12/8/2006 - AFS Egypt
Last weekend, AFS EGY held its first National Volunteer Training. With 95 highly motivated volunteers, a group of 13 dedicated trainers and a wonderful prep team, the weekend was extremely fruitful and created a lot of positive energy.
Our volunteers proudly represented the diversity of our organization. Joining us were new volunteers, experienced volunteers, returnees, natural and host parents, board members, and volunteers from 12 of the 26 governorates of Egypt. We had young and younger volunteers, men and women, students and professionals; volunteers from all walks of life.
We held 9 different workshops covering important topics such as: Risk Management and Support, Host Family Recruitment, Promoting AFS, Intercultural Learning, Chapter Development, Time and Stress Management.
We are very proud of our trainers, who were all EGY volunteers, because of their professional and impressive approach to the workshops- motivating our volunteers to work together, more efficiently, and with great enthusiasm. Helping them were 3 international trainers who joined us last weekend, adding a more “intercultural flavor” to our training. Joining us were: Fiel Vanthemsche from BFL, David Madden, a very dedicated volunteer from the US who is currently volunteering with GER, and our wonderful Spanish intern Maria Fanlo who worked not only on the content of the workshops but she helped in the preparation of the whole training.
We are especially proud of the tremendous support we received from AFS INT and EFIL as we prepared for our training. AFS INT financially supported our initiative of hosting a European volunteer/training by paying for his air ticket. EFIL staff made an announcement to the EPOT and helped us with the selection and logistics of arranging for the trainer’s visit to Egypt.
On Friday night, we discovered the different talents of our volunteers: we had a Karaoke Night! Can’t say we all can sing well, but we for sure know how to have a good time.
By the end of the weekend, our volunteers worked on our Action Plan for 2007. We are ready to find wonderful host families, our chapters are prepared for the new challenges of 2007, and we have 7 new chapters to open in 2007 a first for AFS Egypt.
Thanks to all the volunteers, trainers, board members and AFS International and EFIL for making this training possible and so successful.
Magda Abouhamar
Volunteer Development Coordinator
AFS Egypt
 |
Printer Friendly |
