Hard at work for those 3 goals of PC!

Peace Corps was founded 50 years and 7 months ago with the idea of achieving three goals: (see peacecorps.gov for the goals verbatim)

1. Meeting the development goals of interested countries by providing trained women and men.

2. Building friendship by educating host country nationals about America.

3. Building friendship by educating Americans about the culture and people of countries where we serve.

Ten recent adventures-I’ve-gotten-into-recently-while-working-towards-achieving-the-3-goals-of-Peace-Corps:

1. Meet a great Irish priest with holy water in his car cupholder. Not sure just which goal that falls under, but it was sure funny.

2. Get asked by a Zambian if you knew Oprah Winfrey (of course, we sms daily!) Definite goal #2…

3. Discover the price of a field mouse for your dinner is about $.40 or K2000.

4. Complete your first set of rewarding permaculture workshops with a hard-working group of deserving prisoners. Goal #1.

5. Get introduced to two more Zampop artists and someone who goes by ‘DJ Beezy-Weezy’.  Goal #2 I guess. For you enthusiasts reading, I met General Ozzy and his young brother Roberto.

6. Begin practicing how to drive manual. Eesh, I’m a bit embarrased to admit I don’t know up until now.  How does America let us get a liscense when we only know automatic?! Don’t worry Peace Corps, I wear a seatbelt and only drive around the farm where I work, not on roads.

7. Witness another country’s political election process. To complete Goal #3, ask me about the elections through another medium.

8. Get elbow deep in a rich pile of decomposing compost.  I’m eating pizza with homemade tomato sauce this week thanks to that compost enhanced garden!

9. Find a microscopic eelworm which is a destructive garden pest. I felt an immense sense of pride and success after last week’s challenge of relearning how to use a microscope, collecting  proper soil samples for analysis, and identifing this eelworm.  I did have help from two entomologists in town– it was some serious science. Video clips of this .02mm long eelworm are available upon request. Goal #1.

10. Start helping a neighboring high school boy with his typing and general computer skills.  There are plenty of free learn-to-type software programs out there.  Another exercise was using MS Publisher to design and print a birthday card for his school crush.  How great is that!? Bet Bill Gates doesn’t know he’s assisting in young love a continent away.

Alright, I hope this has been entertaining and informative. Stay well.

Advertisement