Peace Corps Overseas Host National Programs

AGRICULTURE & ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENT
Global Info Brief 2012

What Is the Peace Corps?
The Peace Corps was established in 1961 by
President John F. Kennedy with a mission to
promote world peace and friendship through the
service of American volunteers abroad. Today,
more than 8,000 Peace Corps Volunteers are
working with local communities in 76 host countries
in the areas of Agriculture, Community Economic
Development, Education, Environment, Health, and
Youth in Development. For two years, many
Volunteers live in hard-to-reach or marginalized
communities, learning the local language and
working side by side with local partners to find
sustainable solutions. Utilizing innovation and resourcefulness, Volunteers help communities leverage
appropriate local resources and technology to address needs.
The following information is based on self-reported Volunteer information gathered in end-of-year status
reports for fiscal year 2012.
Overview of the Peace Corps Agriculture and Environment Sectors

Peace Corps programming in Agriculture and Environment helps build resilient communities and sustainable
landscapes. Agriculture projects are designed to build competency among small-hold farmers by improving basic
agricultural practices, intensifying the value and volume of production, improving incomes and access to goods,
and improving the resilience and stability of household nutrition and overall food security. The Peace Corps
supports efforts to ensure sustainable farming practices, improving business practices and sustaining the natural
resource base, including effective soil and water conservation practices. Volunteers promote improved farming
practices that help communities adapt to deteriorating environmental conditions due to a changing climate and
other factors.
Environment projects, which often overlap with agricultural activities, focus on environmental protection and
the sustainable use of natural resources. Volunteers support environmental education and awareness programs
with both youth and adults, assist communities and government agencies in managing forests and protected
areas, and promote effective conservation activities such as agroforestry, ecotourism, recycling, reforestation,
soil and water conservation, and solid waste management.
Volunteers actively collaborate with community members and community-based organizations (such as
womens associations or youth clubs), farmers groups, nongovernmental organizations, and schools to carry out
these projects. Activities to be targeted for Peace Corps assistance depend largely on host country development
strategies, local conditions, and priorities.
Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Headquarters | 1111 20th Street NW | Washington, DC 20526 | 800.424.8580 | www.peacecorps.gov
AGRICULTURE & ENVIRO NMENT | Global Info Brief 2012
What We Do in the Agriculture and Environment Sectors

Volunteers work in one or more of the following project areas:
Agricultural Production and Improved Cultivation Practices: Volunteers provide support and training in the
use of intensive farming practices in order to boost crop productivity. This includes farming methods that
reduce erosion and enhance soil fertility, use water more efficiently, and optimize the use of agricultural
inputs. Improved soil management methods are important in boosting the production of basic staple crops.
Volunteers employ non-formal educational methods (e.g., Farmer Field School model), promoted
extensively by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Productivity: Volunteers help farmers boost productivity of crops and small livestock by introducing
intensive farming practices, including agroforestry, integrated pest management, mixed cropping methods,
permagardens, and improved techniques in small animal husbandry and beekeeping.
Markets: Volunteers improve farm access to markets by supporting farming as a business. They conduct
training in basic business practices and organizational skills development that will optimize opportunities for
income generation. Farmers are also assisted with preserving and protecting their crops through the
introduction of improved post-harvest technology and storage.
Resilience and Stability: Volunteers improve the resilience and stability of the most vulnerable, often
women and children, by enhancing their health status through programs in nutritional education and access
to clean drinking water, sanitation, and improved hygiene.
Environmental Education: Volunteers help students of all ages learn about environmental sustainability.
They help develop curricula and instructional materials and introduce teachers to effective and innovative
teaching techniques. With schoolchildren, they sponsor ecology-focused camps, clubs, and excursions, and
address environmental topics in the classroom.
Community Engagement in Environmental Issues: Volunteers work with local organizations and
government officials to help identify significant environmental problems affecting their communities.
Projects include demonstration gardens, community woodlots, composting efforts, solid waste management
programs, reforestation and soil conservation projects, and citizen environmental awareness campaigns.
Natural Resource Management: Volunteers help communities manage their natural resources sustainably
and profitably. They help establish tree nurseries, stabilize soil and watersheds, and manage protected
areas. Volunteers also help households and organizations address environmental, health, and energy
efficiency through such measures as employing biodigesters and fuel-efficient cookstoves.
Sustainable Income Generation: Volunteers help individuals develop sustainable ways of generating income
by encouraging small enterprises to adopt sound business practices and market their products. They also
help communities develop ecotourism ventures and train people to earn sustainable income from them.
Our Approach
Volunteers working in the Agriculture and Environment sectors encourage people to meet their needs and
desires in environmentally sustainable ways and to maintain resilient communities and ecosystems. They work
with people of all ages in a broad spectrum of occupations and contexts: farmers, fishers, herders, teachers,
government officials, small business owners, park rangers, and those in domestic household settings. They are
especially active with hard-to-reach populations and marginalized communities, often working with vulnerable
women and children. Volunteers are uniquely capable of bringing about constructive change at the local level
PEACE CORPS | Page 2 of 4

since they learn about the most significant issues confronting the communities in which they live. They also
understand the concerns, values, beliefs, knowledge, and cultural norms of those with whom they are working.
Where We Work
Below is a list of countries by region that worked on Agriculture and Environment projects in FY 2012:
Africa (AF)
Benin (EN)
Guinea (EN)
Tanzania (EN)
Burkina Faso (EN)
Madagascar (EN)
The Gambia (EN)
Cameroon (EN)
Malawi (EN)
Togo (EN)
Ethiopia (EN)
Senegal (AG)
Zambia (AG/EN)
Ghana (AG)
Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia (EMA)

Morocco (EN)
Philippines (EN)
Inter-America and Pacific (IAP)

Dominican Republic (EN)
Jamaica (EN)
Panama (AG/EN)
Ecuador (EN)
Mexico (EN)
Paraguay (AG/EN)
Fiji (EN)
Nicaragua (AG/EN)
Peru (EN)
Guatemala (AG/EN)
*Country lists were determined based on field-generated end-of-year status reports for FY 2012 and may not align with
other publicly available data.
Who We Support
The following table presents estimates of the number of individuals, service providers, organizations, and
communities that Agriculture and Environment Volunteers reached by region in FY 2012.
Region
Individuals
Assisted
Service
Providers
Assisted
Organizations
Communities
Africa
123,500
4,300
2,100
2,100
Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia
17,700
1,600
300
300
Inter-America and Pacific
117,300
6,200
2,100
1,600
Totals
258,500
12,100
4,500
4,000
Highlights from FY 2012

