SPV/PC GLOW/TOBE Camp TTT Conference

Just like every organization, we loooove our acronyms. For the past week I have attended the Scoala Pentru Viata and Peace Corps partnership Girls Leading Our World and Teaching Our Boys to Excel Camps Train the Trainers Conference in the sleepy little town of Cisnadioara in Sibiu county. This is it. This is the big project I have been working on for the past 8 months and it is finally over and in my opinion, was a success. We won’t know for sure how successful it was until we see what local projects develop from the facilitators that came but I have a feeling great things are going to happen and we have a great start to creating an extremely sustainable GLOW/TOBE projects.

The first session was from July 19-22 and the group was absolutely fantastic. I made some great connections with NGO members as close to me as Nasaud. I’m hoping that new opportunities do sprout from these meetings and that I can keep on touch with at least the people in my area to see how they are progressing with their GLOW/TOBE ideas. The second session was from July 22-25 and went just as well. It was much easier doing it the second time around because we all, as organizers and facilitators, knew what to expect and could streamline our days and presentations that much more. The second group was also a blast and I have a strong feeling that many projects will come out of this group as well. We also had the privilege of having two PC Moldova volunteers come as participants and not only have I made two new friends in the country next door, they proved to be a great asset and offered a lot of ideas.

Our days were pretty packed and started at 9 am and went until 5:30 with one big break for lunch and then two smaller coffee breaks. At 7 we had dinner and then after 7 was a time to get to know the other volunteers and buy out the entire town of all of it’s beer. (no joke) For the second session we unexpectedly had to move the sleeping arrangements to a different pensiune (bed and breakfast) in town and it definitely worked out for our benefit. This new one was much nicer AND it had a huge pool in the back with a nice garden with hammocks and a trampoline. Needless to say, I think you all know where we spent our free time during the second session. The last night of the conference, after dinner, we hosted a little bonfire where we showed them another experiential learning activity that involved some acting, gender role confusing, togas, and me hissing and cooing at participants. This was followed by a bonfire with s’mores which the Romanians were so ecstatic about after they tried them and it was a great way to spend one last night together and relax.

The next leg of my adventure is to spend two days in Sibiu in Miha’s apartment relaxing with my co-facilitators and preparing for our GLOW camp that is starting on Sunday. After the TTT, I am in the GLOW spirit more than ever and can’t wait to see the new batch of girls that will hopefully one day run this country.

Here are some videos and pictures from both conferences.