After weeks of planning and brainstorming on how to give six days of training to the recruited 134 community health volunteers of Bayanzurkh District, we finally finished the first round of training. In order to make this six day trainings feasible, we divided the participants into two rounds with at least 25 participants in each day.
Here's the translated training schedule that Duger ( my counterpart) did. He brilliantly thought of having these trainings conducted daily for nine days in three sites with one site preceding the others. There were 30 facilitators (specialists, trained trainers, social workers including us, VSO volunteers and our interpreters) and grouped us according to the health topics each day.
Kara, Jo and I were responsible to do the first days of our trainings where I was tasked to give the training on Effective Communication. Such an irony though since I admit that I am not an effective communicator myself and revisiting this topic made me realize how often I take communication lightly.
Some pictures of me doing the "Communication" training:
 |
| Day 1 ( Ambulatory 1, June 2) |
 |
| Day 1 (Polyclinic, June 3) |
 |
| Day 1 ( Ambulatory 2, June 4) | | |
|
|
The succeeding days were facilitated by different people who specializes on: Alcoholism and Smoking ( Day 2), Maternal Health (Day 3), Pediatric Health ( Day 4), Non- communicable diseases (Day 5) and Elderly Care ( Day 6).
Here are some of the "epic" pictures:
 |
| Look at the papers in their table! |
 |
| I like this picture so much because the CHV on the left looks like my Lola Zoring |
 |
| Dr. Ankhtuya and a CHV doing some icebreakers on "animal parts"( Day 6 at the Ambulatory 1) |
The first round of trainings ended on the 13th at Ambulatory 2 and so on June 15, our community health volunteers finally had their graduation ceremony. A simple ceremony with fruits and biscuits as refreshments just to show them how we appreciated their commitment to be health volunteers. Some of the health volunteers awarded us mini- horse fiddle instruments ( Morin- Khuur) during the ceremony, after all we are also like them - people who work so hard without expecting any in return ( except probably the toilet key)
 |
| Simply said: Community Health Volunteers Graduation Ceremony |
 |
| Malay skin on the stand out! |
 |
| The three "foreigners" with our dear friend Saruul ( Kara's interpreter) during the graduation ceremony |
|
 |
| Mini Morin- Khuur- perfect for my small fingers ( if it can be played) |
