струга и охрид

So the first part of my project is working with the “green schools”, like the one I described on Tuesday. I am currently developing a system of evaluation that is designed to increase communication among schools and promote a bit of (friendly) competition. Part of what was difficult for me during Tuesday’s visit were the differences between the things that can be evaluated and assessed in the United States and the things that can be done here. To be considered “green” in the U.S., there is a whole list of standards you must comply with, in addition to decreasing energy, heating, and water bills. Oh and to earn the most points, there must be a regional aspect- meaning that the materials used come from within a 100 mile radius. And these are just the standards that I, as a non-science person, actually understand. When I began outlining standards for the Macedonian system, I started with the assumption that these types of statistics would be available. I knew that there were certain technologies that it would not be possible to use here, but never anticipated that the schools would not have their heating or electricity bills on record. Or that because of different factors, they are not usable as quantitative data! So back to square one. I have now written more of a qualitative (shout out to Therese) survey for the schools to fill out after their two-phase face lift (1st phase being the USAID sponsored renovations and 2nd phase being the establishment of Green Clubs inside of the school for smaller changes), to give us an idea of how the money and energy put into their projects have been effectively used… Anyway, it’s all very interesting.

So the second part of my work here in Macedonia is working in Struga, better yet: струга, with a half Macedonian, half Albanian school. I went there yesterday with my immediate boss, Nebo, and another coworker. It was a 2.5 hour drive over a huge mountain, and we literally went through four different seasons, ending up in this beautiful seaside town Lake OHRID (Охрид) that was about 50 degrees with beautiful sun! The school has an interesting history: Because Struga is quite near to the Albanian border, there is a lot of perceived ethnic tension in the area. Although some of them are legitimate as many national problems have risen from the 2001 civil conflict between Albanians and Macedonians, some are only presented as such because it is easier to blame it on such things. As Nebo said , "If I hit a Macedonian, there is no issue, because it's a Macedonian hitting another Macedonian. But if I hit an Albanian, all of a sudden there is ethnic conflict. Sometimes the issues aren't racial, they are personal". So that is the problem in the Macedonian school in Struga. There are two schools on one campus: One with a Macedonian name, one with an Albanian, but the students are not divided on ethnic lines in the two groups. The school asserts that any conflict that happens in the school does not originate there, rather is it the result of outside influences and forces upon the impressionable minds of high school students. USAID is there to build a better fence around the school- what the school themselves decided they needed- and then another organization, the German one that I will be working with- is working with the students themselves...

That might have been a bit too much information. I promise I won't blog every day as I have been.. I've just had so much to say/show!

I'll write more when more there is to say..
Цао! (Ciao!)

Тessary

Here is a Macedonian Map: Skopje is in the North Central Region.. Skopje is West and South of it... right on Lake Ohrid. We also went briefly to the town of Ohrid- which was absolutely beautiful and I understand why it is the pride of all Macedonians. :)