Technovation Challenge Moldova

In the last three months, I have kept quite busy on the local and national level implementing a thing called Technovation Challenge.  An entrepreneurial initative for girls, the 12-week curriculum teaches them how to solve problems in their communities by utilizing technology.  Girls develop a solution to the identified problem, a web-based application prototype, and a business model.

As I mentioned before, I have been working closely with a team in our town (another team dropped out at the beginning).  The girls worked every week for 4 hours or more on their application and business plan.   At times, they were tired of the work and the challenges of creating the app and writing down all the details of a business plan.  For a while, all they wanted to do was quit.  But they stuck it out and in the end, they succeeded! 

Here you see them laughing so hard that they're crying (from reviewing their practice round of a video presentation).

The team visited the raion council vice president to present their idea of their app as it relates to the city.

The problem the team identified in my community was the lack of clear and consistent communication of what is going on in our town.  People hear about events (public administration meetings, cultural events, school news, etc.) often times after they happen or only through word-of-mouth. News of activities around town travels slow or it travels very last-minute if at all.  Our team's app sought to fix this problem by creating a community events app, where you could find all information of events in one place.  No such app exists in Moldova, and I encouraged them to dream big with their app.  Their business plan included expansion into other cities in Moldova.

Advanced Hack Day
A month ago, we had a nationwide Advanced Hack Day where girls in the Technovation Challenge program were given an opportunity to present their draft app prototypes and receive some constructive feedback.  Six teams gathered in Chisinau and pitched their ideas to 1-2 mentors for 5 minutes.  Then they had a couple minutes to receive feedback and ask any questions of the mentors.  After this, they were given a tour and pizza party at FusionWorks, a thriving IT company in Chisinau.

Technovation Challenge girls in Moldova who participated in Hack Day.

From a community-supported blood donation app to rural water quality testing and reviews, teams of girls in the program have a lot of interesting, innovative ideas on how to put app's to good use in Moldova!

After the Hack Day, girls had three more weeks to complete their projects.  Each team submitted their projects virtually to enter into the global competition.   The final deliverables they had to create were a Demo Video, a Pitch Video, source code of their app, a business plan, and a presentation slide deck.

Live Pitch Day
To raise the excitement level and to award a winner within Moldova, we had a separate Moldova Pitch Day on May 3.  You can watch the entire event online here!

  

This is some Moldovan chic for you!  These ladies from Team Nanda (mentor Lindsey in the back!) got second place at the Pitch event!

Finally, check out this summary video of Technovation Challenge Moldova.  "We're killin' it with Technovation Challenge Moldova!..."  I am so thankful that we launched this initiative this year in Moldova.  I am also grateful for all those Moldovan leaders who also decided that it was a worthwhile program and took the time to invest in the program.  Hopefully, Technovation will continue into future years!  Girls get the opportunity to learn, grow, and dream about how they can impact their communities and prepare for a career geared toward innovation.

Spring in Moldova

Spring in Moldova is fantastic.  After one or two too many months of grays and browns and cold weather, the sun comes out, the tulips and lilacs start blooming, and my whole being naturally becomes a bit lighter and happier.  Spring is all about new life and refreshment.  Growing up in Nebraska where there are four seasons like here, I have always appreciated spring for how the dead of winter transforms into a flourishing green earth.  I empathize with those who are eager to plant their crops or their gardens just as Easter time comes.  Today, on my Sunday stroll through town, I heard some chicks peeping from a little box a young boy was carrying.  I smiled and recalled my years on the farm picking up baby chicks.  Signs of life are everywhere!

Last weekend was Easter.  Lindsey and I had a few friends over to celebrate.  I love the beauty of the traditional Orthodox Easter here, where early in the morning people gather at the church quarters with their Easter baskets of goodies to get blessed by the priest.  Lindsey and I went again this year and even stayed up to watch the sunrise this time.  Instead of saying hellow, now for 40 days, people often greet one another saying, "Hristos a inviat!"  (Jesus is risen!) And responding with "Adverat a inviat!" (Truly he rose.)  I like this tradition and reminder.

How many boys does it take to shred cheese?  Even more, to make dinner?  We had some good Mexican food for Easter! (not so traditional but delicious!)

Easter morning at the church with Svetlana's girls

Everyone leaving the church yard after waiting for an hour or two for the priest to give his blessing and shower everyone with holy water.  Lots of people up at 4:00 am!

Feeling blessed after a magical night of Moldovan tradition.

Sunrise viewed from the top of an abandoned building.  We had an exciting climb to get to this spot.