Master Farmer Program: In Senegal, a training of trainers model has been adopted in which Volunteers
coordinate a Master Farmer program. In groups, lead farmers are trained on improved agricultural methods
and the introduction of high-yield varieties of beans, corn, rice, and sweet potatoes. As a result, out of 609
Master Farmers trained, five organized open field days attended by 300 farmers from 50 communities.
Climate Smart Agriculture: Volunteers are addressing the impact of climate change on crop loss in Paraguay
by designing workshops that cover climatology and the use of analytical tools in risk analysis and prospect
planning to help farmers better adapt to and mitigate climate stress. Permaculture and rainwater
management are proposed as adaptive strategies to efficiently manage extreme climate events.
Cooperative Development: In Ghana, a Volunteer is assisting with the registration of 30 groups, comprised
of 750 members, into a regional cooperative that produces shea butter and groundnuts. A village savings
and loan association is also being organized under this initiative.
Processing and Value Addition: Volunteers have taught individuals and farmer groups in 21 Peace Corps
countries across all three program regions how to generate sustainable income by making a wide range of
products, including coconut oil, jams and preserves, moringa powder, neem cream, shea butter, soap, soy
milk and powder, and various handicrafts.
Environmental Camps: Volunteers in 18 countries organized after-school environmental camps, clubs, and
excursions. Activities included constructing fuel-efficient cookstoves, planting trees, establishing school
gardens and tree nurseries, and conducting trash cleanup days.
Soil and Water Conservation: In Ghana, a Volunteer organized the distribution of 11,000 vetiver plants to
serve as a hedgerow along an earthen dam. This will provide soil stabilization and erosion control to prevent
the collapse of the dam. With the help of several other Volunteers, small community working groups
gathered to plant the vetiver.
Fuel-Efficient Cookstoves: Volunteers in seven countries in Africa and Latin America trained individuals and
community groups, mostly women, in improved cookstove construction. The stoves reduce firewood use
and the time (and subsequent distance) required to gather it. There is also a reduction in indoor smoke that
can pose serious respiratory health problems.
Gardens: Volunteers in at least 17 countries from Africa and Latin America worked with farmers, womens
groups, schools, and others to help them improve the productivity of their gardens. This included training in
composting, green manure, mulching, natural pest management, permaculture, and vermiculture.
COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

working side by side with local partners to find sustainable solutions. Utilizing innovation and resourcefulness,
Volunteers help communities leverage appropriate local resources and technology to address needs.
Overview of the Peace Corps Community Economic Development Sector

Community Economic Development (CED) projects aim to enhance the quality of life of communities by
strengthening the local civil society and business environment, building the capacity of community residents to
take control of their own economic future. CED projects fall within three areas: organizational development,
business development, and personal money management. These areas are adapted to the local conditions and
priorities, and depend on host country development strategies.
What We Do in the Community Economic Development Sector

Strengthening Organizational Development: Volunteers develop the capacity of both grassroots
community-based organizations and national nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Volunteers help such
organizations to draft mission statements and bylaws; improve board governance, internal management,
and project management; create strategic plans; increase public awareness through better marketing and
advocacy campaigns; raise funds and resources; network; improve outreach and client services; and put
technology to better use.
Promoting Business Development: Volunteers train and advise entrepreneurs and business managers in
business planning, marketing, financial management, product design and distribution, and customer service.
They counsel cooperatives; teach business and entrepreneurship workshops, courses, and camps; and
coordinate business plan competitions for youth. Volunteers may also work with entire communities to
improve market linkages for local businesses; to start community-run businesses, such as ecotourism
COMMUNITY ECONOMIC D EVELOPMENT | Global Info Brief 2012
initiatives; and to coordinate overall community economic development by bringing together the local
government, NGO, and business sectors for collaboration.
Improving access to credit and personal money management: Volunteers assist microfinance institutions to
improve their outreach to potential clients, and assist would-be entrepreneurs to access microfinance
services. In communities with few microfinance or formal banking services, Volunteers work with
community members to set up and manage their own savings and loan associations. Volunteers provide
financial literacy training to youth and adults regarding budgeting, savings, financial negotiations, and the
wise use of credit.
Our Approach
Peace Corps CED projects work to alleviate poverty and strengthen civil society with interventions at the
household, enterprise, organization, and community levels. The Peace Corps particular strengths include
presence at the local level, cultural sensitivity, and a self-help approach. The Peace Corps promotes the ability of
local organizations and the local business community to network and create linkages with public and private
sector entities to share resources and access new markets. This involves identifying the competitive advantages
of the local economy, and providing appropriate business management and information technology skills. The
Peace Corps strives to develop a business environment that is culturally, environmentally, and socially beneficial
and sustainable. Volunteers work in collaboration with schools, microfinance and business development service
providers, libraries, womens groups and farmers associations, community development associations, savings
and loan associations, cooperatives, NGOs, youth clubs, and individual business owners. The work of the CED
Volunteer complements and enhances the overall efforts of stakeholders, donors, and local governments.
Where We Work
Below is a list of countries that worked on CED projects in FY 2012:
Africa (AF)
Benin
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Guinea
Kenya
Madagascar
Mali
Namibia
Senegal
Togo
Uganda
Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia (EMA)

Albania
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bulgaria
Georgia
Kyrgyz Republic
Macedonia
Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
Thailand
Ukraine
Inter-America and Pacific (IAP)

Belize
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Eastern Caribbean
El Salvador
Guatemala
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Vanuatu
PEACE CORPS | Page 2
Each of CEDs three categoriesorganizational development, business development, and personal money
managementincludes more specific work areas where Volunteers may focus their project activities. For
instance, organizational development includes organizational management, leadership development, and
advocacy. Business development includes entrepreneurship, income generation activities, and business
management. Personal money management includes financial literacy and savings-led microfinance. The
following chart shows the number of Peace Corps projects, across all sectors, engaged in each of the eight CED
activity areas by region.
Who We Support
communities that CED Volunteers reached across all three regions.
Region
Individuals
Assisted
Service
Providers
Assisted
Organizations
Communities
Africa
143,300
7,800
1,200
800
89,300
7,400
1,700
1,200
107,300
6,900
2,300
1,600
Totals
339,900
22,100
5,200
3,600
Highlights from FY2012

Strengthening Organizational Capacity
Raising awareness to combat human trafficking and bullying: Volunteers and partners in Moldova
organized a weeklong Freedom Festival to raise awareness of human trafficking. The event included
roundtable discussions, a social theater performance, a concert, workshops, seminars in schools, flier
distribution, and surveys. In Ukraine, Volunteers planned camps, held public campaigns, and organized probono legal aid for individuals who intend to work abroad, apprising them of their rights. Volunteers in Belize,
Cameroon, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Kyrgyz Republic, and Panama are working on conflict resolution. After
recent cases of youth racketeering and bullying in Kyrgyz schools resulted in the death of a 15-year-old boy
in a Volunteers village, the Peace Corps held a conflict resolution and leadership camp for students in two
villages. Students then implemented conflict resolution trainings in their respective villages.
Nationwide Adoption of Peace Corps Capacity Assessment Tool: After a collaborative process and
nationwide training, the Panamanian Institute of Cooperatives adopted the Peace Corps Business and
Organizational Capacity Assessment tool for use with all cooperatives throughout the country. The tool is
now being used as part of the cooperative administration degree at Panamas National University, and is
considered a necessary part of the cooperative development process.
Promoting Business Development

