The Peace Corps website recently featured Ashley Benson, who served as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Guyana. Working through the Catholic Relief Services, Ashley provided 6 months of much needed support to the “Program on Abstinence for Guyana”. Working with the goal of prevention in mind, Ashley found the experience to be rather rewarding. ” With this opportunity, “Ashley wrote, “I was able to include topics regarding not just the message of abstaining from sex; rather, abstaining from anything that could affect you in a negative or unhealthy way. This broader message developed into a 15-session curriculum encompassing topics such as self-esteem, goals, healthy lifestyles, discrimination, peer pressure, violence, sexuality, volunteerism, and much more.” Click the link above to learn more about Ashley’s experience.

Come to our DC fund raiser!  This Thursday, November 12th at Garretts Restaurant and Railroad, 3003 M St, NW Georgetown, Washington, DC from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

There will be a raffle with great prizes, drink specials, good people, and great conversation.  A $5 donation is suggested at the door with all proceeds going to the non-profit.

For more inf0rmation about Garretts please visit, www.garrettsdc.com.

See you there!

Flag of Samoa

Below are some links and information about relief efforts to the island nation of Samoa. Support can come in many shapes and forms – from donations to forwarding links. Help however you can and know your support is appreciated!

United States

Red Cross
Donate directly to the Red Cross.

Washington, DC
Tsunami Relief Fundraiser
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
8pm-11pm
24 R ST NE

Honolulu, Hawai’i
American Samoa and Samoa Tsunami Relief Effort
We’re accepting food item donations at the American Samoa Office of Honolulu. Please drop off canned goods, bags of rice and bottled water at the office – 1427 Dilingham Blvd Suite 210, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817.

Northern California
First Samoan Congregational Christian Church in Sacramento
251 South Ave.
Sacramento , CA 95838
Office: 916-922-2220
They are collecting clothes, shoes, medical supplies, and other necessities for the victims of the Tsunami in Samoa.

Samoa

Kevin (a former Peace Corps volunteer now living in Samoa) and his wife Taialofa (the daughter of two Samoa RPCVs also living in Samoa) have set up an http://www.facebook.com/l/13498;www.rawshakti.com/tsunamirelief.php. They are using the money to buy food supplies and delivering them to the affected areas.
This is a quick, immediate way to donate and you can trust that all the money will go to those in need:

New Zealand and Australia

RELIEF COLLECTIONS TO BEGIN ON BOARD PACIFIC BLUE AND POLYNESIAN BLUE FLIGHTS MONEY, FOOD, BLANKETS, CLOTHING DONATIONS AT AIRPORT CHECK-INSNew Zealanders and Australians who would like to assist and donate clothing, blankets, or tinned food can drop donations off at Pacific Blue check-in counters at airports in New Zealand and Australia. The donations will be freighted to Samoa by Polynesian Blue for distribution by government or aid agencies.

Auckland, NZ
Community Garage sale. October 10th, 8am until 4pm at Pakuranga Baptist Church on Te Irirangi Drive in Auckland! All the money collected goes to the Red Cross!

Click link for postings about fundraising events and also requesting help in organizing various fundraising events, with all of the money collected to go to helping the victims of the tsunamis.

BBE Island Freight company in Auckland, NZ, is sending a container FOR FREE to Samoa where you can send boxes of non-perishable foods/clothing/tarp/blankets/tents/bedding, etc.. This container is going directly to Red Cross SAMOA, which is good to know.
Pick-up Available in the Weekends (contact Tina-0210596164 or Adelle-02120056842)

OR

Drop off at 8 Kingsford-Smith Place Airport Oaks from 8-5 weekdays. or 4 Edwards Rd Grey Lynn in the weekends. October 17th is cut-off date for shipment!

Red Cross NZ and AUS
NZ Red Cross

Australian Red Cross

Fa’afetai tele lava to our Samoan brothers and sisters, PCVs, RPCVs, friends and families!