The day after Easter is also a holiday.  We went over to the host family's and then for the first time went to the forest for a barbecue, a popular thing to do in Moldova on the weekends especially if you're from the countryside.

Go Nats!  I gave Misha this hat, and his first comment was that it's the color for Communists.  But since it's from me, he'll accept and proudly wear.  I told him it's the color of all my favorite sport teams in America!

Happy Easter Photo!

Barbecue in the forest with new friends!  I have been helping a farmer with some translating to acquire new equipment, so he then invited us to join his family and relatives for the day.  On Lindsey's right is a short-term British volunteer in Causeni, working with Svetlana.

Today, for the first time since before I hurt my knee last summer, I went on a big 6 mile run.  It felt so great to be out there and lost in thought while burning calories and releasing my energy.

With a view like this, why not have a good run!?

A couple weeks ago, I randomly took a Sunday drive with my good friend Cristina and her boyfriend, Alex.  It's sweet moments like this one where I just want to soak up every moment of living in this country.  I recently have felt so blessed to have met some wonderful people in this country, who have shared with me their lives with so much kindness, love, and hospitality.

Attempts at jumping photos make everyone smile.

Cristina and I at the most idyllic spot on the road from Chisinau to Causeni.

Spring update: Galati, Technovation Challenge, & something called COS

Over the weekend, Philip and I took a ride with Svetlana and a student, Mihaela, to Galați, Romania.  Philip and I presented a workshop on why one should volunteer to members of ATAC, the Association of Active Civic Youth.  The subject content is so much of what I live and breathe that it seemed like barely any work to me.  Romania has a very similar culture in terms of volunteering:  it's very new and not very popular.

I'm really luck in Căușeni.  Students seem to know what volunteering is now and are voluntarily volunteering!  It's like a light switch flipped, and one by one youth are coming to the bright side.  Thus, during the weekend, Svetlana also got to share with the group and leaders of ATAC how the culture regarding volunteering in our small town has started to change to become more positive.

Philip and I doing our thing. With 22 months behind us, facilitating this workshop felt like second nature.

The most important part of the workshop was when participants worked on their ideas.  They began with identifying the most important needs in their community, followed by identify goals/objectives that could help meet them.  The final step (at least for this workshop) was to create an activity based on each objective they created.

Galați is a nice Romanian city of 250,000 people with the largest port on the Danube River.  I was pleasantly surprised at just how lovely their pedestrian walkway along the river was with its cute cafes and restaurants.  I even got a perfect morning run in along the Danube!

Now we are back in Moldova, preparing for our COS Conference (Close of Service that is... what? already!?) and also a Technovation Challenge Advanced Hack Day to be held Saturday.  My girls have been working hard amongst a lot of academic work and other activities to build their app prototype on App Inventor.  I give them props!

My Technovation Team nailing down some business model details.

O Nunta Moldoveneasca! (A Moldovan Wedding!)

Fancy wedding invitation.

I had the pleasure to attend the wedding of my host brother, Ion (known as Johnny), and his new bride, Domnița.  Moldovans are known to throw down a good party.  This time was no exception.  Lindsey, Philip, and I left the house at 4:00pm and went to sleep around 5:00am.

Philip and my host dad pre-wedding.

We began the party at my host family's house, popping some champagne with Misha, my host dad. We went over to their house to wait for a ride from a rutiera (mini-bus) to take us to the restaurant outside of town.  While waiting around, a few other close friends and family showed up.  What was striking to me is how I couldn't hide my enthusiasm for the celebration of this marriage while everyone else seemed so serious if not somber.  If any day should be a day to smile and laugh, surely it would be a wedding day of a loved one!  As we were standing outside with a few others dressed in their finest plus winter clothing, passing around a glass of house wine, I couldn't help but notice how no one seemed excited for this event.  It was just another day in the winter of Moldova. (And I'm screaming inside, "HEY!!!  Can't we just let loose, smile, and be of good cheer for just this once for a whole day!?  House wine isn't even required!")  So there's still that: glaring little cultural differences sometimes.  It's not better or worse, but it's just different.

Most people came in pairs with a last name.  Then there's us.

The wedding party officially began by greeting the "godparents" of the new couple and the bride and groom themselves.  Following the Orthodox tradition, these godparents generally play an important role in the new couple's lives.  They often become like family (if not already) and celebrate birthdays, holidays, and other celebrations together.  They are also there to give advice when needed.   After greeting the two couples with a flower or a gift, we waited to be seated and then to begin the meal.  Every table was adorned with unlimited amounts of food and beverage.

