All Volunteer Conference Part 1

The day after swearing-in was the all volunteer conference, and event held annually which every volunteer is required to attend. Being the newest arrivals and having never met most of the volunteers already in the country when we arrived, we were each asked to take the stage and tell our names, where we're from, and where our assigned community is located. When I said I was from Portland, I heard several cheers from the crowd.

Team-building dinámica: group rock-paper-scissors

What followed was a number of break-away sessions. The first divided us into those who were newer and those who had already been in the country a year or more. The newer volunteers took part in several dinámicas, activities designed to give youths a chance to get up and move around in the context of learning situations. It was a blast. Next, we broke up by sector and I had a chance to meet all the ICT volunteers that I hadn't already met. They shared some pieces of advice, of which, “don't compare yourself to others”, stood out in particular.