the students spoke fairly good English. Little of what we said was translated for them so we hope they received all of our information.
We picked up a few more words from some of the students such as: beautiful, excuse me, and sorry. Many of these students want to be bankers when they grow up and some journalist, lawyers, and doctors. However, Teona wants to be a traditional Georgian dancer and she demonstrated their native dance which was very beautiful and artistic.
After visiting with the Dvabzu students, we joined the principal for a supra.
Thursday marked our third day in Kutaisi. Our school visit was to Kvaloni where we were greeted by over forty students!
They had a wonderful farm and greenhouse at this school. They grew cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, beans, cucumbers, and eggplant, pretty much everything!
The school did not have electricity so we had the students view the presentation on both of the computers; they really got a kick out of how well we treat our swine. The balloon activity went very well except that we had left our tape at our first school visit so we only had one roll left! These students really made great use of their resources and came up with some innovative ideas!
Kvaloni was very welcoming and the students and teachers were very kind to us!
Once the students left for home, we enjoyed a supra with the director of the local FFG.
Our last school visit was way up in the mountains. It took two and a half hours one way to get to Chala. Chala has a benefactor who just recently built them a new school. The school is very fancy- tile flooring, computer lab, and much more. We only had a few students because the other half was helping work the land in the neighborhood.
They really had a fun time with the balloons and scared everyone with numerous popping balloons!
After our slide show we asked them what they liked most about the show. They responded they thought the pictures of calves in little huts and pigs being washed were humorous.
Chala’s greenhouse would be finished in the next two days, and they plan to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and potatoes. They plan to sell their harvest for profit towards the local FFG.
School ended and we went inside to the lunch room where we joined many of the teachers for a supra. Mia the English teacher spoke great English and asked us for books in English and pictures of English writers for her students. The Chala students had us sign their balloons as mementos of our visit.
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