A Good Investment

A Good Investment

Having left for my Peace Corps service June 1st, I only saw the early signs of the financial crisis that is apparently in full swing in The States. And yet every week someone here in Armenia asks me about the "financial crisis" in America. I saw last week on the internet that housing values in California have fallen 40%. For me these times just confirm what is always the best investment one can make: the youth of our country.

The young adults in my village may speak a different language and have different fashions than the American kids but actually seem to have a lot in common. They are energetic, curious and would like to have more say about their future. They are pointed down the path of education and promised rewards when it is completed. In the meantime, they are seldom invited to participate in the workings of their community. The result in both countries is similar as they attempt to create their own community networks over the internet and amuse themselves with computer games and cell phones. Instead of "MySpace" it's a Russian online program called "ClassMates." Lacking the money for expensive iPods, it is a common site to see one teenager holding 2 cell phones so they can share music through Bluetooth software. And while home computers are somewhat of a rarity, it is not uncommon to see students at their school computer labs playing "Vice City." So much for my idea of not seeing violent computer games for a couple years!

So several months ago when I heard about a Youth Bank program, I was interested to learn more. I liked what I heard and applied for the grant with a local youth NGO in our city. We were successful and then conducted interviews to select those young people who seemed to possess the desire and enthusiasm to make a contribution to our community. We selected 4 girls and 2 boys. ( I've had to get used to the fact that an unmarried 30 year-old is still a "boy" or "girl" but an 18 year-old who marries is not.) We had to find a replacement for one of our two guys as military service is mandatory for all 20 year old males.

Two weeks ago we took our group to Yerevan for 3 days of training in the world of "grant-making." American tax dollars are still a primary source of "seed money" for social change through organizations like US AID which funds this program through Eurasia Partnership Foundation. As you know the major drawback of such programs is that it can become like welfare, a crutch that some people become dependent on. There are countless numbers of NGO's (what we call Non-Profit businesses) that seem to exist solely for the purpose of getting salaries for the applicants.
What I liked about the Youth Bank Project from the beginning was that there we NO salaries. The grant funds were only $2,500 and all of that money was to be put back into the community via $500 projects. Our 3 day training was to help our youth through various role-playing activities how to decide what is a good project worth funding.

Our group met yesterday and began the process of designing a questionnaire to find out what our the main problems to address in our community. When they have finished their community interviews, they will design a poster requesting applicants and sometime in May will start interviewing those who have applied. I spoke with the leaders of a Youth Bank in another city who said they had about 20-25 applications to review before selecting the best for interviews. Whatever comes of all this, I can't help but feel our young people will benefit much personally. They will not only gain some financial understanding as they monitor the projects they fund but they will also become more engaged with the social issues of their own communities. Seems to me to be a good return for the $2,500 of tax invested. And then next year, they will be required to take it to the next level and raise the money themselves in the community. As was printed on the back of the shirts of our Youth Bank trainers: real problems, real money, real change.

This project had its origin in Northern Ireland so I got to enjoy the company of 3 people from Belfast during our time in the capital. I also benefited from the fact that our trainers spoke almost no Armenian so three translators were working all the time in each of the groups. And from the young people from our city, it was a great opportunity to make connections with their peers from other regions of Armenia as they mixed the groups for the first 2 days of the training. As the sessions went from 9 in the morning until 9 at night, the coffee breaks were very active social times.

As the program was winding down the final day I wound up chatting with one of the local cameraman filming the event. Having been raised himself during the Soviet era, he had a wonderful perspective on all the meetings and discussions the young people were engaged in. He told me that most of his generation of Armenians lacked the skills for collaboration, something I have greatly struggled with to help grow the tourism industry at my site. He commented to me that watching the young people working together was for him like "pushing back the invisible wall to progress in Armenia." I'd have to say that was a "good investment."

