Camp T.A.R.E.

Well, I know I have a lot of catch-up to play. I am actually back in America now, but before I start filling you in my American adventures, I need to finish catching you up with my Moldovan adventures. So, let's run through the last several months, starting with.....JULY!!!! Wow! That's quite a time gap. Sorry, but my slow internet connection in Moldova was just not conducive to blogging. I'm hoping that now that I'm back in America, the high speed internet will make blogging relatively painless. So, let's give it a try. So, at the beginning of July, we conducted Camp T.A.R.E., which I also assisted in last summer. T.A.R.E. stands for Teenagers, Active, Responsible, and Equal. In short, it is a 5-day camp/seminar for young Moldovan women between the ages of 17-22. They are taught a variety of topics on life and professional skills including: resume writing and interview skills, healthy relationships, AIDS/STD's, self defense, domestic violence, good parenting, nutrition, human trafficking, and many other important lessons that many young women in Moldova do not have informational access to. It is taught in a camp environment where we do a ton of fun "camp activities" such as: bonfires (complete with American S'mores), making pinatas, tie-dying, talent contests, theatrical presentations, lots of fun sports activities, and so much more. This year we had 69 attendees from all over Moldova, and ten Peace Corps volunteers paired up with ten Moldovan volunteers as camp counselors. They worked together to present the lessons, and to lead the activities. It was a great success, even though it turned out to be one of the hottest weeks all summer.