Peace Corps - Marya Nowakowski
North Spokane Notes
A weekly bulletin of the Spokane-North Rotary Club
July 7, 2014
Editors: Sandy Fink
Photos: Jim Minkler
Announcements:
President Jon Heideman Installed: Bruce Ellwein installed Jon as the 2014-2015 President of Spokane North. Jon was unable to attend the Installation Banquet last Monday, June 30th, as his second son, Hudson John was born at 9:20pm. Baby Hudson, his Mom and his Dad are all doing well!!! Congratulations Jon and Jennie!
Peace Corp and Rotary in New Collaboration
On May 5, 2014 Rotary International and the Peace Corps expanded their collaboration to promote shared missions of service and sustainable community development.
Mayra Nowakowski, the Regional Representative for the Peace Corp and former Peace Corp volunteer to the Dominican Republic, shared information about this new collaboration and the purpose and benefits of Peace Corp.
The Peace Corps and Rotary operate in many of the same countries and Peace Corps Volunteers (PVCs) live and work as members of local communities during their two years of service. Continuing their service, many PCVs become Rotarians upon their return home.
The mission of the Peace Corps is to promote world peace nd friendship in three ways:
Helping the people of interested countries (the Peace Corps serves by invitation) in meeting their need for trained men and women
Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served
Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans
PCVs work in one of six areas: Agriculture, Community Economic Development, Education (largest area), Environment, Health, and Youth in Development.
PCVs serve for 27 months and currently there are 8,073 volunteers and trainees in approximately 65 countries with the largest percentage serving in Africa.
Successful volunteers must exhibit: comittment to service, leadership skills, sensitivity to other cultures, flexibility, curiosity, and a sense of humor.
Benefits during service include: living stipend and vacation time, medical and dental coverage, student loan assistance, and unique graduate school opportunities. Benefits after service include: transition funds; marketable professional skills gained from language, cross-cultural, and technical training; advantages in federal employment and Peace Corps partner organizations; transition and job support services; financial assistance for graduate programs.
Local universities, including GU and WSU, have both had very good records with sending students to the Peace Corp. The Peace Corp continues to recruit people in the mid-career status as well as persons in retirement.
In the new application process applicants can now indicate their top three choices of countries for assignment and students with AA degrees are accepted in several areas.
Under the new collaboration the Peace Corps and Rotary will explore working together solely in Philippines, Thailand, and Togo for one year as a pilot. By exploring new ways of working together, the organizations will seek administrative efficiencies and greater development impact.
Marya, who is a Richland native, also shared with us some slides from her work in the Dominican Republic at Las Matas De Farfan. She worked there with the Pastoral Social, a farmers association in the area. She helped develop tree nurseries, reforestation projects, firewood plantations, soil conservation and agroforestry projects and fruit tree production.