Moving into my own Flat

     So a couple days after I posted my last blog, I moved into my own apartment.  The Peace Corps requires that you live with an Armenian family for the first 4 months in your new site which is a good idea.  You have an opportunity to continue to work on your new-found language skills as well as being immersed in the Armenian culture and customs ( like the custom of visiting families during the first week of January I mentioned in my last blog.)  You also are more quickly assimilated and accepted into your village through the relatives, neighbors, and friends of your host family.  I had a little taste of that growing up in Indiana where both my mother and my father both had two siblings in our town.  This experience of clan and "extended family" is even more intense in a small city of about 15.000 residents (I think South Bend was about 100,000 at the time.)   Nobody bothers to make distinctions between ”first" and "second" cousins.  One of the young men I work with lives with his grandmother and his mother's brother's family who have a small baby.  The first time he talked about his "little brother" I was confused.  Since everybody seems related somehow, it makes sense to not spend time sorting it out. 

    So today when I awoke, I discovered a lovely gentle snow falling.  Much like when I lived in Denver, the snow in our city will fall and then be gone in a week.  (This is not the case for some of my fellow volunteers who get "the real Midwest experience of winter" that I was anticipating.)  Since it was Sunday, I figured it would be a good time to take my camera with me when I went to the little grocery store........right across across the street.  As you can see in the photo, I also have a bus stop right outside my place.  The couple days when it did get very cold or when I don’t have time for the 30 minute walk to work, I am very grateful for the location. All bus trips are 70 drams, or 25 cents.   It was also great last Saturday when I needed to carry my laptop to work so I could finish up my Turbo-Tax program online.  ( One can have Internet in the house for $30 @ month but I just can't justify spending over 10% of my salary for that.   Saving money for a trip to Cairo makes a lot more sense!)

 

These photos will hopefully give you a sense of a "flat" in Armenia.  As I understand it, Russia built these apartment buildings as part of the  socialist program.  When the USSR collapsed in '92, they were sold as individual units.  I remember when I was looking for a place back in November thinking I could just ask the "Apartment Managers" about vacancies.  I was a little confused when we stopped at the nearby stores to ask about "vacancies."  This is where that "family network" comes in.  Somehow we heard through a contact at the local gas company that somebody's sister had moved to the capital of Yerevan to work.  I would have never found this place on my own.  My rent is $80 a month and I pay for water and gas.  I am still waiting to find out what the utilities will be for last month.  They gave me my first month's rent free for installing a new toilet, which cost me about the same.

             My apartment building is almost identical to every other one you see in our city.  I live on the second floor and have a little open air balcony outside the kitchen.  When spring arrives, I am looking forward to my weekend cup of coffee looking out at the surrounding forests and mountains.  ( Our city used to be promoted in tourist literature as "Little Switzerland".)  As you can see from the photo of my kitchen, the balcony also "doubles as a clothes dryer." I used to chuckle when I'd see clothes on the line in winter.  And now.......I'm doing it!  *;o   Since sometimes it takes 3 or 4 days for clothes to dry, I asked Meghan to make a trip to WalMart for some more "skivvies."  I am getting pretty good at wringing the last drop of water out of my clothes before hanging them up.  Hanging them up with the old wooden clothes pins has been a little bit of déjà vu from my childhood in Indiana.

             One of my earliest California memories of Armenia was hearing that the people don't bother to plug in their refrigerators in winter……as the kitchens are cold enough.  It's true.  I haven't plugged in my refrigerator yet so I don't even know if it works but my balcony is plenty cold to serve as "cold storage."  It's surprising how soon one adapts.  I actually look forward at the end of work each day of "coming home" to my little place.  I open up my copy of "A Year in the Maine Woods" and feel right at home.  I was originally disappointed that I was not assigned to Africa as the Peace Corps originally indicated.  But now in many ways Armenia seems like the best location for my two years of service.  It surely challenges every assumption I brought with me about how life is "supposed to be."  