Nurturing a New Generation of Entrepreneurs: After Volunteers were assigned to Namibian schools to
improve the implementation of the Ministry of Educations entrepreneurship curriculum, all the principals at
the eight schools served reported no less than a 75 percent pass rate in the national Grade 10 examination
for entrepreneurship, compared to 4050 percent the previous year. In Nicaragua, 15,269 11th-grade
students successfully completed the entrepreneurship course developed by the Peace Corps and adopted by
the Ministry of Education. As part of the course, 1,808 student businesses were formed during the academic
year and 5 percent of the businesses continued after the business plan competitions and product fairs.
Turning Trash to Wealth: Volunteers throughout Senegal continue to work with entrepreneurs to turn solid
waste into a business opportunity by providing a fee-based trash removal service. Six new privately run solid
waste management businesses provide the services. Trash collection, removal, recycling, and compost
production generate income and jobs for five new communities.
Improving Production and Sales: Peace Corps/Senegals collaboration with Swahili Exports resulted in the
creation of hundreds of jobs for women in 14 villages, bringing over $100,000 to the households in a threemonth period. Sales have increased from one 40-foot container each quarter to one each month. In the
Dominican Republic, Fruticoop Inc. improved production, reduced costs, and made its dried pineapple
product more appealing, resulting in its second-largest sale to a major supermarket distributor in the
Dominican Republic. Second quarter sales increased by 25 percent. A Volunteer and counterpart in Togo
facilitated an order for 1,500 yards of fabric between a womens group and Reef, a shoe manufacturer. With
assistance from a Volunteer, the SAHALANDY federation in Madagascar participated in the Santa Fe Folk Art
Festival in July 2012 and sold $34,000 worth of silk products.
EDUCATION

Overview of the Peace Corps and the Education Sector

Education has been the Peace Corps largest sector since its inception more than 50 years ago. Education
projects typically include a wide range of activities related to teachers, students, and communities, linked to
national priorities. Volunteers work in four project areas: teaching English as a foreign language, childhood
literacy, gender equity, and math and science. They work as teachers or in teams of teachers in primary or
secondary schools and as teacher trainers in universities or teacher-training centers.
Volunteers work with teachers to improve content instruction, student-centered teaching methodologies,
classroom management, authentic assessments, parental involvement, and gender equity in the classroom.
Requests for English teachers are continually increasing as teachers and students strive to meet the
communication demands of a competitive world.
Equally important is the work Volunteers do to improve literacy and critical thinking skills. They also provide
library and technology resources to counterparts and all studentsboys and girlsin an effort to better meet
academic and employment skills needed in the global community. All Education projects emphasize
communities of practice, where students, teachers, and community members work together to enhance student
learning and explore how it can be supported at home or by the local community.
EDUCATION | Global Info Brief 2012
What We Do in the Education Sector

Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL): Volunteers focus on collaborating with their host country
counterparts to improve English proficiency and English language teaching skills and support participation in
professional development. This leads to improved English language instruction, increased English
proficiency, and better content delivery for students in countries where English is the medium of instruction.
In addition to formal classroom instruction at the primary, secondary, and tertiary level, TEFL Volunteers
participate in various informal activities, such as English camps and clubs, and general education activities,
such as school gardens, library development, community support groups for schools, etc.
Childhood Literacy: Volunteers focus on promoting learning to read, comprehension proficiency, and the
enhancement of the literate environment. Some projects focus on improving students basic literacy and
numeracy skills while others focus on helping teachers develop remedial literacy strategies for students at
risk of failing. Other projects use the library to introduce the use of books to support content instruction.
Literacy work takes place primarily in the early primary grades, but also targets students up to and including
secondary school, as well as out-of-school youth. Volunteer work includes collaboration with teachers as
literacy coaches and mentors to introduce student-centered teaching methodologies that engage young
learners in learning to read and comprehend text.
Gender Empowerment: Volunteers promote gender empowerment and equitable teaching practices for
girls and boys. Depending on the region and country, issues of access to school and continuance for girls and
boys is important. This can include Volunteers engagement of the community in promoting gender equity
and introducing youth to life skills. Volunteers support girls participation by creating after-school clubs,
working with teachers to integrate gender-equitable practices in their teaching, and developing support
networks through youth programs that include boys. Boys are included in this type of project because
everyone benefits from instituting equitable approaches, and working with boys, men, and fathers is
necessary to create a more equal society.
Math, Science, and ICT: Volunteers focus on middle school or secondary students and train counterparts on
how to engage in content-based instruction (where content is taught through a language that is not the
students native language), to work in low-resource settings, to introduce learner-centered approaches, and
to engage students, particularly girls, by using real-life applications in teaching. Most Volunteers are
engaged in direct teaching of these subjects while others may co-teach and co-plan with host country
counterparts. Many math and science projects promote teacher communities of practice, where teachers
share innovative teaching and assessment techniques and help each other build their craft.
Our Approach
Peace Corps Education projects vary across the globe, often by region and sometimes within a region; however,
most Volunteers work within a school setting to support host country counterparts to further develop their
teaching, classroom pedagogy, and management techniques and introduce new ways to support and assess
student achievement. Only Volunteers with teaching certifications and substantial prior teaching experience are
placed in teacher training roles. Many Volunteers undertake library or technology for development projects to
build capacity in the school community.
In Africa and the Pacific, Volunteers are in the classroom

teaching English, literacy and reading, mathematics, and
science, due to teacher shortages, especially in rural
areas. In these regions, Volunteers also may train
teachers or provide informal instruction to out-of-school
youth. In the Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia (EMA)
region, local teachers tend to be more qualified, with
advanced degrees and teaching certifications.
Volunteers in EMA countries are often in co-teacher or
team-teaching roles, and usually only work in TEFL
classrooms. They often share classroom responsibilities
with an experienced local teacher, providing native English-speaker fluency and enrichment activities to the
curriculum and creating new and exciting after-school options.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the problem isnt a shortage of teachers, but a lack of well-qualified
teachers. In rural areas, many teachers have no more than a high school diploma. In these cases, Volunteers
train teachers and work directly with students in teaching English, ICT, andespecially for the English-speaking
Caribbean countriesteaching literacy, reading, and numeracy. In parts of Latin America and the Caribbean
where there are sufficiently trained teachers, Volunteers are encouraged to act as co-teachers or coaches in the
classroom alongside their host country counterparts.
Where We Work
Below is a list of countries and the primary focus of their Education projects in FY 2012:
TEFL
Albania
Cameroon*
Georgia
Moldova
Samoa
Armenia
Cape Verde*
Indonesia
Mongolia*
Thailand*
Azerbaijan*
China*
Jordan
Nicaragua*
Togo*
Belize*
Colombia*
Kyrgyz Republic*
Panama*
Tonga
Benin*
Costa Rica
Macedonia*
Philippines*
Turkmenistan
Bulgaria*
Ecuador
Madagascar*
Romania
Ukraine*
Cambodia*
Ethiopia
Micronesia
Rwanda*
Zambia*
Literacy
Dominican
Republic*
The Gambia*
Guyana
Jamaica
Math/Science/ICT
Lesotho*
Mali*
Paraguay
Uganda
Vanuatu*
Burkina Faso
Ghana*
Guinea*
Liberia*
Malawi*
Mozambique*
Namibia*
Sierra Leone
Tanzania*
Additionally, Jordan has a Special Education project and Kenya has Deaf Education. All countries with an * include gender
empowerment activities to support education. Country lists were determined based on field-generated end-of-year status
reports for FY 2012 and may not align with other publicly available data.
Who We Support
communities that Education Volunteers reached by region in FY 2012.
Region
Individuals
Assisted
Service
Providers
Assisted
Africa
513,200
31,000
3,300
2,800
435,800
34,500
3,400
2,700
106,900
7,600
1,300
1,200
1,055,900
73,100
8,000
6,700
Totals
Organizations
Communities

