Youth Impact Picnic

Posted by Erica Clark, Delegate

We are having a great time in Kazakhstan!! We are learning so much about the culture through the people we meet. Yesterday we spent our last day with the Youth Impact children. They are a group of students who have graduated from an orphanage and are now taking classes to learn daily living skills as well as specific job skills. Throughout the week I have worked with a group of 5-7 kids who are Russian speakers. We did many fun activities like painting, collages, a scavenger hunt, and games. We introduced them to Jenga and Connect 4 and they were both big hits!!! We also took time to have more serious discussions about important issues like teamwork, making decisions, and career choices.


Yesterday was all fun though! We went to an area outside the city where there was open land and water to play in. The kids had so much fun having free time to play board and card games, American football, Ladderball, swim in the water, throw a Frisbee, and have a picnic. It was a great way to end our time with them and really be able to help them have fun. It is amazing to see how often the students were smiling. I am thankful they can smile and laugh when you consider all the hard times they have had to endure in their short lives so far. We are sad to leave them, but an Interlink staff member said we have helped the staff build stronger relationships with the students for their future work here. We hope there is a lasting impression!!!