 

           

           

 

Holiday Bus Ride

When you don't know the bus routes and have limited language skills, traveling in a new country can be a real adventure. I can still remember my first solo trip to the capital of Yerevan. Getting there was easy. The return trip was another matter. I was told that I could catch the bus back to my city at the bus station on "Abovian." How difficult could that be? After one of the locals showed me which bus to get on, I felt like it was "mission accomplished." Mission Impossible turned out to be a more apt description. Twenty minutes later I found myself leaving the city with

the bus approaching a fork in the midle of the road. One arrow pointed left to my city and the other pointed right to another city called . . . Abovian. Тhis 19th century Armenian writer was famous enough to have both a street and his home village named after him. Fortunately the bus driver was kind enough to stop the bus in the middle of nowhere and flag down a bus going in the opposite direction for me. It was not to be the last time that the kindness of locals rescued me from my errant wanderings.

So here I was five months later, preparing for my big adventure to the capital for a New Year's Eve rendezvous with my fellow Volunteers. I had been warned that it was a limited bus schedule for New Year's Day so ...."Good luck, getting back." And it was imperative that I return the next morning at the request of my host family. While Americans are just winding down their holidays on January 1st, the Armenians are just "winding up." I had been told that all the businesses close down for at least the first week of January to accommodate the tradition of family visits. During that week apparently everyone is expected to have a buffet ready on the dining room for at least two dozen visitors who might drop in. ( Apparently, cell phones have been a blessing since families get a little warning now!) This time it was no problem for this seasoned veteran of bus travel as I successfully located the only bus leaving for my city that day.

Such was the prologue to my first Christmas in Armenia. It is now January 10th and I am sitting here trying to remember what exactly happened that first week of January. One thing I know is that I was actually glad to go back to work on the 8th just to have some relief from all the eating and drinking.

My expectation was for a simpler, quieter holiday. I was relieved to be spared all the pre-Christmas sales in November, the December mailbox filled with Wal-Mart flyers, and the never-ending schedule of college bowl games. Here in Armenia I thought it would be wonderful to see what it was like to, as the slogan goes, put the Christ back in Christmas. The Peace Corps had stressed during our training the importance of 301AD when Armenia had become first Christian State in the history of the world. I would just have be patient and wait for January 6th, the date the Eastern Churches had chosen for Christmas.

So during all these family feasts, I waited. And January 6th came and went with no religious festivities.   It was just another day of family visits.   I had this feeling like I had missed the bus again. Guess it takes a while to learn the bus routes in another culture.   At least next year I won't have to be disappointed by false expectations.   I can just enjoy it enjoy the Christmas season in Armenia for just what it is: a celebration of family ties.

Next Phase of my Service

Upon our arrival in Armenia last June, we were led into an auditorium where we were loudly welcomed by 40 other second year Volunteers.   Well, a couple days ago another 1st year volunteer mentioned that in another 6 months we are going to be up on that stage as the "Newbies" come in.  Seems strange as most of us feel like "newbies" still.   So I guess this is a good time to reflect on the past 6 months in-country.

Odd as it seems, probably the most important book I have read since my arrival is a murder mystery, Child 44.  Set in Russia during the 1950's (when I was adjusting to the wooden rulers of the Catholic nuns at Holy Cross grade school), it gives a very poignant portrayal of just how unsettling life in the Soviet world could be.  In a world where fear predominated, keeping information to oneself and hiding problems was important for ones safety.  Well, the Soviet Union may have crumbled in the late 90's but they surely left their cultural heritage behind.        (Probably not too different from the Puritan influence in America, although we seem to have outgrown it of late *;o).

By reading that novel, I have finally been able to come to grips with the what show up for my American eyes as a totally dysfunctional business culture where information is closely held and collaboration is reserved for family functions.  And above all, "walk around the elephant in the middle of the room." ( Not that Corporate America doesn't have a smidgen of that, too.)  The operative mode is to "circle the wagons" and wait for the next grant of American funding to continue paying salaries.  

