Hi, All –

 

You may want to participate.

 

See below my signature information.

 

Put your gardening skills to work in an overseas community that needs your help!  The Peace Corps is looking for experienced vegetable gardeners to work in one of 76 countries around the world.  Agriculture and environment volunteers assist communities where environmental issues are in conflict with basic needs for farming and income generation.

 

**What would I be doing?**  Volunteer projects include organic vegetable gardening, fruit tree production, live fences, fish cultivation, apiculture and honey production, livestock health, meat and wool production, and nutrition education.

 

**Why would I want to join the Peace Corps?**  In addition to the opportunity to make an impact on others and yourself, the Peace Corps offers round-trip travel, a monthly living allowance, full medical and dental care, three months of training, student loan deferment, graduate school opportunities, and $6,075 upon completion of service.

 

**Why is the Peace Corps targeting Master Gardeners?**  We are looking for people with hands-on, practical experience in the agriculture and environment fields.  Master Gardeners have undergone valuable training and have demonstrated leadership in their communities.  Communities overseas can use your help and we think you’ll benefit both personally and professionally from the experience.

 

**What else do I need to know?**  The Peace Corps is a 27-month commitment overseas. There is NO upper age limit.  Married couples can serve together.  Read more about specific assignments and countries where we work at www.peacecorps.gov.  Attend a local event near you by checking www.peacecorps.gov/events. 

 

Questions?  Contact your local recruitment office at 1-800-424-8580, option 1.  Or you can email Tori Wilson at twilson2@peacecorps.gov.  

 

Baby Boomers Site:  www.peacecorps.gov/50plus

Graduate School Opportunities: www.peacecorps.gov/gradschool

Where Peace Corps Works:  www.peacecorps.gov/countries

Peace Corps Assignments: www.peacecorps.gov/assignments

Find an event near you: www.peacecorps.gov/events

 

Tori Wilson
Regional Recruiter
Peace Corps

Jamaica 1998-2001

2361 Rosecrans Ave. Suite 155
El Segundo, CA  90245
Phone: (310) 356-1119
Fax: (310) 356-1125

Email:  twilson2@peacecorps.gov

 Peace Corps Assignment 117

 

THE PEACE CORPS:

CREATING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

As a Peace Corps Volunteer, you help translate host

country development plans into community level

action, thus improving the lives of local people.

You arrive, not with funds or equipment, but with

skills and knowledge as well the willingness to adapt

them to your community. A successful project is one

that continues to function effectively after you leave.

Before starting your two-year assignment, you receive up

to three months of training that focuses on language,

cross-cultural, and technical skills. It is usually provided

in the country where you serve. The training focuses on

language and cultural training to give you an understanding

of the country’s governmental system, cultural norms,

and interpersonal relations. This assists you in becoming

an integral member of the community. Technical training

enhances your ability to effectively transfer your skills

and knowledge to host-country people.

 

YOUR WORK AS A PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER

In many of the countries where Peace Corps Volunteers

work, the economic base of rural communities is founded

upon agricultural enterprise. As an Agriculture and Forestry

Extension Volunteer, you help rural families by increasing

agricultural productivity and environmental protection,

improving nutritional awareness, and organizing income

generation activities. In collaboration with male and female

farmers, women or youth groups, schools, government

agriculture extensionists or non-profit organizations, you

may be involved in the following types of projects:

 

Field Crop Production

• Conduct field trials and demonstrations with local

farmers to experiment with crop rotation, erosion

control, cover crops, seed production, crop varietal

selection, fertilizer use, irrigation and integrated pest

management. The objective is to increase production

of staple crops such as rice, corn, millet, sorghum,

and cassava.

 

Community, School and Home Gardens

• Work with farmers and students to improve production

of indigenous or newly introduced varieties of fruits and

vegetables by using “bio-intensive” gardening techniques

that maximize production in a limited area or

growing season.

• Promote inter cropping fruits or vegetables with

field crops to improve local diets.

 

Agriculture & Forestry Extension

 

Community Forestry

• Train local people in technical skills to create village

woodlots, community nurseries, and reforestation of

degraded lands.

• Train farmers to apply sound forestry and conservation

practices, such as inter cropping, contour planting, and

use of live fencing.

• Make presentations on environmental education in rural

schools and at farmers’ meetings to provide information

on environmentally sound alternatives to destructive

practices.

 

Food Storage and Preservation

• Work with families or cooperative groups on

methods to decrease post-harvest losses to insects,

rodents, or spoilage by using home storage units or

grain treatments using ash or other locally available

materials.

 

Marketing

• Work with local farmers who are organizing

themselves into marketing cooperatives in order to

gain a higher market price for their produce.

 

Fisheries

• Conduct demonstrations that motivate small scale

farmers to experiment with various fisheries

techniques, including the construction of new ponds

and the renovation of existing ponds.