Hosting English Writing Competitions: In the Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia region, TEFL Volunteers from
11 countries supported their students to participate in the Writing Olympics, an English-language creativewriting competition organized annually by Peace Corps Volunteers in Georgia. This year, 13 countries
participated and more than 1,500 essays were submitted worldwide. Volunteers and their student winners
also attended the Write On Awards Ceremony.
Developing Reading Diagnostics Tools: In Guyana, Volunteers working in childhood literacy in primary
schools in Region 5 collaborated with their counterparts to create a Reading Diagnostics Booklet for primary
school students, accompanied by a series of workshops for teachers to demonstrate how to administer
diagnostic tools and use its data to enhance instruction. The Region 5 education officer, district education
officers, and head teachers worked with the Volunteers and counterparts to support teachers in
administering the assessment and altering instruction to correct commonly indentified errors.
Increasing Test-Taking Skills: In Ukraine, over 300 Volunteers utilized clubs to train more than 4,500
students for participation in English as a foreign language competition, including English Language
Olympiads, FLEX testing, Writing Olympics, and Essay Competition. Volunteers focused on increasing
vocabulary and practicing and improving audio/writing skills. They have exposed students to the American
cultural perspective of test taking, essay writing, and answering abstract questions.
Training Trainers: In Togo, a Volunteer continued the work of a Volunteer who preceded her by offering a
three-day training of trainers workshop using the Men As Partners curriculum. Using small project assistance
funds, 30 teachers were trained by Togolese trainers. Currently, three of those trainers are now planning a
training of community business owners and their apprentices.
Developing Girls Life Skills: In Cameroon, Volunteers held an eight-day Life Skills camp for 45 elementary
school girls. Topics included HIV/AIDS awareness and education and enhancing communication and
leadership skills through games, role-playing, drawing, and writing. On the last day of the camp, the girls
created an action plan to develop a follow-up activity to deliver during the school year to demonstrate their
leadership skills and their knowledge of what they learned. To effectively monitor and evaluate the camps
success and effectiveness, facilitators have planned pre- and post-tests on the material covered.
GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMENS EMPOWERMENT

What is the Peace Corps?
/GENDER
AND DEVELOPMENT
The Peace Corps was established in 1961 by President John F.
Kennedy with the mission of promoting world peace and
friendship through the service of American Volunteers
abroad. Today, more than 8,000 Peace Corps Volunteers are
working with local communities in 76 host countries in the
areas of Agriculture, Community Economic Development,
Education, Environment, Health, and Youth in Development.
For two years, many Volunteers live in hard-to-reach or
marginalized communities, learn the local language, and
work side by side with local partners to find sustainable
solutions. Utilizing innovation and resourcefulness,
Volunteers help communities leverage appropriate local
resources and technology to address needs.
reports for fiscal year 2012 from the Africa (AF), Europe, Middle East, and Asia (EMA), and Inter-America and the
Pacific (IAP) regions.
Overview of Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment at Peace Corps

In 2012, the Peace Corps changed the name of its Women in Development/Gender and Development program
to Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment. This was done to reflect U.S. government efforts to promote
gender equality worldwide. The Peace Corps integrates gender into all aspects of training and programming,
from gender analysis training to ensuring Volunteers use gender-sensitive approaches to implement
development projects in all sectors. Volunteers work closely with host country counterparts and with
community members to integrate gender in
ways that are culturally relevant and address
the specific challenges of that locality.
Our Approach
Peace Corps Volunteers integrate gender
considerations into their work in all sectors, and
they also organize activities where the explicit
goal is to empower girls and boys or help girls,
boys, women, and men to embrace positive
healthy gender norms. Youth camps and peer
clubs cover life skills, healthy relationships,
gender relations, empowerment, and other
topics specific to the country context.
Volunteers also reach out to women and
Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Headquarters | 1111 20th Street NW | Washington, DC 20526 | 855.855.1961 | peacecorps.gov
GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMENS EMPOWERMENT | Global Info Brief 2011
womens groups to increase their access to health services, improve their business skills, and enhance their
participation
in
agricultural
cooperatives. Many posts engage
boys and men in discussions of
gender
norms,
healthy
relationships, and gender-based
violence to both promote gender
equality and help boys address
their own gender challenges.
Finally, Volunteers take advantage
of training opportunities with
beneficiaries to talk about a
multitude of gender-related topics,
from reproductive health and HIV
to trafficking to girls education. In addition, more than 20 posts have working groups that promote gender
across all sectors.
How Volunteers Integrate Gender

In FY 2012, Volunteers in all 76 host countries contributed in some way to Gender Equality and Womens
Empowerment. Volunteers worked on a wide variety of gender-related activities, as evidenced by the following
graph.
Where We Work
Volunteers at each post, across all three regions, work on gender-related activities. They work in capitals, small
towns, and tiny villages, serving in universities, cooperatives, schools, health clinics, libraries, farms, and
nongovernmental organization (NGO) and government offices.
Who We Support
The following graph presents the number of individuals and service providers that Volunteers reached with their
Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment activities across all three regions.
Sector Highlights from FY 2012

Youth: Volunteers across all regions95 percent of all Peace Corps postsorganized youth leadership
camps for both girls and boys, usually with some variation of the themes Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) or
Teaching Our Boys Excellence (TOBE). Such camps include a variety of activities and discussions on gender
equality, girls empowerment, life skills, leadership, self-esteem, adolescent health, body image, healthy
masculine norms, etc. Girls leadership camps in the Philippines improved girls self-esteem and
understanding of healthy relationships, as measured by tests before and after the camps. Participants
commit to taking what they have learned back to their communities through action plans, such as in Jordan
where participants in a Brain Camp replicated sessions for other students in their communities. Many
countries are also strengthening their partnerships with local organizations to improve sustainability. In
Benin, Volunteers and a local NGO ran a Camp Management Training for counterparts to transfer knowledge
of camp management skills and fundraising. The group created a seven-year plan with a goal of operating
and funding all camps locally.
Other youth activities included empowerment-themed sports activities, as well as youth clubs and peer
groups that discussed positive and negative gender norms, such as Boy Scouts groups in Bulgaria. In Costa
Rica, Volunteers designed workshops for teenage girls and boys. Topics included life skills, self-esteem, and
goal setting, as well as a series of creative expression workshops called Voces Valerosas (Courageous Voices)
on leadership, economic justice, health and HIV, human rights, peace, self-esteem, sexual education, and
gender-based violence.
Agriculture: Volunteers in 12 countries improved families food security, health, and nutrition by helping
women plant community gardens, initiate vegetable production, and improve their families consumption of
healthy foods. In Swaziland, Volunteers helped develop vegetable gardens that improved food security for
vulnerable children and their caregivers. In Guatemala, Volunteers facilitated discussions about gender roles
within farmer cooperatives and helped improve business development skills for female farmers. Volunteers
in Cameroon taught fruit processing and drying that helped women increase their incomes through this new
skill set.
Community Economic Development: Volunteers helped women improve their businesses and increase their
incomes by training them in skills as diverse as bookkeeping, jewelry-making, rsum writing, and savings
and lending. They worked with businesswomen to encourage leadership and networking, integrating
messages about reproductive health, gender-based violence, and other womens issues into their business
trainings. In the Gambia, a milling machine not only helped women increase their income, it also reduced
the workload of women and girls, giving the girls more time to study for school. Workshops in Morocco
taught women to set up a website and use email to enhance their business potential. In Suriname, a
Volunteer helped organize a solar-based power system so women could use their sewing machines outside
the limited hours electricity is available in their town.
Education: Volunteers undertook a wide variety of gender-related activities that improved the classroom
environment for girls and boys through gender-equitable teaching practices and supported youth in making
good life choices. In 41 countries, Volunteers organized girls clubs or youth groups after school to discuss life
skills, gender roles, planning for the future, gender-based violence, and other relevant topics. In El Salvador,
the Peace Corps helped award high school scholarships to young women, using funds collected in the
community that were supplemented with grants from U.S. partnerships. In addition, Volunteers worked
with the El Salvador Ministry of Education to help teachers promote gender equality in classrooms. In
Georgia, Volunteers incorporated self-esteem, role models, womens empowerment, and other topics into
their lessons plans and organized an art contest where high-school students drew women superheroes.
Environment: Community members and Volunteers planted trees to reduce desertification, collected and
disposed of trash properly, and encouraged recycling and up-cycling to generate income for women and
other vulnerable populations. Workshops and camps with environmental themes in The Gambia and Togo
empowered women and youth as environmental leaders. Volunteers in countries such as Jamaica have
worked to help women benefit from eco-tourism activities, which has included park ranger training for
women. In Zambia, Volunteers facilitated workshops demonstrating how to make fuel-efficient cookstoves
and simple maize-shellers.
Health: Volunteers use gender analysis and gender-sensitive approaches to engage women and men in
reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, maternal child health, and nutrition topics. Womens clubs are educating
members about nutrition and gardening in Rwanda, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Guatemala. In Ethiopia,
Volunteers support women-only groups of people living with HIV/AIDS. In countries such as Belize and
Ecuador, discussion groups cover domestic violence prevention, harmful cultural norms, healthy
relationships, and alcohol issues. Health Volunteers also work with youth and orphans and vulnerable
children (OVC) to improve their health, ensure girls are supported, and address gender issues. In
Turkmenistan, a Volunteer worked with OVC boys, helping them to make positive choices and teaching them
about physical, mental, and social health.
HEALTH

