In this year Relief International organized summer camp. Of course we were selecting by our application. And from each ILC they chose only one student. From ILC Sarband they chose me and I represented my ILC. So every student represented their ILC. This camp was during 10 days from July 21-30. It was my first camp and it was unforgettable to me. There are 27 ILCs in Tajikistan and 27 students, 5 alumnies of GCEP program they were volunteers and 3 students Patrick, Maryland, silviano California and Austiana Washington and one teacher Martin Drozdoff from USA They came in three week Exchange program.
That camp situated on Varzob Valley on the top of the mountains. I don’t write about weather of that place, because the weather in Tajikistan is wonderful. This camp was great opportunity for those who wanted to improve their English, improve leadership skills, and work in team, to get more information about USA and even about Tajikistan and of course to make new friends. First day all of students were silent. But it was for the first time. When we used to each other we became like brothers and sisters and of course opened. We make our time table for all day. So we woke up about 7 o’clock washed our faces and brushed teeth. Every day we woke up early that our volunteers wake us up. At 7:05 we had to be in the yard. Three days we did our morning exercises on the hill that not far from the camp. It was better than we did it in the yard. We had excercise about 30 or 40 minutes and then we went to our rooms and prepared to breakfast. And the breakfast was at 8 o’clock. What about our kitchen it is one stored building and situated between the mountains on the low of mountains. There always is windy and cool. Every day we had tastiest dishes. All students thanked cooks. So we had breakfast about 30 minutes after that we went back to our rooms and prepared to the trainings. Our trainings started at 9:00 o’clock. All Tajik students divided into three teams and each team had their teacher, motto, and name. We had good teacher he was from USA and his name Martin Drozdoff from Arizona. By our trainings we discussed asked each others sometimes we had fun. Almost all our lessons took place on the nature every team chose their places. Every day we had trainings, discussions, debates and talking about anything. For example we found out about US education and the system of that, about communication, why and how communicate, how to write grant and etc. After that we had coffee break about 10 o’clock we had it in the camp. If we didn’t end our lesson we did it till lunch, but if we ended we played in different interesting games. They were different game one called how to build castle, other one it is how sighing, ordinary story or tale change when one student don’t understand it from other. Those games had their rules and improved our understanding each other, how remember that information and so on. About 12 o’clock we had lunch. After the lunch we had free time to fulfill our bogs till 14 o’clock. Some students didn’t fulfill that because some of them didn’t like write, some was tired, played, went to swim to the swimming pool, listened music or only relax and rested. But our teachers said to us to fulfill that. After that we had lessons. Day by day every team went to hiking. Another interesting thing was our hiking.It Is so interesting and scare to sleep in tents in open air.It was for the first time. And how we danced in Mountaing.
About 4 30 we had break time. Then we were free. By plan in that time we had swimming time. We went to swim. Till dinner we had free time and did everything what we wanted, of course not out of rules. Some played volleyball, baseball, gathered and talked etc. After dinner we had cultural shows like disco or any films we watched on the yard. The films were interesting and they were on English that helped us to improve English.
All that knew and happened in that camp was useful for all.
It was my best summer holidays.
Olim Mengyarov
GCEP participant
ILC Sarband, Tajikistan
