By RICHARD SITLER
Indiana Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Living in impoverished Third World villages, teaching kids to speak English and digging latrines are often the types of tasks Americans imagine when they think about the Peace Corps.

While Peace Corps volunteers do these tasks, there is a wider variety of jobs that are accomplished – including duties related to environmental stewardship and agriculture.

“Considering that agriculture is the primary economic activity for most of the world’s people, the countries the Peace Corps serve have a great need for ag volunteers,” said Peace Corps Public Affairs Specialist Christine Torres. “We are always looking for applicants with the education and experience to match to these programs.”

Torres explained many volunteers serve in these categories:
•Agriculture and Forestry Extension
•Applied Agricultural Science
•Farm Management and Agribusiness
•Animal Husbandry

On July 9, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to fully fund the Peace Corps through 2010. The Peace Corps budget for 2009 is $340 million; the proposed budget for 2010 is more than $373 million. Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) challenged Congress “to put the money where its mouth is” for the Peace Corps. He cited the importance of Peace Corps as a “smart power” investment, and made positive reference to the need for higher funding levels.

With this bill, Congress would create more opportunities for those interested in signing up with the Peace Corps. Volunteers serve two years in developing countries that ask for skilled people to work on local projects.

Peace Corps recruiters said the outfit seeks recent college graduates looking for adventure and hands-on work experience before settling into a career path.

“I worked for a few years after college and then choose to apply to Peace Corps for many reasons,” said Carrie Teiken, who is a recruiter for Peace Corps working in the Chicago office. “I wanted a new challenge for myself, and I knew I would learn a lot through this experience. I had traveled to other countries and had always found that I learned so much by spending time with the locals.”

The Peace Corps public affairs office explained that agriculture is the primary economic activity of most of the world’s people, and yet many countries cannot produce adequate supplies of healthy food. Deficiencies in the quantity and quality of food can cause serious health and economic problems.

Peace Corps volunteers help farmers improve local diets and increase income through farming techniques consistent with environmental conservation.

They work with communities and farmers on projects such as implementing agro-forestry techniques to improve soil quality and conserve water, fisheries, beekeeping and honey production, organic vegetable gardening and nutrition education.

Agriculture volunteers work with farmer co-ops, non-governmental organizations and agribusinesses on basic business practices, crop and livestock production, organizing networks of farmers and conducting production cost-and-price analyses.

In partnership with the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organizations, agriculture volunteers support food security programs and work to improve food production, distribution and access.

A variety of educational disciplines and work experiences will be tested through Peace Corps service,” Teiken explained.
“I studied anthropology in school, and this was a chance to use everything I had learned about cultural sensitivity and awareness,” she said. “In addition to this, I had always been interested in doing some type of international development work and having the chance make a difference in someone’s life.”

She was first assigned as an environmental volunteer in Ghana in Western Africa. In addition to her education in anthropology, Teiken also studied environmental studies. She worked for environmental organizations for four years after college. Teiken also worked on a 10-acre organic farm during the summers while in college.

In Ghana, she worked with an international non-governmental organization to help implement a food-security program.
“I was assigned to work with farmers in my area to help them develop secondary income projects that were also natural resource-based, which was important in order for the project to be sustainable after I finished my service,” Teiken said. “We set up tree nurseries to grow amenity species, species for woodlots, as well cashew and grafted mangos seedlings to sell for cash crops.

“I also helped the farmers acquire loans for beekeeping projects. In addition to this, we planted thousands of tree seedlings in the villages surrounding my town, and I did a lot of education on deforestation and erosion.”

She said the farmers are still progressing since her service in Ghana ended.

“One farmer was able to buy a grinding mill for his community,” Teiken reported. “Previously the closest mill was over an hour walk away, which seemed a lot longer after working at farm all day - and then carrying a load of maize on your head for over two hours. Now this farmer is earning additional income from the mill and his community does not have to suffer just to eat.

“Another farmer I worked with was able to buy blocks to build his own house, and he is also able to pay all six of his children’s school fees. Another one bought a taxi. He has hired a driver while he still tends to his farm and tree nursery. Starting the tree nurseries and beekeeping projects has allowed these farmers to earn additional income, which in turn has made an impact on their family’s lives. They can now provide them with the things we consider basic necessities: food, clothing, housing and education.”

She said her Peace Corps service has added to her own life, too.
“Having a background in agriculture and serving in Peace Corps is a great way to share your skills and also learn a lot in the process,” Teiken explained. “Peace Corps service is very challenging which is also what makes it rewarding. It gave me a whole new perspective on the world because I was able to see global issues first hand. I was able to gain more skills in agriculture by learning different techniques.

“I also developed very close relationships to members in my community and they treated me like family – it was amazing to see how giving Ghanaians are when they have so little.

“I was able to make an impact on the people I worked with, but they also made a huge impact on me which will stay with me forever.”