Overview of the Peace Corps and the Health Sector
Peace Corps Volunteers are in a unique position to undertake health promotion activities with communities and
groups. Working at the grassroots level, Volunteers mentor, support, and encourage community members.
Volunteers counterparts may be health facility staff, community health workers, community and traditional
leaders, womens groups, youth, teachers, community-based organizations, nongovernmental organizations, or
other individuals interested in health initiatives. The Peace Corps is a full partner in the United States
governments response to public health and HIV challenges in low income and resource-poor countries. Health
Volunteers are aligned with key U.S. government partners on major health initiatives, including the Presidents
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Presidents Malaria Initiative (PMI), and Saving Mothers, Giving
Lifeall components of the Global Health Initiative. Focusing on using evidence-based practices, Volunteers
provide communities the support they need to improve the health of their own people.
Volunteers help facilitate awareness-building and improve the knowledge and skills that lead to the adoption of
healthy and improved care-seeking behaviors. Approximately 1,688 Health and HIV Volunteers are working in 51
countries worldwide to promote health and use evidence-based practices to work with community members to
implement a wide range of activities. These include the following:
Learning how to properly store and purify water
Increasing indoor air quality via improved cookstoves
Preparing oral rehydration salts to treat diarrhea
HEALTH | Global Info Brief 2012

Preventing malaria by sleeping under insecticide treated bed nets
Seeking early care for pneumonia and malaria
Developing a plan for emergency obstetric transportation
Promoting exclusive breast-feeding during an infants first six months
Encouraging sexually active youth to know their HIV status
Supporting people living with HIV to adhere to their HIV treatment regimens
Promoting healthy lifestyles to reduce hypertension, obesity, and diabetes
Health Volunteer activities typically fall into four project areas:
HIV Mitigation: This includes reducing the impact of HIV in communities by implementing programs that
address a combination of HIV prevention (behavioral, biomedical, and structural interventions); HIV care,
support, and treatment; and community care of orphans and vulnerable children.
Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health: This includes reducing maternal and child mortality and morbidity by
implementing programs that address maternal and neonatal care, infant and young child health, early
childhood development, and malaria prevention and control.
Environmental Health: This includes aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human
health by implementing programs that address improved cookstoves and water, sanitation, and hygiene
(WASH) practices.
Life Skills for Healthy Behaviors: This includes improving life skills by implementing programs that address
noncommunicable disease (NCD) mitigation and nutrition, harm reduction/alcohol and substance abuse
prevention, and youth sexual and reproductive health.
Where We Work
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Ethiopia
The Gambia
Africa (AF) Region

Ghana
Mali
Guinea
Mozambique
Kenya
Namibia
Lesotho
Rwanda
Madagascar
Senegal
Malawi
South Africa
Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia (EMA) Region

Albania
Moldova
Armenia
Mongolia
Azerbaijan
Morocco
Cambodia
Philippines
Jordan
Turkmenistan
Kyrgyz Republic
Ukraine
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Zambia
Inter-America and Pacific (IAP) Region

Belize
Jamaica
Dominican Republic
Nicaragua
Ecuador
Panama
El Salvador
Paraguay
Fiji
Peru
Guatemala
Suriname
Guyana
Vanuatu
Program Topic Area
Global Program View by Region - Number of

Posts
60
HIV Mitigation
12
HIV Treatment, Care and

Support
14
Care of Orphans and

Vulnerable Children
20
11
Maternal and Neonatal Care
22
13
Infant and Young Child Health
Early Childhood Development
Malaria Prevention and

Control
11
Water, Sanitation, and

Hygiene
Improved Cookstoves
Noncommunicable Disease
Mitigation and Nutrition
19
17
3
2
10
Alcohol and Substance Abuse

Prevention
16
11
Youth Sexual and

Reproductive Health
AF
EMA
IAP
Region

HIV prevention: A group of 15 Peace Corps Volunteers worked alongside a local HIV organization and high
school students in Morocco to educate people about HIV prevention and direct them to free on-site HIV
testing services during a four-day festival. Over 1,400 people were tested for HIV and hundreds more
received HIV prevention information and free condoms.
Birth plans: In an effort to ensure safer deliveries in a clinical setting, Volunteers helped pregnant women in
Ghana prepare individual birth plans that included making a decision on where a woman wanted to deliver,
who would go with her, and how she intended to get to the facility once she went into labor.
Fighting stigma and discrimination: A Volunteer working with the Association of Nicaraguan People Living
With HIV used a small grant to conduct a workshop for 380 Ministry of Health nurses. The workshop was
designed to decrease stigma and discrimination experienced by HIV patients in health-care units.
Reducing upper respiratory infections via a biodigester: A Volunteer working with Perus Environmental
Management Committee and a local farmer helped install a geomembrane biodigester. This promotes the
technology of making a natural fertilizer and pesticide and harnesses biogas from animal waste to use for

