Stephane Razzo

Israel 

So… my times here is almost over here in karakol and I really feel like I need to sum things up.

Travelling in so many countries and experiencing cultures has really opened up my mind in so many ways and Kyrgyzstan was no different. You get to hear of the way other people live, eat, drink, work, love and hate and sometimes it could be so different that it seems like if you were living in another planet! The differences could make your mouth open but in the same time you realize that as human beings, we’re not all that different – we’re all in it together. We all have aspirations, hopes and dreams for a better future. For some of us it lies within the arms of someone we love, a community we trust or in a country far far away from here, and at the end of each day, I wish anyone of us could just stop and think: HOW CAN I MAKE THE PLACE I LIVE IN A BETTER PLACE?

It could be your family, friends or even your own neighborhood! Kyrgyz people have the one thing many people don’t have in America, Europe and Israel and it is the strong sense of community, of togetherness. Of the warmth and love you show to one another unconditionally when a person is in need.

 USE IT.

There is a saying in the Tora, the Hebrew bible, which says: Ve a’havta le’reacha kamocha – you shall love your friend as you love yourself. Help the ones you love, act, act as human being who wants to live in a better place, who wants to see a change – who wants to BE THE CHANGE. Volunteer.

Volunteering was the best thing I could offer myself on my once in a lifetime Journey in Asia, and for that I am greatful. Greatful for the people I met, for the things I saw changing around me – for the things I learned. I learned that being a better person is not about having more money, or having a better car or clothes it’s about DOING good, taking matters to my own hands and not waiting for someone else to do it for me. LEADING THE WAY.

LEADERSHIP. An organization formed by hard working Kyrgyz women, more powerful than any other  group of women I saw in Asia. GUYS, WAKE UP! Nastya, Sabina Jenia and many others have always been there for me either struggling to brake to language barrier or enjoying life’s most enjoyable moments. One of my life’s most enjoyable moments was definitely spent during my time in karakol’s children home: either teaching English, playing football or just hanging out with the kids in their backyard was an AMAZING experience. Everyone was so welcoming, from the beginning when I didn’t speak any Russian and all the way up until now – where I could feel I just made someone happier and by result I AM HAPPIER.

And that’s what it’s all about.

So if you’re a volunteer, a local guy I knew or even if I didn’t and you have any questions, thoughts or you just feel like talking about it. Contact me at Этот адрес электронной почты защищен от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра. .

Take care everyone and досвидания!

Stephane Razzon, Stephane or simply Steph J

 Vanessa Gibson

США

 Я присоединилась к Корпусу Мира, потому что я хотела лучше узнать мир. Я хотела увидеть как другие люди проводят свою повседневную жизнь, какова их реальность. Я знала, что простое путешествие в чужую страну не дало бы мне глубокого  понимания, как переезд на два года  в местную семью.  Я интегрировала с местными  и выучила их язык, познала их культуру и нюансы их жизни.

Я работала с Молодежной Волонтерской Организацией «Лидерство» в течении второго года моей службы. В течение этого времени два проекта стали наиболее запоминающимися. Первый проект под названием «Неделя Добра» вовлек молодежь в различные мероприятия: тренинги на разрешение конфликтов и самообладание, умение вести переговоры и обучение своих сверстников. Молодежь, участвовавшая в тренингах, затем презентовала их своим сверстникам.
Тем самым они практиковали свои знания и улучшили свои лидерские качества. Второе, мое любимое мероприятие, это кампания « 16 дней против насилия», организованное  МВО Лидерство.  Это был маленький проект, спонсированный ООН, где приняло участие 20 добровольцев. Проект включал в себя  поднятие заинтересованности в  кампанию о насилии  женщин, детей и других форм насилия,   как кража невест.
Молодежь маршировала с офиса Лидерства, через центр,  в здание университета с большим баннером в руках. Мы раздавали  раздаточные материалы и рассказывали прохожим о нашей акции. Мы закончили возле университета, где установили тысячи флажков трех цветов. Количество флажков определенного цвета показывало статистику. Пешеходы останавливались прочитать информацию и задавали вопросы.

Как волонтер Корпуса Мира, я не была уверена в том, во что буду я вовлечена. Все что я знала это мое желание пожить в другой стране и построить хорошие отношения с людьми за пределами США.  В конечном итоге я построила дружеские отношения с местными, особенно с членами своей принимающей семьи. Я не ожидала, что так глубоко узнаю себя. Благодаря этому сложному, но стоящему опыту я осознала больше, чем за всю жизнь. Таким образом, Корпус Мира существенно изменил мою жизнь.

 Vanessa Gibson

USA

I joined the Peace Corps because I wanted to learn more about the world. I wanted to see how other people live their daily lives, and what their reality is. I knew that traveling to a country wouldn’t have offered the same insight as moving to a country for two years and living with a local family did. I integrated with the locals and learned their language, their culture, and the nuances of their lives.
I started working with Leadership during the second year of my service. During this time, two projects stand out as most memorable. One project called peace week engaged the youth in a week long event, where they received trainings on conflict resolution and anger management, negotiation, and teaching your peers. The youth participated in these trainings, and then presented these trainings to fellow peers to ignite their leadership abilities. The second, and my favorite event, was a 40 days against violence campaign organized by Leadership. It was a small project funded by the UN, with 20 local youth engaging in the campaign. The project consisted of doing an awareness raising campaign on violence against women and children and the many forms it can take such as bride kidnapping. The youth marched from Leadership, through the center, to the University with a large banner while handing out pamphlets of information and stopping to talk with people. We finished at the University where we collaborated with a fellow NGO in a flag planting ceremony. The visual of the white red and purple flags, each color representing a different statistic, and the sheer number of flags had an impacting presence. Every pedestrian walking by couldn’t help but to look at the flags, while many of them stopped to read the signs and ask questions.
As a peace corps volunteer, I wasn’t really sure what I was getting into. All I knew was that I wanted to live in another country and build meaningful relationships with people outside of the US. I did end up building an especially close relationship with the host family which I stayed with during training, as well as with the host family to which I was permanently placed. The one thing I didn’t expect that would happen at such a deep level was how much I learned about myself. Through this difficult but rewarding experience, I’ve gained more insight into who I am in two years than I ever have in my life thus far, and in that way, Peace Corps has made an impacting change in my life.

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