Blog Entry
#1
Macedonia
15. January
Zdravo! (That’s hi in Macedonian)
After a long five months of planning and build up, I’ve arrived in Skopje!
The week I spent in Berlin was the perfect transition period between my hectic life in Seattle and this new job and environment. I spent my time visiting old favorite spots, discovering new ones and of course, catching up with friends. The weather was Alaska-esque (but with even MORE snow) and to be honest, it was quite nice to get off the plane this afternoon in Skopje to balmy 40-degree weather!
Crazy day though – never before has the advice to always keep a sense of humor held truer. I woke up early to catch my 9am flight, but when I got to the airport, I discovered that my reservation had been canceled due to something wrong with my credit card when I bought the ticket. (Strange since the ticket I bought the same day for Seattle-Berlin went through) In any case, I bought another ticket with a different airline and flew through Budapest instead of Vienna! Of course, my bags were also overweight, so needless to say, by the time I finally got in the air around 10, I was exhausted already. :]
When I got in, two of my new colleagues were there to meet me at the airport, one of whom was Sanja, a recent uni graduate who is also an intern at the office. They took me to my new flat, helped me exchange money and got me a cell phone. I think I’m more set up after four hours in the country than I was after my first week in Berlin! We then swung by the office – only about a 15-minute walk from my apartment – where I met my supervisor and other coworkers and got a short tour. Everyone I’ve met has been incredibly friendly and welcoming, asking about my flight, time in Berlin, and even offering to take me on a city tour tomorrow!
I am now relaxing in my new apartment. I went grocery shopping, made dinner and am now watching Grey’s Anatomy in English with Macedonian sub-titles! I remember these days when I first got to Bremen in high school- writing down small words that I can correspond with my native language: yes, no, hi, good, mother, father, night, day, who, fine, excuse me, etc. I feel like an infant again and I know that I may become frustrated, but the beginning of a new language is always the most fun- I see the most rapid improvement!
While I’m here, I’m living with another intern, but she doesn’t arrive until next week, which is kind of nice to settle in on my own.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
A blog following my 3-month AED Department Fellowship with USAID's Primary Education Project in Skopje, Macedonia
Blog Archive
About Me
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Green School Statement
USAID/PEP Green Schools
Macedonia’s “Green Schools” program is the result of a USAID campaign to promote environmental sustainability, education, and awareness within the primary schools in Macedonia. The “Green Schools” program is sponsored by USAID’s Primary Education Project (managed by the Academy for Educational Development - AED) and USAID Plastic Recycling Project (managed by a local NGO, MDC Ti.Net).
Founded in 2006, the Primary Education Project (PEP) has renovated 80 schools in Macedonia, focusing on using energy-efficient materials and sustainable technologies, while facilitating discussions to highlight the importance of energy conservation. By the completion of the project in 2011, PEP aims to renovate at least 100 schools, replacing, renovating and updating components such as windows, doors, heating systems, roofs, and insulation. PEP’s partnership with the Plastic Recycling Project has resulted in the creation of on-campus “Green Clubs”.
The clubs were founded in five pilot schools, during the 2008-2009 school year. In the current school year, 15 additional schools have joined the program, using a project manual developed by the pilot schools. The 20 schools work on four environmental themes relevant for schools: energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, and transportation. Following the ISO 14000 environmental management standard, they measure schools’ energy and waste usage, waste production and transportation habits. Based on the acquired data, they design and implement projects to improve the energy efficiency of the school, to reduce water usage and waste production, and to promote environmentally friendly means of transportation. With the help of the schools’ directors and advisors, the students’ campaigns are expanded to include the greater community through the distribution of educational and awareness raising materials and action projects. Funds for the materials, activities and campaigns are provided primarily by USAID, with a supplementary donation of 800 USD from each local municipality.
For more information, please visit our websites:
No comments:
Post a Comment