Training

24th-28th July 2012

So, just like selection I had the amazing opportunity of spending some more time on the beautiful Isle of Coll!
My training course was an intense 5 days where all the volunteers for Swaziland, Uganda and Honduras came together and lived together within the Project Trust building. We learned all about our individual projects, which was AMAZING  because we could see photos of the area we would be living in and learning about the people we were going to meet!
Really looking forward to getting there now, and can't wait to get my hands on my new truck (well, very old truck) called Butch, and get to grips with driving on the African roads :D
Although, as much as I am looking forward to this amazing experience I can't help but feel really daunted by some prospects of my project... My partner and I will be helping out in a preschool called The Moriah Centre, we will be RUNNING another preschool called Injabulo and also running a soup kitchen for around 90 malnourished children several times a week. I don't think I've ever had so much responsibility in my life, and really don't feel prepared or qualified enough to be running a school D: But I'm sure we'll soon get used to it.
We will be living in a girls hostel in Sisekelo Secondary School, and one night a week and one weekend every 6 weeks my partner and I will be on hostel duty... i.e. in charge of getting 90 13-18 year old girls into bed and quiet! This should be interesting.

The best part about training was definitely meeting my partner, she's called Ashley and she is from Scotland. We got on really well on training and I can't wait to get to know her better, we've got plenty of time I guess!

There was also plenty of free time on Coll for us to get to know everyone better and spend some time checking out the island, we had a brilliant game of rounders on the beach and we were also crazy enough to go for a swim in the sea at 9o'clock during our free time on one of the nights! It was freezing. But I think I managed quite well, I only came out because I was sick of being battered in the head by waves rather than being too cold :P

The last night of training was also a memorable one. We had a lovely dinner with free wine, and afterwards had some lovely group photos with free punch! The free drinks definitely went down well. We then had a ceilidh for a few hours, and we had an absolute riot, it was fantastic. Ceilidh dances are one of the most tiring and energetic activities I have ever participated in, never have I seen so many people in a room absolutely drenched in sweat and refusing to give up!
However there is also a moment of the night that I don't think I will ever forget. As we were doing one particularly violent dance the fist of a Scottish boy named Hamish managed to connect itself with my face, which then sent me flying away from the security of my partner and I finished in a crumpled pile, holding my face, after smashing against a wall. Honestly, it was hilarious. We even had a picture together afterwards.

The whole week was an unforgettable experience, and again, I met some fantastic people and we had so much fun.

So excited now!

Me, Ingrid (our Desk Officer for Swaziland) and Ashley.

Swaziland Team Photo!
Ashley and I definitely not looking lonely, at all.
Everyone else had big groups of about 20 people for their countries but we only have each other :P