Fancy place settings for all.  The name tag actually turns into an donation envelope in the inside.  It's the custom to give from one guest a minimum of 500 lei but 1000 lei (~$75) or more is more respectable.

After about three courses, the microphone and a basket were passed around the room so people could give toasts and their financial donations.  We were at the very last table, and by that time few people seemed to be paying much attention... Until I got on the microphone!  It seems that Moldovans have an impeccable hearing for foreign speakers of Romanian!  I gave my best version of a Moldovan toast.  The DJ then played the song Feelin' Good by Michael Buble that was once karaoked to by a British volunteer who attended Johnny's birthday party back when I lived there (long story short!).  Johnny had really seemed to like the song the weeks following so it seemed appropriate to share it on a day when you should really be feelin' good!  (These are the little things that are maybe a bit strange to tell you or to hear, but they are also the things that make the best memories in my mind.)  It may have rightfully been the only American song of the night.

We continued the night with lots of dancing, plenty of toasts, and a few more traditions.

This is a photo during the traditional Moldovan dance called the hora.

The bride, groom, and host sister from America!

I just love this guy (Misha, my host dad).

Lindsey and Philip were looking good!  That flower on Philips lapel is to signify that he's a bachelor.

Lindsey's got moves, too!

I hope to write one more entry to talk about a few characters at the wedding and also Day 2 of the wedding party.  Mai revin. (I'll come back!)

To the U.S. and Back for the Last Hoorah

After a long holiday season in Moldova, I did the most strategic thing just a day before it got really cold and snowy in Moldova.  I left for 17 days and visited all my favorite people and places in the United States of America.  I spent a few days in Nebraska, over a week in lovely Bozeman, MT where my sister and her husband live, and a long weekend in Washington, DC, my old home before joining the Peace Corps.  Although I am only a short 5 months away from COS'ing (Close of Service), the trip was the perfect retreat for me especially as I plan to stay in Europe beyond July for at least a few months.  I felt so very blessed to see so many loved ones and for them to take me in with open arms!

Pure enjoyment I found in the U.S.:

• Being with my dear family
• Seeing good friends in DC
• Friendly people
• Sister time
• Cousin time
• Good customer service practically everywhere!
• A solid burger and sweet potato fries with a microbrew at the base of a mountain I just skied
• Super nachos several times
• Super sales on clothing items
• Driving a car
• Grocery shopping in a fully-stocked store (including tasty green vegetables!)
• Cooking in a fully-equipped kitchen
• Coffee shops with good coffee and pastries, where everyone speaks English as a first language
• I could go on with food but I'll suffice it to say that I had my fair share of delicous food (Thai, Mexican, Spanish, American, and snacky stuff).  What made it all so pleasurable I'm sure, though, was that it was enjoyed in good company.

I was quite curious to know how I would feel coming back to the States for the first time in over a year and a half.  I realize how my interests have been clarified over the last couple years.  I know now that I am not interested in policy work as I once was.  I'm not really interested in purely administrative work, unless it's with a program with which I am terribly passionate.  What I am drawn toward  is business development, entrepreneurial education, youth, agriculture and my own pursuits within these fields.  I want to get my hands dirty and always work with the people around me!  I'm also continually mulling over the idea of how values and integrity play a large role in the development of a trustworthy, strong business; of good education; and of families.

Now I have a few more months to close out my 2-year Peace Corps commitment and will give my all to maximize the opportunities in front of me.  Over the last weekend, the Diamond Challenge Moldova competition took place, and I was so encouraged by the teams of youth that had worked hard on presentations they gave and the business canvases they had created.  Find more info from my colleague Patrick's blog.

Mariana responds to creating an app that responds to shaking on her Android device.

Today, I met with a few girls, who just enrolled in Technovation Challenge, an initiative we're promoting here for the first time in Moldova.  The Challenge teaches girls how to create web-based applications that can help solve problems in their communities.  Through the course of 12 weeks, girls create an app and business plan and pitch their ideas virtually through a competition nationally in Moldova.  The winner of the program will then have a chance to travel to the U.S. to compete in the World Pitch Competition.  The program in general is a way to encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).  Today was groundbreaking, as the girls made their first basic app's through the MIT App Inventor.  It was awesome!

Whirlwind November: Vacation and Innovation Weekend

I apologize in advance for the brevity (or lack of brevity if you ask some) in this post and the tardiness of it as well.  Maybe I should focus a bit more on the 3^rd Goal of Peace Corps after all- to help Americans better understand the people and cultures of other countries.  Then I’d be more inclined to blog more than once a month!

