Helping out.
From Katrina:
Kevin and I have had quite an adventure here living and working in Romania. As you might already know, our primary job has been teaching English in the two schools here, but we like to think of ourselves more as youth development workers than as teachers of English as a foreign language. Most of our projects have focused on the youth of our small Romanian town (healthy kids camp, developing lessons concerning gender-based violence, English club, pen pal exchange, etc.), which have been some great learning and rewarding experiences for us and hopefully for the kids. We are really hoping that we can provide these youth with one more meaningful learning opportunity before we head back home.
Over the course of the past year and a half we have been able to observe a couple of things concerning the kids we interact with here. First, we have noticed quite a bit of apathy and lack of hope in many of our students. While this apathy and sense of hopelessness is surely caused by a variety of factors, some of which are beyond our control, we also have noticed a core group of motivated, kind-hearted, open, and enthusiastic students here that we believe we can positively influence by granting them a unique opportunity. We would love to be able to encourage and foster the already wonderful and promising characteristics in these students as well as introduce them to new ideas and concepts by taking them on a two-part leadership and personal development outdoor expedition. Unfortunately, due to the fact that our town is very economically depressed, we can’t grant these children this opportunity without some financial support from outside the community. I realize that these are tough economic times for everyone and that there are many worthy causes to donate to (i.e. Haiti relief), but wanted to ask you if you might consider making a donation, no matter the amount, to help make this project happen. Both Kevin and I feel like this could make a significant difference in our students’ lives, especially concerning their personal development and outlook on life. The kids and Kevin and I would really appreciate any contribution you could make. Please visit https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=403-128 in order to read a little more about the project and to make a donation. If you make a donation and you give your contact information, we can let you know what your money is accomplishing through written updates and pictures and we can also thank you for helping us with this project (but feel free to keep the donation anonymous, if that is what you are more comfortable with). Thanks for considering helping.
Katrina (and Kevin)