daily cooking, reducing upper respiratory infections. The Volunteer worked with a family who produced
grapes and raised pigs and goats. The excrement from the animals fueled the biodigester and the biological
products were used on the grapes. The animal waste also produces enough methane gas for the family to
cook all their meals.
Improving quality of care and facilitating effective decision making: Working with the Ethiopian Ministry of
Health, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and Yale University, a Volunteer and counterpart conducted
training for public hospital staff members. The training included a statistical overview of results from the
National Satisfaction of Employees in Healthcare Survey (SEHC). This information is a critical part of health
systems strengthening, focusing on the health worker, improving his/her working conditions, and identifying
ways to improve retention.
Motivating community members to
aggressively focus on malaria prevention: A
Senegal Volunteer living in one of the regions most
heavily burdened by malaria used 196 rice sacks to
portray how much it costs to treat the disease each
year. If the village of just 950 residents could
prevent malaria they would have enough funds for
196 rice sacks a year. This display, linked to World
Malaria Day, helped the community understand
how preventing malaria saves money. Supported
by local youth and a community health worker, the
Volunteer demonstrated proper net maintenance,
promoted a change from rectangular to round nets
for easy hanging, and stressed the importance of
sleeping under nets particularly for children and
pregnant women.
Improving health care by forming an action
committee with the help of a Volunteer: The highest mountain peaks in Costa Rica are plagued by
numerous health problems and are in need of financial resources to run local health clinics effectively.
Additionally, the region lacks qualified and trained health professionals. Such factors contribute to the
areas high infant mortality rate. Following the creation of an action committee, three community health
groups formed to identify major problems at each medical facility serving the regions eight villages. A
Volunteer worked with these groups to write a Peace Corps Partnership Program proposal and received
$2,300 to rebuild three dilapidated health clinics in the region. Overcoming major obstacles, such as
transporting materials over rugged terrain and poor weather conditions, the community reconstructed the
clinics. The surrounding communities contributed 41 percent of the projects total cost by providing labor
and covering transportation costs.
HEALTH HIV/AIDS

Overview of the Peace Corps and HIV

Volunteers have been active participants in the global response to HIV
for over two decades. The agency has been a partner in the Presidents
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) since 2004. In 2012, 752
Volunteers were funded by PEPFAR to focus primarily on HIV
mitigation. HIV prevention, care, and support activities are
mainstreamed across all six Peace Corps program sectors, resulting in
one-third of all Volunteers delivering HIV prevention, care, and
support activities that impacted nearly 450,000 individuals in 2012. In
2013, programming will be further strengthened at the community level by focusing on improving access to
essential services, creating linkages to health care and other community services, and providing non-clinical care
and support services to adults, adolescents, and children affected by and living with HIV.
The Peace Corps is uniquely positioned to contribute to the HIV response by working at the community level and
providing HIV prevention education, creating demand for services, and supporting the delivery of essential
interventions that will ultimately bring about an AIDS-free generation. Approximately 2,800 Volunteers support a
variety of cross-cutting HIV interventions and use evidence-based practices to work with community members to
implement a wide range of activities, including the following:
Reducing HIV discrimination and stigma
Educating youth and adults about ways to prevent HIV
Assisting youth to adopt healthy sexual behaviors
Supporting people living with HIV (PLHIV) to adhere to their HIV treatment regimens
Providing care and support services to caregivers of PLHIV and orphans and vulnerable children (OVC)
Encouraging HIV testing
Ensuring that every HIV-positive pregnant woman has a safe delivery with a skilled birth attendant
Providing nutritional support to PLHIV and OVC
Establishing community home gardens
Improving financial well-being of PLHIV, OVC, and caregivers
Mobilizing men to get circumcised
HIV Volunteer activities fall into three areas of emphasis:
HIV Prevention: This focuses on using evidence-based combination prevention techniques and includes
providing services that address the structural, behavioral, and biomedical drivers of HIV.
HIV Care, Support, and Treatment: This focuses on using evidence-based activities across the continuum of
care for PLHIV and those affected by HIV. It includes providing caregiver support, linking community care
with clinical care services, increasing retention in services, and supporting adherence to antiretroviral
treatment.
Care of Orphans and Vulnerable Children: This focuses on building the resiliency of caregivers, families, and
communities to improve their well-being. It includes microenterprise activities to improve family finances,
caregiver support and skill-building, home visits, establishing and developing strategic linkages, and
improving coordination and referrals.
Where We Work
Africa (AF) Region

Benin
Ghana
Mali
Swaziland
Botswana
Guinea
Mozambique
Tanzania
Burkina Faso
Kenya
Namibia
Togo
Cameroon
Lesotho
Rwanda
Uganda
Cape Verde
Liberia
Senegal
Zambia
Ethiopia
Madagascar
Sierra Leone
The Gambia
Malawi
South Africa
Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia (EMA) Region
Inter-America and Pacific (IAP) Region
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bulgaria
Cambodia
China
Georgia
Indonesia
Jordan
Kyrgyz Republic
Macedonia
Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
Philippines
Romania
Thailand
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
Belize
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Eastern Caribbean
Ecuador
El Salvador
Fiji
Guatemala
Guyana
Jamaica
Mexico
Micronesia
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Samoa
Suriname
Tonga
Vanuatu
Program Topic Area
Global Program View by Region - Number of

Posts
23
18
15
25
21
16
17
15
10
13
16
18
13
17
19
AF
EMA
Region
Abstinence/Be Faithful
HIV Prevention
HIV Training of Community
Health Workers
Nutrition for HIV+ &
Affected Children
Nutrition for People Living
with HIV
Prevention for High Risk Other
Prevention with Drug Users
Prevention w/Men Who
Have Sex with Men
Prevention with Sex
Workers
Support to Orphans and
Vulneralbe Children
Support to People Living
with HIV and Caregivers
IAP

HIV-positive youth teen club members attend the 2012 International AIDS Conference: A Volunteer on a
third-year extension assignment to work with Columbia Universitys International Center for AIDS Care and
Treatment Programs worked as a community linkages officer
with the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative Teen
Club in Swaziland. The Volunteer helped six adolescents living
with HIV raise funds to attend the 2012 International AIDS
Conference in Washington, D.C. The adolescents were able to
share their experiences on a world stage.
Addressing stigma and discrimination: A Volunteer and her

