My first days in Norway!

FIRST WEEK: 18^th - 24^th August

We did practical work on Monday morning by going to the police to apply for a residence permit. We then went to the tax office to apply for the tax cards which took us a week to get them. All this was successful because we were helped by a former youth delegate to Armenia and her name is Miss Ramune.

After the practical work, she took us to the Norwegian Red Cross and we met with Monika Andersen, the youth program coordinator. She gave us a brief orientation and promised to tell us more when the other youth delegates arrived.

NB: We were the most organized group among the rest. We arrived first and everything went smoothly compared to the rest of the delegates!

On the second and the following days, we were taken for sightseeing in Oslo city and get to know some of the things and how they operate them. On Friday all the foreign delegates arrived apart from the Sudanese who hadn’t got their Visas yet.

On that Saturday and Sunday, it was a very exciting day. We were part of the Mela Festival and we were given chance to participate in the voluntary work. It is like FESPAD of Rwanda. We helped in making the fence and explaining for the tourists what the Mela Festival is all about.

SECOND WEEK: 25^th to29th August

We arrived at the FK course in a place called Hadeland (in Gran Municipality) and we had dinner together with the rest of the youths from all over the world. They come from different organizations that are sponsored by the FK.

After one week of intensive training, we were awarded certificates in the following topics:

v Fredskorpset - organization, vision & values

v Personal challenges in a new and foreign culture

v Intercultural communication and understanding

v Norwegian development cooperation

v Information work

v Health and security

We then left the hotel back to Oslo.

Third & fourth week: 30th-14^th September

We were taken to a youth Hostel in preparation for the Red Cross training (at Haraldsheimen Vandrehjem). We were trained in the following aspects by different facilitators in their respective fields of specialties:

v Introduction to the Norwegian Red Cross Youth

v Active choice

v When catastrophe hits

v International Humanitarian law, Rules of war & Migration

v Information /communication/ photo shooting

v First aid

v Youths on the Run

v Briefing by the regional coordinators and contact persons

On the 15^th we were all dispersed to our respective places of work and that’s when we arrived in Telemark (Skien town).

Our impressions:

We are cordially happy and greatly honored for such a great opportunity. We feel trusted and for this, we shall do our best to be good ambassadors and convey the right message you gave us.

As human beings, we are still fighting with some of the challenges that come our way. It’s not very easy to adapt. We still have some problems with the culture here.

Ø The Norwegian are not out going

Ø The weather is getting colder so we are a bit worried

Ø The food is different from ours (the food we're used to in our country)

Generally, we are getting used to the Norwegian system and the culture at large. Skien commune have great hopes in us and we are trying as much as possible to do what is required of us.

Thanks;