In contrast to how I felt the previous day, yesterday was quite tiring, exhausting even. Perhaps it was the piling up of several short nights coupled with the high temperatures that are surely taking a toll on our energy levels.
During yesterday's training session at Chtoura, I stepped back from delivering the lesson. This gave me some time to have one-to-one chats with the trainees and also actually witness the attentive looks on their faces whilst a business development and marketing lesson was being delivered by my colleagues, Julian and Matthew.
From the feedback provided thus far, it seems that we are empowering these trainees - agara's mission is being fulfilled. Our main aim is indeed to confer as much knowledge as possible to the trainees during these two weeks through the use of laptops, so that they will be able to reproduce the said knowledge to the less fortunate residing in temporary camps. In fact we still have a long list of points to deliver... we will do our best!
Paul wrote some lines for us... it's different from my personal post but nonetheless, it is genuine and will provide you with another volunteer's perspective about his experience thus far:
"Indeskrivibbli l-ferh li qed inhoss,
F'kull vjagg li naghmlu nhoss kollox iross,
Gharaq niezel minn kullimkien,
Ifthu t-twieqi u l-bibien.
Qatt m'apprezzajt daqshekk hasla fil-banju,
Diski bl-Gharbi l-hin kollu fuq ir-radju,
Kelma, tnejn, tlieta qed nitghallem bl-Gharbi,
Biss meta jaqbdu jghagglu igennuli rasi.
Hass, tadam, hobz u naghniegh
Dak in-naqra hummus jieklu kollox bih,
Jinzlu gharkubbtejhom biex jitolbu,
Daqs persuna Kristjana jafu jhobbu.
Gejt hawnhekk b'sens ta' qadi,
Hin u energija rrid li naghti
Grupp maghqud daqs dan ghadni rrid nara,
Ghajnejja qishom ta' tifel: hawn hafna xtara!
Nisa musulmani jghattu rashom bil-velu,
Dan minkejja li wicchom ikun helu,
L-update minn ghandi ghal dil-gimgha lest,
Kemm nimmissja dik ix-xarba Kinnie Zest." - Paul Asciak
Here is one last thought for today... during our evaluation sessions, a number of experiences are being shared, and some result in deeper, longer discussion between two persons. Eight volunteers, eight different experiences! Inside the same room with the same participants and I am noticing that everyone is living his own small adventure within him or her. The way each person speaks, discusses and reflects sculpts the experience itself! Maria was spontaneously invited to a refugee camp by this young girl who enthusiastically wanted her to take a look at her camp.
Steph had the opportunity to meet two Syrian female refugees. "Of course, I want to go back, that's my Home!". This was the reply of Nesrin when Steph asked her whether she would like to go back to Syria... the discussion continued on how she misses the library of books she had back home. "I understood what she feels since books are also dear to me. To be honest I can't imagine myself losing them all!" Steph said whilst sharing the experience with us.
And ... just when I thought I did not have the will to write today, now I feel as if I can't stop!
Time is up... refugee camp planned for today.
See you tomorrow.
Adrian Cassar