Peace Corps

So, I have gotten a couple of comments lately asking what exactly I am doing here in Peru with the Peace Corps. I remember that when I left I still didn't exactly know what I was coming here for. So, this brief entry is for a run down of that.

As of tomorrow, I will be starting my two year Peace Corps service working as an Environmental Management volunteer in the department of Lambayeque, Peru. What this means is that I will be attempting to fulfill three goals; Environmental Education, Waste Management and Reforestation in the form of planting one thousand trees, preferably native species.

In all three specific goals, the Peace Corps aims to develop our project sustainably, and from what I understand, that means having the community be able to go through all of the steps of initiating and completing a project on their own with little assistance. In other words, I am here to "facilitate" more than lead. The goal is that when I leave, the community I work in will be able to have better environmental practices without my help. In my mind, that means education will be the most important aspect because in any part of the world, no one wants to act on environmental issues without understanding why it is important.

So, in other words, I will be planting trees, building landfills, and working with youth and adults about basic environmental education. I am VERY excited to start, especially the education part. I want to thank you all for your support in me being here, and for you love in the form of emails and thoughts.

Love you all, thanks for reading!