Time flies when you’re having fun.  It’s cliché, I know, but it really describes how I’ve been feeling over the last few weeks.  It’s hard to believe that our first fall delegation (Bethesda, MD) has already completed its program and all members have returned home.  And our second delegation, in Madison, Wisconsin, is more than halfway over.

Members of our Ukrainian group really enjoyed their time in Bethesda, learning about NGO development.  They learned a lot about how the nonprofit sector functions in the United States and the role NGOs play in addressing social problems.  They were especially impressed with their visit to Holy Cross Hospital, where they were astonished to see the level of care available even to those with no insurance.  And their  visit to the YMCA also really amazed them.

During their evaluation session, delegates highlighted the lessons they learned during their stay in America – not just professional lessons, but also lessons about American culture.  They spoke with great enthusiasm of how they will apply what they’ve learned to their work in Ukraine.  They were also really excited to contemplate and begin to plan ways to continue to work together with each other, with FOCCUS, and with NPF.

I’m not sure where the group ended on the question of Americans’ sense of humor, but I think it’s fair to say that by the end of their time in Maryland,  American and Ukrainian participants in the program alike understood each other better.

-Jenny