Welcome to my blog! I am leaving for Peace Corps Costa Rica next month and I figured this is the best way to keep everyone updated on my adventures without flooding everyone’s inboxes. I can’t promise how much access I’ll have to the internet, but I’ll try to keep it up to date.
So now for the details to get you up to date on what in the world I am doing:
First of all, for those of you who don’t know, the Peace Corps (PC) is a governmental agency started by JFK in 1961 to promote international understanding and peace. PC sends educated Americans to participating countries to aid in development in a wide variety of areas including Education, Health, Agriculture, Environment, Business, and more. Each volunteer serves for 27 months, living with the locals, speaking the language, and hopefully helping the community in which they serve. For more info: www.peacecorps.gov
For those of you who know me, know that I have wanted to do this for quite a few years now. I first started seriously considering PC when I went on Semester at Sea and experienced some new cultures, saw a lot of need, and wanted to have a more immersive and significant experience in a foreign community. I really decided PC was for me when I went on a 2 week trip to the Philippines with a group to help a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) who was stationed there. It was great to see how integrated she was in the community, speaking Tagalog, interacting with the community, and really making a difference.
Now I am going to be serving in Costa Rica as a Micro-Enterprise Advisor with the Community Economic Development (CED) program. I will be leaving March 9, attending a brief orientation in Washington DC, then flying with 52 other volunteers to Costa Rica for 11 weeks of intensive language, technical, cultural, etc training. During training, they will interview me and match my skills to the needs of a certain community where I will be placed for 2 years.
While I have a ‘job title’ I’m still unsure what my exact duties or projects might be until I arrive. But in general the CED program promotes entrepreneurial development by helping develop skills or enhance access and interest, especially for women and youth. They also stress the importance of environmental and social responsibility. I could be helping entrepreneurs start up a business, helping improve small businesses, teaching English or technical skills, or any myriad of other possibilities. I am so excited to be able to use my Industrial and Systems Engineering degree (which is basically a business and engineering degree in one) for something that seems to match my passions for international awareness, environmental responsibility, and mico-financing principles.
As for location, as I mentioned, I will not know where I will be living until training. But I will be in a rural or semi-rural community so it will most likely not be in the tourist hot-spots or ultra developed areas. I just hope that I will be able to access the internet and maybe some salsa dancing every once in a while. I definitely can’t wait to experience the Pura Vida I’ve heard so much about.