• Give workshops on sustainable and efficient

aquaculture practices, such as fertilization, stocking,

fish culture techniques, transportation of fingerlings,

and fish harvesting.

• Train community members in marketing and in

small-scale fishery business management to enable

the expansion or start-up of aquaculture ventures.

You function at the grass-roots level to address critical

development problems associated with hunger, poverty,

and economics. Involvement in these activities means

involvement in the life of the community and often, an

assignment with little or no established structure or

schedule. You will be continually engaged in defining

your role in response to the needs of the local people.

Your creativeness, flexibility, self-motivation, and selfdiscipline

will be vigorously challenged as you establish

credibility and adapt to your new environment. You are

part of a long-term development process, measuring your

progress by small successes within the warmth and

sincerity of the local people’s hospitality.

that they themselves have identified. You can make a

tremendous contribution to the lives of others. At the same

time, you discover that your experience is as much about

your learning as it is about teaching.

Volunteer service develops or accentuates your

professional abilities and enhances your personal growth.

Virtually all returning Volunteers agree they have

received far more than they have given. Recent college

graduates gain hands-on experience and sometimes

further define their career goals. Others confirm

their commitment to their profession and receive

career-boosting international experience. Retirees

bring their accumulated life experiences to those that

need and respect them.

Many employers place great value on the Peace

Corps experience. You will find that your worldview,

resourcefulness, and cross-cultural skills set you apart.

You can have easier access to federal government jobs

or earn college credit or scholarships because of your

Peace Corps service. Whatever you decide to do after

Peace Corps, you will bring with you a rare knowledge

of the world, of people, and of yourself.

While there may be days of frustration and disappointment,

there will also be a lifetime of satisfaction. The courage,

patience and fortitude you call upon helps you understand

why Peace Corps is still the toughest job you’ll ever love.

 

VOLUNTEER PROFILE

Most Agriculture and Forestry Extension volunteers are

recent college graduates who have previously studied a

foreign language. Many of these volunteers are liberal arts

majors who have three months of relevant experience.

Volunteers who work in this assignment have several of

the following skills:

• vegetable gardening or landscaping experience;

• good leadership and organizing skills;

• formal or informal teaching or tutoring with adults

or youth;

• some hands-on experience on a farm or in a nursery;

• interest and background in environmental issues.

 

EXAMPLE OF AGRICULTURE PROJECTS

 

Honduras. Peace Corps Volunteers in Honduras work

with farm families who must farm on steep slopes that

are very susceptible to erosion. Many farmers practice

migratory agriculture, in which a parcel of forest is slashed

and cultivated for a period of three to five years, or until

further cultivation is not feasible. Volunteers work with

farmers to develop techniques that are more ecologically

sustainable and financially viable. Examples include row

tillage, construction of live erosion barriers, and cover

crops. The project has been managed since 1989 in

collaboration with the Honduras Ministry of Natural

Resources and several private voluntary organizations.

 

EXAMPLES OF FISHERIES PROJECTS

 

Gabon. The Rural Fish Culture Project promotes appropriate

aquaculture techniques and offers villagers an income

generating occupation. Peace Corps Volunteers help

villagers build and manage their own fish ponds. Duties

include working with or advising fish farmers and teaching

fish culture techniques to a population that has limited

experience with animal husbandry or agriculture practices.

Volunteers are also selecting pond system sites in the

equatorial rain forest and organizing community meetings.

 

Philippines. Peace Corps Volunteers are working as

Coastal Resources Management Advisors for small island

municipalities. Their primary objective is to assist

municipal governments in managing community fishing

resources. Projects include: promoting rehabilitation of

marine resources by deploying artificial reefs, organizing

mangrove reforestation, and demonstrating environmentally

safe fishing methods. They are also involved in

establishing marine sanctuaries and training fishermen in

business management techniques.

 

EXAMPLE OF FORESTRY PROJECTS

 

Guatemala. Peace Corps’ work is vitally important to the

conservation and management of Guatemala’s forests and

cultivated soils. Some farmers do not recognize the value

of conserving natural resources and are dependent upon

forests for construction materials and firewood and on soil

for crops. The goal of the General Directorate of Forests

and Wildlife is to integrate all conservation activities.

Volunteers assist by training community leaders and

groups in conservation of natural resources practices

and systems, such as small nurseries, soil conservation

techniques, agroforestry systems, composting, and

reforestation techniques for fuelwood and fruit trees.

 

A REWARDING EXPERIENCE

Service as a Peace Corps Volunteer offers you a unique

opportunity to learn about critical development issues from

the inside by helping people address community problems

Printed on Recycled Paper

VRS-117(1/99)

 

It is the policy of the Peace Corps to provide equal opportunity in all its

programs for all persons and to prohibit discrimination based on race, color,

national origin, religion, age (over 40), sex, disability, political affiliation, and

sexual orientation in the recruitment, selection, placement, service, and termination

of Peace Corps Volunteers.