counterpart conducted a three-day workshop for community
leaders in Mozambique to discuss stigma, discrimination, and
gender-based violence. The Volunteer was surprised to learn
that for many it was the first time they had heard of the concept or words stigma and discrimination. On
the last day of the workshop, the community leaders led sessions and discussion groups and created action
plans for conducting stigma-reducing activities in their communities.
HIV prevention and the promotion of legal rights among key populations:
Eight health Volunteers and their partners educated 211 commercial sex workers
and 73 men who have sex with men concerning HIV and sexually transmitted
infections (STI) in Nicaragua. The workshop focused on HIV prevention and
promoted the consistent and correct use of condoms and the importance of HIV
testing. They also informed participants of their legal rights regarding HIV.
Supporting economic opportunities for young women: With the support of a
Volunteer, a talented and driven young woman launched her own fashion design
company in a small Botswana village where one out of every three women aged 2529 has HIV/AIDS. Young
women are more at risk for HIV for myriad reasons, but lack of economic empowerment is one of the
biggest. By working with the local chief, the village development committee, a social worker, and other
community members, the young businesswoman identified other women interested in developing business
skills and learning to sew. With the help of the Volunteer, she secured equipment and materials and then
developed partnerships with businesses in a nearby city. As a result, she is now providing employment
opportunities for villagers and training women aged 2035 in how to start their own businesses.
Linking malaria and HIV: A third-year Volunteer in Mozambique, serving as the malaria coordinator for the
Peace Corps, worked closely with the HIV coordinator to integrate malaria prevention into HIV trainings.
Malaria is the first cause of death in Mozambique and PLHIV are particularly at risk. Together the two
coordinators integrated malaria activities into HIV, health, and education activities. Following these
activities, a number of small grant proposals were received to support malaria prevention and control
activities among PLHIV.
Training in STI and HIV prevention among Volunteers, counterparts, and community health/peer
educators: Population Services International (PSI) conducted training on STIs, HIV, and AIDS in Jamaica. The
training covered such taboo topics as diverse sexual practices, orientations, and gender identities. Hands-on
practice with PSI signature prevention tools (board games, picture cards, card games, etc.) was also
provided. Participants rated this training as one of the best of their careers. The highlight of the week was an
actual outreach intervention. Participants were nervous about doing outreach that covers taboo topics but
returned from the activity motivated to conduct more interventions. Since the training, the majority of
participants have conducted interventions in their schools and/or communities and report that young
people are fully engaged and interested in the content.
Addressing unsafe sex practices and intravenous-drug use among youth: Volunteers implemented camp
H.E.A.L. (Human Trafficking, Education, HIV/AIDS, and Leadership), a 10-day camp for 30 youth, aged 16-21,
in Ukraine. Youth came together to learn about HIV and participate in leadership and team-building
activities. Working with a team of Volunteers, youth brainstormed strategies for teaching what they learned
at camp. At the end of the lesson, the pupils participated in an art contest, and winning drawings were
printed on greeting cards. The front of each card features the youth artists and the back features the slogan
Youth Helping Youth Fight HIV/AIDS and statistical information about the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in
Ukraine. The cards were printed and sold in the hometowns of participating Volunteers to raise funds for a
future camp. More than 50 sets of cards were sold and mailed throughout the United States and Ukraine.
Health systems strengthening: Peace Corps Response Volunteers were placed in each of the 16 health
districts in Malawi to help strengthen Ministry of Health management, data collection, and programming to
promote country ownership and sustainability as outlined in the PEPFAR Blueprint, released in early 2013.
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Kennedy with the mission to promote world peace and
friendship through the service of American volunteers abroad.
Today more than 9,000 Volunteers are working with local
communities in 75 host countries in the areas of Education,
Health, Community Economic Development, Environment,
Youth in Development, and Agriculture. For two years, many
Volunteers live in hard-to-reach or marginalized communities,
learning the local language and working side by side with local
partners to find sustainable solutions. Volunteers bring
innovation and resourcefulness; they help communities leverage appropriate local resources and technology to
address needs.
reports for FY 2011.
Overview of the Peace Corps and People with Disabilities

On September 22, 1961, the Peace Corps Act Public Law 87-293 was amended to include the integration of
People with Disabilities into Peace Corps activities. As articulated in the law, in recognition of the fact that
there are over 400,000,000 disabled people in the world, 95 percent of whom are among the poorest of the
poor, the Peace Corps shall be administered so as to give particular attention to programs, projects, and
activities which tend to integrate disabled people into the national economies of developing countries, thus
improving their status and assisting the total development effort. Peace Corps has a long history of supporting
institutions that work on integrating people with disabilities into development efforts. Over the past 50 years,
Peace Corps has placed hundreds of Volunteers with schools and organizations that assist people with
disabilities, including schools for the blind, schools for the deaf and partnerships with the Special Olympics.
More recently, People with Disabilities was named a cross-sector programming priority, or an on-going crosssector area of development in which the agency seeks to maximize the quality, quantity, and impact of
Volunteer activities. People with Disabilities remains a priority area in the US government and is a high-demand
area on the part of host countries.
Our approach
As a Cross-Sector Programming Priority, promoting this area presents an opportunity for the Peace Corps to
make an impact for some of the most disadvantaged populations in the countries where Peace Corps serves.
A History of Recruiting and Placing Volunteers with Disabilities
Peace Corps has recruited and assigned many Volunteers with disabilities over the years without incident.
Although many countries have little or no infrastructure to support people with disabilities, several Peace Corps
Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Headquarters | 1111 20th Street, NW | Washington, D.C. 20526 | 1.800.424.8580 | www.peacecorps.gov
PEOPLE WITH DI SABILI TIES | Global Info Brief 2011

posts work with host-country agencies to provide reasonable accommodations to meet the special needs of
these Volunteers. Volunteers with disabilities work in projects alongside able-bodied Volunteers and in some
cases supporting host-country organizations that serve people with disabilities. Volunteers with disabilities have
included the blind, the deaf, and the wheelchair-bound. A physical disability can add challenges to an already
difficult assignment, but Volunteers with visible disabilities have transformed the attitudes of entire
communities and, through their indomitable spirit, have given hope to other citizens with disabilities in host
countries.
What we do with People with Disabilities

Volunteers and their counterparts work on projects with and related to people with disabilities in the sectors of
education, business development, health, and youth. Activities are carried out in a variety of ways: formal
classroom work helping teachers mainstream students with special needs or direct instruction of students with
special needs; disability workshops for both schools and communities; materials development; support to
Ministries of Education; informal after-school clubs and community-organized discussions and activities;
business development workshops; and advocacy campaigns. Furthermore, Volunteers work on technical support
and organizational development for local non-governmental and community-based organizations that support
people with special needs.
This priority covers a wide range of activities, including: camps/clubs, teaching English, vocational training and
workforce development, physical and emotional therapy, teacher training and curriculum development,
awareness enhancement about people with disabilities, support for families, and infrastructure support. These
activities represent areas of opportunity in which Volunteers find valuable work and can respond to the needs
and priorities of their host countries.
Number of Posts Engaged in Activities benefitting People with

Disabilities by Region
Infrastructure Support
Support for Families
Raising Awareness
Teacher Training/ Curriculum Development
10
4
Physical/Emotional Therapy
Vocational Training/ Workforce Development
Africa
EMA
Teaching English
IAP
Clubs/Camps
10
15
20

Volunteers worked on activities for people with disabilities in the following areas:
Clubs/Camps
One of the most frequently initiated activities in 2011 was youth camps. Volunteers collaborated with NGOs,
teachers or other groups to organize camps that focused on confidence building through physical activities, skills
learning, and awareness by including the community. In Bulgaria, Volunteers and their counterparts organized
and facilitated a ten-week social integration camp that brought together children with disabilities to do craft
activities. In Kazakhstan, Volunteers continued a summer camp at which a team of physical and occupational
therapists worked with people with disabilities and their families while also focusing on physical activities.
Volunteers in Belize staged a summer day camp by collaborating with several community-based organizations,
allowing participants to learn about a wide range of locally available resources.
Vocational Training / Workforce Development
Volunteers in Cameroon, Ghana, and the Philippines provided training and support for basic business
management, income-generating activities, and local entrepreneurship for groups of individuals with disabilities.
In Nicaragua, Volunteers facilitated training sessions for parents that taught a craft activity to be used as
therapy for their children as well as for income generation. A Volunteer in Samoa developed a resource in the
Samoan language for teaching math and vocational classes geared towards students with disabilities. Adults
with disabilities in Romania were employed in the START program due to the efforts of Volunteers and their
counterparts.
Physical/Emotional Therapy
In the Eastern Caribbean, Volunteers recruited a therapist specialist from the UK to aid them in a workshop that
outlined speech, language, and communication strategies for students with special needs. Volunteers in Guyana
helped children with disabilities and their families identify their needs through free physical examinations that
included educational material on coping methods for care takers. Due to the efforts of Volunteers in
Kazakhstan, a team of physical therapists and occupational therapists trained volunteers and families of youth
with disabilities in PT/OP techniques to be used in the home. In Romania, Volunteers organized a support group
for youth that included several art therapy activities.
Working with Service Providers
Volunteers in Armenia, Jordan, and Kenya built the capacity of local organizations to meet the needs of their
disabled population. They trained staff on writing grant proposals, developing evaluation procedures, and
enhancing communication methods. In Bulgaria and Vanuatu, Volunteers worked with counterparts to gather
demographic data about the number of people with disabilities in their communities and their activities. In
Mongolia, Volunteers worked with social workers to improve knowledge of special needs children's
rehabilitation needs and disability care methods.
Teaching English
In the Kyrgyz Republic and Mongolia, Volunteers organized and facilitated English language clubs for children
with disabilities, including those with vision impairment, in their communities. The clubs helped develop English
skills, while also building friendships among the members. Volunteers in Azerbaijan taught inclusive English

