Back in June, I wrote about a small village located outside of Karaganda City called Aktas. I had been going to Aktas a couple of times because there was a local leader there who was very interested in beginning anti-drug sports programs for youth in the community. Credo and I became more involved on an organizational level, helping the group in Aktas to formalize their ideas into a project plan, as well as build a little more management and organizational infrastructure into the programs there. The result was that I learned a great deal about the disparity in opportunity between those who live in Karaganda city proper, and those who live in the tiny satellite sites some 20 kilometers on the outskirts of town. In October, the perfect grant opportunity for Aktas rolled around, and I worked with the group to write our proposal called "DARE KZ".
Now it is March, and I am happy to report that the proposal was accepted in full, bringing much needed resources, materials, and leadership to Aktas. The proposal targets youth in this very small community, including things like empowerment, leadership, sports, and healthy living activities. Starting next week, I will travel to Aktas one time a week to work with the group there, and to conduct trainings with youth and parents on various themes related to drug demand reduction (DDR).
On a personal level, this grant is my favorite of all of the ones I have written, just because it is literally the first grassroots project to hit this little village, and the infusion of energy and resources could greatly impact the direction of programs in the future. For a Peace Corps Volunteer, projects like "DARE KZ" are like the bread and butter of life, or, as they sometimes say in Russian, "honey for the soul".
Now it is March, and I am happy to report that the proposal was accepted in full, bringing much needed resources, materials, and leadership to Aktas. The proposal targets youth in this very small community, including things like empowerment, leadership, sports, and healthy living activities. Starting next week, I will travel to Aktas one time a week to work with the group there, and to conduct trainings with youth and parents on various themes related to drug demand reduction (DDR).
On a personal level, this grant is my favorite of all of the ones I have written, just because it is literally the first grassroots project to hit this little village, and the infusion of energy and resources could greatly impact the direction of programs in the future. For a Peace Corps Volunteer, projects like "DARE KZ" are like the bread and butter of life, or, as they sometimes say in Russian, "honey for the soul".
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