Vacancy Announcement for Training Manager (TM)

United States Peace Corps in Guyana

Basic Functions of the Position:

Manage the design, delivery and evaluation of competency-based training to prepare Peace Corps Trainees for two years of volunteer service in Guyana. Coordinate and manage the development and implementation of the training curriculum, which includes Pre-Service Training, as well as all in-service trainings for Volunteers throughout the year.  Manage relevant staff and budgets associated with training programs.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Guides program and training staff in the design, monitoring, evaluation and revision of a comprehensive set of technical, core, language, cross-cultural, sector, and personal health/safety competencies which will prepare Trainees and Volunteers to effectively serve with their community counterparts.
• Develops and implements a community-based training program based on competencies that integrate technical areas, language, cross-cultural, and core topics.
• Manages a team of trainers, resource persons, resource volunteers, and staff in the implementation of training curriculum and goals.
• Develops and monitors a training budget in collaboration with the PTO and Administrative Officer.
• Oversees the planning and preparation of training activities and events.
• Oversees the development of all training documents/reports and provides quality feedback to the training team in a timely manner that allows for integrated planning and evaluation.
• Facilitates large and small group training activities, modeling a variety of non-formal, adult education techniques in the delivery of training.
• Conducts training sessions for many core competencies and selected sector/technical competencies.
• Guides/directs the evaluation of trainees’ progress, including written assessments, interviews, and staff roundtable meetings.
• Serves as member of the PC Guyana Team.

Qualifications – Education/Experience:

• University bachelor degree in adult education, human resources management, or a development related field OR 4 years of equivalent experience in adult, non-formal education required.

Qualifications – Required Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes:

• Experience researching, designing, and delivering a multi-component training program for adults.
• Demonstrated, management, administration, or coordination of a training program, including personnel management.
• Knowledge of train-the-trainer approaches, group dynamics and facilitation techniques for education programs.
• Must be a very resourceful and creative individual capable of designing flexible options to respond to training needs.
• Demonstrated facilitation skills and ability to make presentations comfortably in front of a group.
• Experience managing budgets and expenses in a high accountability environment.
• Must be computer literate and proficient in Microsoft Office products.
• Written and spoken fluency in English.
• Job requires brief to extended periods of in-country travel for training.

Desired Qualifications:

• Familiarity with Guyanese culture, communities, and geography.
• Licensed driver.

Position Salary: Salary negotiable based on previous experience and qualifications.

Position Duration: 1-year contract position renewable upon satisfactory performance.

Application Process/Deadline: Submit resume with cover letter and two reference contacts via email to pcgy_jobvacancies@peacecorps.gov no later than Wednesday, August 19, 2009, or mail them to: Peace Corps Guyana, TM Vacancy, P.O. Box 101192, Georgetown.  Proposed start date: Monday, September 14, 2009.

Additional Information: For additional general information regarding the Peace Corps, please visit our website at: www.peacecorps.gov.

Program and Training Specialist – Education

Applications are invited from suitably qualified persons to fill the position of Program and Training Specialist for an international agency. Position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate has been identified.

Job Summary:

• Works closely with the Program and Training Staff to design, coordinate, implement, and evaluate a professional training sequence for international volunteers to work effectively in the Basic Education Project.
• Works to establish a productive and dynamic relationship international volunteers and local Guyanese education service providers. Provides a thorough orientation to local Guyanese education service providers, as well as ongoing guidance and support to international volunteers.
• Provides technical and non–technical logistical support to Program and Training Staff.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in education, project management, community development or related field.
• Three years progressively responsible experience in primary, literacy and/or life skills education.
• Experience in information technology programs and community development is preferred.
• Experience working within the varying levels of the Ministry of Education’s System in Guyana is preferred.
• Experience training adults is required.
• Ability to communicate effectively (reading, writing, speaking) in English.
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively.

This position will require up to 70% in-country travel.

A letter of interest and a copy of resume/curriculum vitae should be sent as soon as possible to the following postal address or hand-delivered to the following street address:

Post to: Hand-deliver to:

PM – Education                                                                   PM – Education

P.O. Box 101192                                                                U.S. Peace Corps

Georgetown, GUYANA                                                     33A Barrack Street

Kingston, Georgetown.

