This December World Vision in partnership with Peace Corps, the Ministry of Health and Red Cross sponsored a Health Fair Initiative which is exactly what is sounds like.  Each participating volunteer hosted  a Health Fair in their site as well as traveled to support fellow volunteers in their respective sites. The fairs were a great opportunity to foster collaboration, not only between volunteers, but organizations within our community.

When I first saw the list of volunteer groupings, I though Peace Corps staff had lost their mind a little. Gramsh looks close to cities in the Korçe district on the map, but a single lane dirt path and mountains make Gramsh somewhat of a roundabout. It turned out to be a great oppurtunity to visit a part of the country I had yet to visit. It turns out the South East is beautiful, especially between Ersek and Permet. The rolling mountain road takes you through stunning valleys and peaks covered in trees. It was a real treat and I wish I had more time to explore the area.

We provided pamphlets on various health topics; including breast cancer, first aid, maternal health, healthy blood pressure, and anti-smoking. Gramsh’s fair goers were more eager than the rest to take materials from our table. So eager that we had to forcibly  turn people away in order to get pamphlets on table. Leskovik’s fair included students apart of a volunteer’s after school group trained in reading blood pressure and offered free readings to interested passer-bys. Bilisht and Ersek’s fairs highlight the need for more information specific to men’s health. While my bias for the best fair lies with Gramsh, each city’s fair was unique and highlighted the relationships that we have been fostering in our communities and made room to create even more.