Women's Empowerment Weekend

Last week I was in Karaganda on Business Travel. I got in on Monday and hung out with some Volunteers there. On Tuesday there was an OCAP oblast meeting reviewing the OCAP program in Kazakhstan. Wednesday and Thursday I went to work with a couple Volunteers, had lunch with a friend and a meeting with my Regional Manager. 

On Friday, I met up with the Women Volunteers of Karaganda and the ladies who attend Women’s Club for the Second Annual Women’s Empowerment Workshop. There were 25 Locals and 5 Volunteers for a total of 30 people. It started Friday at 3pm, when we all took marshootkas 30 minutes outside the city to a sweet looking sanatorium type place. We lost the road at some point, but because it’s Kaz we were able to drive through fields We had 6 rooms and slept 5 to a room. It was quite the set up! There were 5 beds in each room. They gave us all combs, a toothbrush, toothpaste and slippers!! It was great! The Workshop began with journals and journal decorating! That was followed by dinner then by the first session about Body Image. We stayed up too late having too much fun and then went to bed. Saturday morning we had hot water for showers!!! (that was exciting). We had eggs and sausage for breakfast and morning sessions of Exercise and Nutrition. We had lunch – chicken and rice – delicious! We had sessions on Resumes and Interviews. Saturday evening we had a SUPER fun Discoteque!! We had fun decorating the place, coloring our hair with colorful hair spray and putting on Hawaiian Leis – then getting down with our bad selves!! Sunday was the final day and the session was Sexual Health. Then there was the “giving of the diploms” and lots of pics! Of course, then we had to say “goodbye” and load up in the marshootkas for the ride back to Karaganda. 

I hung out with the Volunteers until my train left to come back to site. We went to city mall and to the coveted Ramstore that only Volunteers in BIG cities have the luxury of having. I got on my train in the evening determined to become friends with the people in my platzcar – normally, I say nothing to them and hope they don’t speak to me, but not this time! I became friends with the only other person in my car – a 51 year old woman – she was nice and patient and at least attempted to understand my broken Russian! I got back to site on Monday morning, and although I had fun in Karaganda, it is SO good to be back!!! To be in a place where everything is familiar and where I have a place to sleep and unpack my things!!