My Peace Corps service is often just one big whirlwind.  I look back at the last month and think, “what happened?”  So much can happen in the course of a week or two, let alone one day.

So allow me to share the highlights of the month of November: a vacation and the much anticipated Innovation Weekend!

Vacation

I must admit that I was very much ready for a vacation, a temporary halt in the busy schedule I had created for myself in the last month and a break far away from work, worries, and the often chaotic routine of my life in Moldova. 

Temple of Zeus in the front with the Acropolis in the distance.

Greece was a sunny, ideal place for escape and for relaxing the mind and body.  It took me a few days to truly enjoy my time on vacation.  Moldova can seep into your pores, and before you know it, all you can talk about or think about is MOLDOVA!  Work, project ideas, challenges, stories of life at site, and naturally just anything about the life we live now were all topics that stayed with me and my friends with whom I traveled.  Thus, we made a pact to shy away from chats about Moldova and indulge more fully in the culture, food, and historical relics right in front of our eyes.

View from Hydra Island

We spent three full days in Athens, where antiquity meets modernity.  One day was devoted to the Athens Marathon, which my colleagues Matt and Chris dominated.  We enjoyed all sorts of amazingly delicious food.  The slow food culture of Greece is just up my ally.  The locals who we met were all perfectly warm and hospitable.  Moments will likely lie in my memory for a while: the old jolly man pouring us his homemade raki at his family's century-old restaurant, the carpet salesman luring Philip in by offering his mother's homemade wine from the island of Crete, the Acropolis and the millenia that have passed since its construction. 

We also visited for a day the island of Hydra, where donkeys and your own two feet are the only means of transportation to navigate the sleepy, touristic fishing village found there.  We hiked up on top of the hills on the island, had a delectable lunch that included the fresh catch of the day, enjoyed a nice chat over coffee with the cook/fisherman of our lunch, and ended the day with a dip in the cold, refreshing Mediterranean Sea.  It was perfect.

A donkey on Hydra Island, loaded up with olive oil canteens.  I wish I could have carted one of those canteens to Moldova!

On our way back to Moldova, we had an overnight layover in Vienna.  While living in DC prior to my work here, I met an Austrian winemaker with whom I have kept in contact.  We were very lucky on our short layover.  My friend, Goose, picked us up, took us to his friend’s winery (his own was too far away), and then to a traditional restaurant named the Beethoven Haus for a wine tasting with some traditional Austrian cuisine.  How did we find ourselves sitting across from three world-class Austrian winemakers in Vienna, Austria?  The world is just a small, connected place with quite a few gracious people.  It was a jolly good time, absorbing the Austrian hospitality and wine culture.  I plan to go back.  A huge plus to volunteering in Eastern Europe that's probably evident by now to any frequent reader of my blog is that proximity to all of Europe makes for some amazing, unforgettable vacations!

Innovation Weekend

A team's canvas in progress.

After vacation, we got right back to business in Moldova.  Arriving on Thursday with a training to help facilitate on Saturday, the focus of the next couple weeks was all on Innovation Weekend.  The training on Saturday was for all the 20 volunteers (10 Peace Corps and 10 Junior Achievement), who would lead the teams of 6 students through the Lean Canvas training and pitch competition for the next weekend’s event.

Much of my time of the week prior to Innovation Weekend was spent preparing in Chisinau.  As the one administering the grant received through Peace Corps, I had to be there to purchase any necessary supplies and collect receipts of everything.  Junior Achievement also asked me to join them on a television morning show to promote Innovation Weekend.  I had to accept, power through exhaustion, conquer my nerves, brave my language barrier, and go for it.  I didn’t botch it too badly.

Fearless leaders of Innovation Weekend.

Soon came the weekend for which we had prepared for months.  “Weekend-ul Inovației” brought together 60 students from all regions of Moldova, who were eager to learn about this new concept called the Lean Canvas that rooted any business ideas to the basics.  Begin with the root problem you'd like to solve for your customer.  Find the solution, based on your customer needs.  Make sure that what you are offering adds value to your customer but at the minimum level, and after talking to the clients, tweak your product or service (“iterate”) and present your “minimum viable product” to your investors (or in our case, to the judges).

Team time.  Deliberation on what the Minimum Viable Product is that they're offering.

