Job Discussion Forums

StephPoet · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 26

Does anyone know anything about Sunflower School? I'm so interested in Eastern Europe I may reject a job offer in Korea to live on $200 a month in Lutsk.

The job offers accommodation as well. I'm assuming $200 a month is OK to live on, right?

If anyone knows anything about this school or Lutsk, I appreciate it. Thanks.

Trojan Horse · Joined: 30 Dec 2003 Posts: 61 Location: Europe

Hi,
Sorry no information on either the place or the school but I am sure 200 a month is not sufficient. I would ask the school for the email or phone number of a native speaker teacher (if they have one) so you can find out more about living and working conditions if you are seriously considering the offer. I suggest you look around a bit more. I've seen better offers for Poland and Russia.

gonzoteacher · Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Posts: 13 Location: USA

I lived in Kherson and Simferopol for over two years. I survived on around $200 a month. Survival included food and other basics. This did not include clothes. I brought two suitcases with me and had two boxes sent that I had packed before I left. That was basically what I lived on.

Don't expect very nice accomodations. There are some, but from my own personal experience, most schools don't want to pay the extra rent for them. You should expect a one room apartment far below western conditions. In Kherson I had no heat and hot water the whole time I was there. Water was turned off for several hours a day. Simferopol had several power and water outages a day. I have known people that had much better living conditions, but don't go there expecting them for yourself.

If you go there, you should go for the experience. I had a very interesting one. I would actually go back for a short time again. You should expect to "survive"on $200 and should expect poor conditions. Anything else should be a very pleasant surprise. I was in the Peace Corps. They say they will give you enough to survive on. Even they are giving a little more than this now.

If you want a very interesting experience, you should go. If you want good conditions and and enough money to live comfortably on, then don't go.

Nexus · Joined: 08 Mar 2004 Posts: 189 Location: Moscow

maruss · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1145 Location: Cyprus

Nexus is right!$ 200 per month is an insult to offer someone for teaching in Ukraine,or most other places!Even those gorgeous girls there(and there are plenty!) would probably not be interested in a date with you on that kind of money.Unless of course,this a voluntary type of job with just a subsistence allowance,in which case they should make that quite clear from the outset!
As for Belarus,there is only one school there,IH in Minsk which advertises occasionally for staff from abroad but be warned- this country has one of the nastiest regimes in europe which has been black-listed internationally.Political opponents have literally vanished and foreigners have been arbitrarily arrested there for no apparent reason.But if you have a nostalgia for the soviet-union with state owned department stores, sudden shortages of products and a semi-stalinist regime,you might enjoy spending some time there!And there are some nice people to be met too-both lovely girls and the rest of the population,although they are more reserved tna in Russia.I can tell you all the above from personal experience!
If you are REALLY a comrade, you don't need to run there-otherwise, get your skates on!

jpvanderwerf2001 · Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 1117 Location: New York

Yeah I saw this offer, too. Having lived in L'viv for two years, I can tell you with confidence that $200/month is enough to live on and that's about it. I made just over $300/month in L'viv, and I could go out to eat occasionally, get to the clubs once or twice a month, and perhaps travel in the region once every month or two. You will not starve. As Lutsk is a small city, you will be making more than most of the locals, but this doesn't mean you'll be living like a king by any means. That being said, I'm not saying that you wouldn't enjoy yourself, or like the job, either.

If you have more questions about living in western Ukraine feel free to PM me.
Cheers.j.

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

CricketChirps · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 12

StephPoet · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 26

I'm a straight female, but thanks for the thought Smile

StephPoet · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 26

OK, here's the scoop.

Sunflower Schools is presenting itself on the Internet (at eslemployment.com and other sites) and to potential "hires" as a bonafide job opportunity, with a preferred minimum six month stay.

They have several other foreign teachers, and a steady stream of Peace Corps volunteers. They told me they would put me up in a single apartment in the center of Lutsk, five minutes walking from the school. They also noted $200 a month was more than enough to live on, as three course meals in fine restaurants are $5.

I do have an interest in Eastern Europe, and there is much less red tape and strict start dates than some other places I've been checking into (like South Korea.)

However, I am concerned about these two issues:

1) No airfare payments. I'd have to fundraise or sell a few things.
2) I'm a dark haired, olive skinned, Hispanic American female. Are race relations in the Ukraine like those in Russia and Berlin?

steven_gerrard · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 155

thunec · Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Posts: 1

well, to start i am currently working at sunflower. i'm a minnesotan who's just recently graduated from college with an economics degree. i was offered this job and did some research before accepting it. i came upon this discussion forum and it made me a bit wary. i decided to take the job anyways and have been here for a 1.5 months. i'm actually really glad i did. 200 a month really is a good salary here. if you have student loans to be paying off with your salary, obviously i would consider something else. i will need to start paying those soon and eventually plan on gettin an esl job in northeast asia to earn money that converts well. when recognizing you also get a free apt. it is a lot relativiely though. things are dirt cheap here. it sucks that i had to pay for my flight but i flew to warsaw for a good price and they picked me up there and took care of me from then on. the staff is remarkably nice. my apt. is very nice even for western standards. the school itself is quite impressive and the director is more than accomodating. as a whole i would say for an experience it is superb, i am loving ukraine, the money is very good locally but translates poorly if it's needed to be spent in america. if anyone is considering this position in the future you may contact me, i'll probably be done then and have a better overall view.
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