After 6 months in the country and 3 months at my work site, I think I have finally realized that this is "what is"  and my efforts are not really going to change it.  When we came to our work sites,  we were assigned to one of four sectors: language, environment, health or business.  Our sector is actually called "CBD" or Community/ Business Development.  So I believe my next year and a half is going to be "CD," letting the "B" takes its own course.

The photos above are a good example of Community Development.  One of the second year volunteers has directed a lot of her efforts to supporting a Harvest Festival where the local residents of nearby villages could gather and celebrate.  There is even some friendly competition for the best presentations and food preparation.  As you can see, the children also have a great time dressing up, dancing and singing.

  I have recently become acquainted with both an art school for youngsters as well as an art  academy for older students and am hoping next year to help promote their work.  The current leaders of my city are the products of the Soviet times but the young people will be Armenia's future.  Whatever I can do to enhance their hope and confidence are seeds for the future.   I think I just found my New Garden for the next couple years.

Overcoming the Past

 

This past weekend I attended a planning session for a youth camp to be held next summer.  About 3 hours to the northeast of my site and adjacent to Armenia's border with Turkey is the City of Gyumri.   Twenty years ago next month, the whole area suffered a devastating earthquake from which both the buildings and the city's economy are still recovering.  

 Having a population of approximately 120,000, Gyumri is the second largest city in Armenia.  At one time the population was twice that size.  As we approached the outskirts of the city on a local "marshutni" (a mini-bus built for 12 that often carries 20 people), several vivid reminders of its history appeared: a very large cemetery and a number of abandoned industrial buildings from the Soviet period.  

 But once we arrived at the bus station, the mood quickly changed.  As I walked the two blocks to the Square, I was suddenly engulfed in a hub of commerce, with tables and kiosks lining both sides of the street.   The vendors on that first block were well aware that winter was just a couple weeks away.  They displayed a vast array of products from sheet metal stove pipes for furnaces to woolen socks and fur-lined boots.  (At 5,000 dram or $15, the boots were more affordable than I expected.) 

 As I moved along to the next block, the more popular Armenian wares appeared: cell phones, woman's fashions and cigarettes.  In addition to their commercial value it was apparent that these two blocks also filled a vital social function for the city's residents.  But not being much of a shopper myself, I was rather relieved to reach the end of the gauntlet and into Freedom Square, appropriately named for my feelings at the time.

 While I waited for fellow Volunteer's bus to arrive, I enjoyed exploring the city streets which offered quite a variety of architectural styles.  As the photos indicate there were many examples of classic 19th Century architecture as well as stark reminders of December 7th, 1988.   My attention was also drawn to one older building whose face was covered with electrical panels. I couldn't decide if this was really some kind of neighborhood transfer station for electricity or the wires were needed to keep the structure standing.

Stepping Over the 20th Century

As I was leaving Gyumri Sunday afternoon, I had this strange sense that something was missing in the city.  It finally dawned on me.  What was missing was The 20th Century.  Their medieval churches had a new neighbor: the electronics chain I have seen before in Armenia: ZigZag. And the statues in the square honoring their ancient heroes had a new backdrop: Samsung.  Yes, the 21st Century featuring a wide array of electronic toys had now arrived in Gyumri.

Yet there seemed to be no bridge from the 20th Century.  All the city had to show for that period was the effects of the devastating earthquake of 1988 and the industrial collapse of the USSR in the early 90's.   Even with all the humanitarian aid that came to the area after the earthquake to rebuild structures, it is obviously going to take a lot longer to rebuild the economy.  Hopefully the future will bring a resolution of their conflict with Turkey and provide an open border to stimulate trade.

View from the Top

( I tried to include this photo on my last blog posting but I am still have not mastered the Blog Tools. )

This was our view of our city and the surrounding hills once we completed our hike. It is really beautiful country. The monument seen rising in the distance was built to commemorate 50 years of Armenia belonging to the Soviet Union.