Day 1 was devoted to Lean Canvas training and Day 2 was devoted to teams testing their products on real Moldovans and pitching their business model idea to a panel of five distinguished judges.  I encourage you to find out more on our GLOW/TOBE page about the event.  Look through some photos, and get an idea of who participated and what they did.  The winning team had a business idea of a device that can be attached to a bicycle to create alternative energy. The team won due to the innovative aspect of the product, the feasibility of the idea, and the originality of the presentation. Other ideas that were awarded were for a smart phone app through which the driver can be informed about the traffic situation and also a delivery service of healthy to-go meals for students at school.

A team pitches their idea.

By the end of the weekend, participants walked away tired but with smiles.  They had learned a lot, worked hard to build and test their business model, and found the courage and team spirit to pitch their ideas in front of the judges.  Volunteers, participants, and Moldovan partners alike all want to see this Innovation Weekend become an annual celebration of Global EntrepreneurshipWeek in Moldova.  I hope they can find the will and the way to do it, and I will guide them in the coming months to try and make it possible.  Thank you all again, who financially supported my PCPP grant!  It would not have been possible without you!

After tying up loose ends on Monday, I went home exhausted and stayed there for an entire week.  That was exactly what I wanted to do for my Thanksgiving: stay home!  I called my host family on Thanksgiving day for the first time in months.  I went over there for a quick hello, which turned into hours of catching up and good cheer.  I then skyped with my family and relatives and counted my blessings. It was a great week of rest and a perfect Thanksgiving spent in Moldova.

Whirlwind November flew by, and I can now say that it was quite the productive one.  Now already a good ways into December, I'm filling out closing reports, working on a few more projects for the next few months, and enjoying the start of the holiday season.  

Cheers!

Toamna in Moldova

What a whirlwind month of fall (toamna in Romanian)!  As fall leaves have nearly all fallen to the ground with me paying little attention, so the last month has fluttered on day by day quickly and inconspicuously.

First off, the exciting news of the month is that we are fully funded for Innovation Weekend, coming up on November 23-24!  Thank you all again for your financial support of this cause!  We are busy preparing and planning for it to be a great event!

The biggest project of all in the last month was the international Youth Exchange: Be Active, which brought 40 participants from 8 different countries to Causeni through the European Union's Youth in Action Program.  It was an amazing, intense 8 days, and it left me completely exhausted. 

Eight different countries were represented in the Youth Exchange: Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Italy, and Spain.  Talk about organized chaos!  The program included energizers; group-building activities; workshops on volunteering, discrimination, stereotypes, and human rights; a democracy simulation; two volunteer projects in the community; intercultural evenings; a Halloween party; Moldova exploration; and lots of intercultural dialogue.  New friendships were built, cutting through many geographical, political, social, and language barriers.  Causeni was exposed to new cultural ideas, and the culture of Moldova was shared with many who had never experienced anything quite like it. 

Kids' day in the city center!

They played some fun games that were enjoyed by both kids and participants!

The participants were welcomed into a typical Moldovan village house, where they learned how to cook traditional food.  Then of course they  got to try it all!!  Here you see Ruzan from Armenia, cutting (with thread or floss) pieces of mamaliga (like polenta).  The house wine and compot (sweet boiled fruit juice) were also not forgotten!

Tree planting day!  The four of us were one strong team.  We couldn't do it without each other!

They mayor of Causeni with participants from Turkey on their cultural evening.

Lots of fun dancing to Azerbaijani music!

I had worked hard up until the start of the event to mobilize volunteers in Causeni, but honestly it didn't go over as well as planned.  I realize that I have taken for granted all the opportunities I had growing up to volunteer, to understand the concept of giving back, and to become a leader who is more than just a conductor.  The leadership styles I have seen in this country are more inclined to be top-down, meaning there's one leader who directs the work and tells his/her followers what to do. Alternatively, I like to see a democratic style with a leader being the one to be a cheerful, upstanding team member, a great communicator and listener, and a humble servant.  This doesn't happen overnight, and even for a great leader, it's a constant battle to live up to these standards.  The week was a tough reminder for me that I come from a different cultural upbringing and that I do have high/alternative expectations that may be hard to meet.  I still look forward to working with the youth here to share these ideas and build them into the leaders and volunteers I know they can be.

So now, I'm feeling lucky. I get to go on vacation in Athens and Vienna, starting tomorrow! We have two short overnight layovers in Vienna (one on the way there and one on the way back), and then five days in Athens.  Although what brings us to Athens is for a marathon, I will be in the cheering section this time due to my injury back in the summer.  Now I just need to find the next great idea for where to race in Europe...  who's got it and who will join me?!