Looking Forward to the next Two Years Working in Stepanavan !
October 4th to 7th we all had a chance to be with our co-worker from our Work Site that we will work at for the next two years, visit our new work site, and spend the weekend with our new host family. Here is the bridge entrance to my new home town of Stepanavan.
You can check out Stepanavan on Google Maps or check out a variety of pictures and links I shared on my Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/donkrutsinger
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.0056778,44.3990886,13z?hl=en
This is the Director of Full Life - NGO and his wife. This was the type of organization that I was hoping to be able to work with when I arrived in Armenia. They have a variety of programs that support youth and adults with Disabilities. Check out their Web and Facebook Page.
http://www.fulllife.am/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Full-Life-NGO/276045879073635
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fihymWDv1mE
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They have a great Handicapped Accessible Camp and presently have five weeks of summer camps as well as have other groups using the camps during the year. I look forward to getting involved in their Camping Program.
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Although it is in Armenian this News Report shares the most recent pictures of the improvements made to their camping program. I hope that with these improvements that we can have handicapped individuals from all over Armenia be able to use our Handicapped accessible camp as well as be able to expand the summer camping program.
Full Life NGO has a busy program year round with a very good after school support program supporting students with learning needs. This video shares the variety of resources and programs of of Full Life NGO which also works at helping adults with disabilities to find work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne8GcrfTHkg
http://www.wvarmenia.am/en/news/show/221#sthash.nmoVPF5g.gbpl
Since Full Life NGO may keep me busy full time some times of the year but not all year round I have been able to find another organization World Vision of Armenia that I would love to work with. Since I am sponsoring a World Vision Child in the Democratic Republic of Congo through my Church I am very interested in supporting World Vision's work World Wide. In Armenia World Vision does a variety of work supporting poor children. One of the programs I would be happy to get acquainted with is their Summer Camp program that works with 1700 kids in a Christian Camping program every summer. In visiting with World Vision the major thing that I would like to get involved with is supporting their Case Management Program that supports needy families in the Villages surrounding Stepanavan. I have heard a variety of things about the needs of Children around Armenia, how many of the Children in orphanages are there because they come from needy families who can't provide for their children, and that the children in the orphanages may be a lot better off than those living within homes that can't take care of them. I would love to be involved in making sure that those kids living at home are able to have their needs met. It would be good to have a food and clothing bank available to World Vision to help meet the needs of these Children. I may get involved in supporting the World Vision Child Sponsorship Program in Stepanavan helping Child Sponsors keep in touch with how their sponsored Child is doing.
http://www.wvarmenia.am/en/adp/show/5
As you can tell there is a lot that I can do here in Stepanavan. I have gotten to know the other Peace Corps English Teacher in Stepanavan and I believe I will enjoy getting involved in her English Clubs as well as get involved making sure that our Inclussive Students with disabilities are able to have their needs met within our Inclusive Schools. I have enjoyed getting to know my new host family who are youth pastor's within the local Evangelical Church in Stepanavan which happens to be the first Evangelical Church that was started in Armenia. I am going to feel very comfortable attending their church and getting involved in their programs. I have also already gotten acquainted with the local Priest who has been involved in supporting the Full Life NGO program. I hope to enjoy fellowship with all Armenian Christians and working together to meet the needs of the people in the area of Stepanavan. I am back to being busy studying Armenian, preparing to finish our Pre-Service training, and be ready to move to my new work in Stepananvan. We have our Swearing In Ceremony on November 12th and then on the 13th I will be headed to my new home in Stepanavan. There is a lot of studying to do to be able to speak enough Armenian to be useful and independent in my new positions. I know I will have to continue language studies for quite awhile in Stepanavan to be able to communicate well in Armenian but I am lucky to have a host mother who speaks English and hopefully she can become my tutor to help me to study Armenian while she is supporting her two boys with their school work. Time is passing quickly and there is still a lot to learn. But it is great to know where I am going and some of the things I will be able to do in Stepanavan. Winter is coming soon and Stepanavan is colder and wetter than it is here in Artashat. I am looking forward to celebrating the upcoming holidays with my new friends and family in Stepanavan.
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