Ukraine Study Tour
Kiev
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The next morning, Thursday, April 19, was filled with packing and saying good bye to our hosts, who had taken such good care of us during the previous days. At a final meeting with all participants, the Rektor presented us with little presents and tokens of friendship. We were sad to leave.
Part of the group then went for a last stroll through Poltava while some of us drove to the orphanage. There we met with a group of about 60 children at the ages of 12 to 16. They were divided into groups and played baseball and other active games. Everybody had a ball and nobody got hit in the head or hurt.
Then we were off to Kiev, the last leg of our trip. Kiev is a very beautiful, old European town with many large traditional orthodox churches with typical gold-layered roof tops. At the same time, it is a modern town with many shopping opportunities, restaurants and cafes. The evening was spent with some sightseeing and a restaurant visit. While the rest of the group took off the next morning for a sightseeing tour, Kevin Brooks and I met with Lina Dotsenko, from CNFA, to talk about their projects in the area and potential cooperation opportunities. In the afternoon, we connected with the group, did some additional sightseeing and finished our gift shopping at a market.
The last evening was spent in a mood of somber anticipation. Most of us were looking forward to go back home but at the same time we were sad to leave.
This trip was quite an experience for all of us. The group worked wonderfully well together and showed a very positive attitude in spite of the sometimes strange and difficult environment. Even obstacles like low sanitation standards, noisy accommodations (student discos can be really, really loud if they are on the floor under yours) and tiring schedules could not prevent anybody on the team from being very enthusiastic in working with our counterparts, giving lectures and interacting with our hosts and others in the group. After our return, several of us continue working on future projects with counterparts from Poltava, and we am very optimistic that we will have the chance to develop a more sustainable program together with our friends and colleagues from Purdue University.
The Ukrainians were wonderful hosts. Nevertheless, the assistance of Jennifer and Kris Wiley, the Peace Corps volunteers, was critical for the success of our trip. They provided knowledge that is needed to get around without too many delays created by misunderstandings. They also were responsible for setting up most of our schedules and arranging most of our transportation and travel activities. Their assistance will be greatly missed in future endeavors. We are pleased about the decision of the Poltava Agrarian Academy to name Colonel Oleg Bezverhney their new head of international activities.
Kris and Jennifer have returned to the U.S. and have already offered their assistance and involvement in follow-up activities.
