Flush-Toilets, Air Conditioning, and Internet Access

We are now halfway through our pre-service training. Time is flying. Our language skills are improving, and we still feel blessed to have such a wonderful host-family. Last week was Sarah and my first week, of two weeks, of practicum, which gives us a taste of what we’ll be doing over the course of the next two years. I was helping Counterpart-Sheriktesh, a development organization in Bishkek, develop their strategic plan, and Sarah was teaching English to a group of students at Aribiyeva (Pedagogical) University in Bishkek. We’ve both enjoyed our assignment and feel empowered by being able to navigate the one-hour commute to and from our village to our workplace without the help of the Peace Corps staff. Working at Counterpart-Sheriktesh was amazing; they had flush-toilets, air conditioning, and computers with Internet access! I was not expecting such amenities in my workplace and am not expecting to see them again any time soon, but maybe I’ll be proven wrong…again. In two-weeks we find out where we’ll be living and working for the next two-years! We can’t wait. We’ve heard a lot of speculation as to where we might be placed but, in the end, it doesn’t matter. We want to know but probably wouldn’t do anything differently if we did know. It’ll surely be the subject of our next post.

At Counterpart-Sheriktesh (www.cen.kg) it was interesting to hear about the issues affecting many of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the Kyrgyz Republic. Just as in the States, Kyrgyz NGOs struggle with funding; however, the primary difference, according to those with whom I’m working, is that since Kyrgyzstan is still a developing country and its government lacks the financial and infrastructural resources that are available in the United States, the NGOs must rely mostly on grants from international aid organizations such as the SOROS foundation, USAID, and the World Bank. And with over 8,000 registered NGOs in Kyrgyzstan, international aid is beginning to dry-up; therefore, the challenge that I hope to help with is aiding organizations in developing their own self-sustainable sources of funding such as purchasing rental properties and opening businesses in order to reduce their dependence on external sources of funds. But, then again, I’ve heard getting funding for such sustainable development projects, such as purchasing a building that can be rented, is the most difficult for which to receive grant money. I guess I’ll find out in due time. I’ll keep you posted.

When we’re not at language lessons or work, we are studying or hanging-out with our family. No recent animal slaughter-ings to speak of. But we have been practicing our Kyrgyz by showing people who stop-by pictures from home. It is so funny. As they are flipping through our pictures, everyone always stops and points to Juan and Alicia’s (Sarah’s cousins) son, Elijah, and say “Kyrgyz?” Sarah and I laugh and try our best to explain that he really is American. Other than that, there’s nothing else too exciting. Oh, our parents sold two cows in order to fix our host dad’s work truck and buy another car, which they should get tomorrow. It appears there are four makes of vehicles here: Audi, Mercedes, Volkswagen, and the Soviet-era Lada.

A brief observation on the juxtaposition of technology here: It is so odd to see someone walking out of the outhouse on their cell phone, or to be walking down the street and see a brand-new Mercedes swerving and honking its horn at the family riding in the donkey cart or the cows crossing the road. Not sure what to think of it, but it’s just something that can only be seen in a developing country.

Well that’s all until next time. Enjoy your flush-toilets, air conditioning, and Internet access for us.