Alternatively, applications may be sent electronically to: pcgy_jobvacancies@peacecorps.gov.

Memorandum

To:Friends of the Peace Corps
From:  Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff (RPCVs)
Re: Peace Corps Reform Plan
Date: July 2009

With President Obama’s nomination of Aaron Williams for Peace Corps Director—which we strongly support—and the probable Congressional approval of increased appropriations, the Peace Corps is poised to embark on a journey of renewal and reform. We have developed a detailed and comprehensive plan (attached) providing a roadmap for Peace Corps reform with twenty priority initiatives.

Overall, our recommendation is that the agency must listen to, respect, and empower the Volunteers, without whom the Peace Corps accomplishes nothing. We loved being Volunteers, and we still believe in the ideals that drew us to serve in the 1960s and called us to serve again when we retired. We strongly believe that the Peace Corps could be playing a more crucial role in fostering grassroots development and serving the needs of both the U.S. and the host countries in the 21^st Century.

We have been working over the past four years, beginning during our second tenure as Volunteers (2005-07), to document the need for change and to research the policy options. Our effort gained momentum in July 2007 when Senator Dodd invited us to testify in favor of reform on behalf of the Volunteers then serving. Since our testimony we have communicated with many Volunteers about current conditions in the field and their affidavits are presented in this plan. We have been circulating drafts of this plan within the Peace Corps community since last December and have incorporated innumerable edits and ideas that have been submitted to us. We have also secured voluminous documents from the Peace Corps via Freedom of Information Act requests, including the results of the 2008 Peace Corps survey of the Volunteers and data on the number of “qualified applicants.”

Our conclusion is that the first priority at the Peace Corps must be to implement fundamental reforms rather than to increase the number of Volunteers. Quality before quantity. Indeed, considering the pervasive mismanagement in the agency that we have documented, we fear that rapid expansion would jeopardize the performance and reputation of the Peace Corps. We support additional appropriations for the Peace Corps—above the level recommended by President Obama—with most of the increase to be utilized for reforms. For details on our recommended allocations, see Appendix D. The plan makes clear that we support Senator Dodd’s Peace Corps Improvement and Expansion Act (S. 1382). Amendments to strengthen it are included in Appendix E.

We know we have no monopoly on Peace Corps reform proposals. We hope that the dissemination of this plan will prompt a debate about how best to transform the Peace Corps for the 21^st century. As part of that process, we invite you to forward the plan to PCVs, RPCVs, Peace Corps staff, Members of Congress, and the media. We invite RPCV Friends’ groups to post it on their websites and forward it to their members.

We welcome comments on this plan and recommendations for reform, which we will compile and submit to the Congress and to the Peace Corps. Requests for anonymity will be honored.

Finally, we are looking to recruit an RPCV entrepreneur to establish a “RateMyPeaceCorps” website – a proposal discussed at length in our plan.

We take full responsibility for the contents of the report, for any errors or omissions, and for any excess of zeal or enthusiasm in our quest for reform.

Respectfully submitted,

Chuck Ludlam
Retired Counsel to Congressional committees/White House and lobbyist
RPCV: Nepal, 68-70, and Senegal, 05-07

Founder, Friends of Nepal
Advisor to Obama/Biden Peace Corps Transition Team

Member, National Peace Corps Association Board of Directors

Paula Hirschoff
Writer, editor, and teacher
RPCV: Kenya, 68-70, and Senegal, 05-07

Former Board Member, Friends of Kenya

Beneficiaries:

Congratulations to Philip Chan, an RPCV from Guyana, who won our hearts – and our first small grant – with his proposal to assist a small villiage in Guyana in their effort to obtain clean drinking water.  Please take a moment to read his magnificent project report below.

