It seems that no matter the day or time, you will find volunteers at Nadiya. I have gotten used to seeing volunteers working on souvenirs or other projects until as late at 11pm here during weekdays. Saturdays there is always a group that gathers to bring the kids swimming, and sometimes to assist with sorting second-hand clothes. But Sunday is typically a day of rest.
I was not expecting to see any activity yesterday since it was Sunday, but our volunteers are relentless. Nadiya is planning a trip to the sea in a few weeks, and would like to include as many of our members as possible. Since many of the youth at Nadiya are unable to find work and are living off a very modest stipend, a trip to the sea can be a huge financial burden. This is why our volunteers and youth decided to get up early on a Sunday morning to ask for donations in exchange for handicrafts made by our children and youth with disabilities.
I was lucky enough to be invited along for this trip to Shidnytsia (Східниця) to see these volunteers in action. This town is an hour away in the mountains. It was wonderful to see another beautiful town in Ukraine, but it was even more wonderful to be able to see how passionate our volunteers are about Nadiya. Not only were they able to do some fundraising in order to send out some of the youth to the sea, but they also provided valuable information to the public about Nadiya and persons living with disabilities. Below are some pictures from the day.
In other news, Iryna (Director of Nadiya) and I will be going to Kiev today for 4 days to attend a Peace Corps Training Session. We will be learning about organizational structure and hope to bring some new ideas back to Nadiya with us.
Peace and Love,
Lisa (Ліза)
Надія Дрогобич 