PROJECT REPORT FROM PHILLIP CHAN

(Slightly abridged by FROG)

Summary:

The purpose of the trip was to implement a small scale clean water project in the Amerindian village of St. Monica.  The decision to conduct this project was based on ongoing communication I had with my village since COS-ing regarding the rise in gastrointestinal complaints (vomiting and diarrhea) reported at the health post and village concerns about the increasingly polluted waters of the Pomeroon.  Prior to the trip we conducted research on applicable clean water applications, including portable filtration systems, Life Straws, water purification packets, and river bank sand filtration.  We consulted with the local Philadelphia chapter of Engineers Without Borders (regarding the river bank sand filtration method) and with Dr. Andrea Thorpe of the Miami Chapter – Rotary International.  We also invited a guest speaker, Dr. Christiaan Morssink-president of the United Nations Associations of Greater Philadelphia to come to our school and give a lecture on water security in the developing world.  Dr. Morssink had previously lived in Suriname, where he was head of the Department of Planning and Project Management in the Ministry of Health.  Ultimately, we settled on rainwater collection as the application for use in our project, primarily for three reasons:

• Turbidity and conductivity data collected by a 2006 CDC team to the Pomeroon indicated rainwater as the cleanest natural source of water in the region.
• Village leaders identified rainwater collection as the desired source for clean water in the community, and already possessed resources to support the set up of a rainwater collection system on the central village compound (including four 450 gallon rainwater tanks).
• In conjunction with Rotary International, a successful larger-scale project to set up rainwater tanks had already been conducted in the neighboring village of Kabakaburi.  Assessment plans to expand this project to St. Monica and Karawab were already underway, and our efforts would complement those of the RI team.

We arrived in Guyana on the morning of Sunday, March 22, and arrived in St. Monica the following day on Monday, March 23.  On Tuesday we traveled with the tushao to Karawab at the request of Dr. Thorpe, who wanted to collect population and resource data for expansion of Rotary’s clean water project to this community.  We were also planning on setting up a second water tank stand at the Karawab village compound, near the primary school and health post.  However, due to time limitations we were restricted to setting up a single water tank stand at the St. Monica compound.  Wednesday and Thursday were devoted to clearing the work site area and gathering materials for the stand, including 384 BMs of lumber donated from community members, representing nearly half of the necessary resources for the project.  Construction commenced on Thursday, and was completed the following afternoon.  Friday evening we had a sendoff dinner and party at the village community center.  Paiwari was shared.  I danced the Worm.

Read the rest of this entry »

Rupununi - Photo by Kati Ringer

I came across a great website one day for the Rupununi Learners. The organization is made up of two non-profit organizations – the Rupununi Learners Incorporated (RLI) and Rupununi Learners Foundation (RLF). RLI is a registered non-profit in Guyana, founded in 2007 and RLF is a registered non-profit in the USA that started in 2001. Together, these organizations come together to collaborate on environmental conservation, wildlife research, education, economic development and cultural preservation efforts in the southern region of Guyana.

Check out their great website, http://www.rupununilearners.org, to learn more about these two organizations and the wonderful programs they offer!

From February 23 to March 2, 2009, thousands among the 195,000 Peace Corps Volunteers who have served over the years in more than 139 countries will share their overseas experiences with schools and community groups throughout the United States.

Designated as Peace Corps Week, this weeklong celebration marks the 48th anniversary of the Peace Corps, founded on March 1, 1961, when President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order establishing it as a new government agency.

By giving presentations during Peace Corps Week, Peace Corps Volunteers help Americans better understand the people and cultures they’ve experienced, and the many benefits of service. Additionally, by making presentations in classrooms, Volunteers help create greater global awareness among students. For more of this article, click here.

For a complete list of Peace Corps Week activities across the United States, click here.

From Peace Corps Connect

The Peace Corps Community was honored to be selected from among groups around the country to march in the Presidential Inaugural Parade on January 20, 2009. In the official Presidential Inaugural Press Release than President-elect Barrack Obama praised the inclusion of Peace Corps and AmeriCorps alumni stating, ” These organizations embody the best of our nation’s history, diversity and commitment to service. Vice President-elect Biden and I are proud to have them join us in the parade.”