classes, bringing together young adults with disabilities, as well as able-bodied young adults, to learn about
grammar, speaking, and reading. In Moldova, Volunteers supervised two students who offered to give English
lessons to mentally and physically disabled peers. Through these lessons, the two instructing students gained
valuable experience working in leadership roles and 15 youth from the center improved their English skills, and
both groups learned about building friendship despite their differences.
Teacher Training/Curriculum Development
Volunteers have trained and assisted teachers and administrators in a variety of capacities to better prepare
them for working with students with special needs. In Eastern Caribbean, Jordan, Paraguay, Peru, and Uganda,
Volunteers organized and conducted workshops to train teachers on instruction techniques and methodologies
for special education, as well as ways to incorporate students with special needs into the classroom. In Jordan,
the Philippines, Samoa, and Zambia, Volunteers collaborated with teachers to create activities and curricula for
special needs education. Volunteers in Bulgaria, Kenya, and Uganda specifically trained teachers, health
practitioners, and community partners in friendly ways of supporting students with auditory impairments.
Raising Awareness around People with Disabilities
Volunteers support efforts to raise awareness in local communities and
encourage interaction between individuals with disabilities and mainstream
society. In Azerbaijan, Namibia, the Philippines, and Romania, Volunteers
planned commemorative days for people with disabilities; commemorative
events included walks, art shows, networking forums, and youth gatherings.
Volunteers in Armenia, Belize, Bulgaria, Ghana, Jordan, Kyrgyz Republic,
Moldova, and Romania partnered with NGOs, educational institutions, and
community groups to facilitate interactions between children with disabilities
and mainstream youth and establish social integration projects.
Support for Families
Volunteers have successfully assisted families of people with disabilities and
provided various means of support. In Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, Moldova,
A Togolese student practices
Nicaragua, Paraguay, and the Philippines, Volunteers and their counterparts
numbers in sign language.
conducted training programs for family members to help them better care for
the needs of their children. Volunteers in Belize, Jordan, and Peru helped to create support groups for families
of children with special needs. In Jordan, Volunteers supported the creation of a mothers group to discuss the
challenges and successes of raising children with disabilities.
Infrastructure Support
Volunteers and their counterparts helped enrich organizations' resources and general functioning through a
variety of activities. In Bulgaria, Jordan, and Kazakhstan, Volunteers secured grants and other funds for
organizations; a Volunteer in Jordan received a grant to build a computer lab resource room for students with
visual impairments. Other Volunteers and their counterparts in Ukraine organized a clothing and book drive,
gathering resources for youth with special needs. Volunteers also assisted in the establishment of new programs
for people with disabilities. In the Philippines, a Volunteer set up a Special Education (SPED) Center at her site; it
included new resource materials and a training curriculum for counterparts.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Today, more than 9,000 Volunteers are working with local
communities in 75 host countries in the areas of agriculture,
community economic development, education, environment,
health, and youth in development. For two years many
Volunteers live in hard-to-reach or marginalized communities,
learning the local language and working side by side with local
partners to find sustainable solutions. Volunteers bring innovation and resourcefulness; they help communities
leverage appropriate local resources and technology to address needs.
Overview of the Peace Corps Information and Communication Technology

Initiative
Information and communication technology (ICT) was established as an agency global initiative in 2000 and
remains a priority area in the U.S. government and a high-demand area on the part of host countries.
Volunteers work in ICT regardless of the sector of their primary project. In addition to those specifically
recruited with information technology backgrounds, many Volunteers come to the Peace Corps well-versed in
various uses of ICTs, including radio, video, computers, the Internet, and cellphones. Beyond their English
language proficiency, many Volunteers are proficient in the language of technology, using it for
communication and information collection, collation, and dissemination. Through training and community
activities, Volunteers translate their basic ICT knowledge into a development-focused context, culturally
appropriate and accessible, for audiences in a variety of urban, peri-urban, and rural settings. Common ICT
activities include individual and group instruction on computer literacy; using mass media for health, hygiene, or
other educational messages; disseminating development-themed content and instructional material; and
developing guidance on using the Internet for research, education, and business.
Our approach
Many Volunteers, comfortable with technology, bring it with them as a modus operandi to their host
communities. They not only respond to questions about computers, the Internet, and technology in general, but
they also work with communities to use technologies in their everyday lives for such tasks as grading in their
schools, budgeting, planning, tracking, recording, and communicating in clinics, businesses, and civic institutions.
Volunteer ICT committees even provide ICT services and support to their fellow Volunteers, such as developing
online systems to share resources and information, providing advice on ICT selection and use in-country, and
tracking donations. All of the ICT work is conducted with sustainability in mind, transferring knowledge, skills,
and abilities to community members.
Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Headquarters | 1111 20th Street, NW | Washington, D.C. 20526 | 1.800.424.8580 | www.peacecorps.gov
INFORMATION AND COMM UNICATION TECHNOLOGY | Global Info Brief 2011
What we do in the Information and Communication Technology Initiative

Peace Corps ICT efforts are generally focused in one of four main areas: organizing information, sharing
information, accessing information, and skills development. In FY 2011, approximately 2,370 Volunteers serving
around the world contributed to the Peace Corps ICT initiative, conducting activities in the areas indicated in the
graph below.
Number of ICT Activities by Region

652
358
455
Computer equipment assistance
526
192
313
Computer lab assistance
1,259
793
977
Computer skills
348
174
205
Internet connectivity assistance
597
507
421
Internet or Web-based training or design
91
31
55
Mobile phones
295
182
223
Other ICT activities
89
168
89
Radio/Audio
139
306
166
TV/Video
AF
EMA
IAP
Who we Support
communities that Volunteers reached with their ICT activities across all three regions, as well as the estimated
number of individuals reached through mass media campaigns.
Individuals
Assisted
Service
Providers
Assisted
Organizations
Communities
AF
197,000
6,900
1,400
1,200
1,013,800
EMA
IAP
Total
86,100
51,500
334,600
9,900
5,000
21,800
1,000
1,200
3,600
800
1,000
3,000
2,665,700
230,300
3,909,800
Region
Mass Media
INFORMATION AND COMM UNICATION TECHNOLOGY | Global Info Brief 2011

Mobile phones have been used for many purposes. In Mali, they communicated meeting schedules to
association members dispersed across vast areas. In Zambia, phones were used to text information on fish
marketing. In Armenia, a free anonymous texting service for HIV/AIDS related questions was provided by
phone. In Swaziland, phones were used to collect data on food distribution efforts.
Videos were used to encourage people to get tested for HIV/AIDS in Mali, where messages were aired on
television and the Internet. In Burkina Faso, Swaziland, and Tanzania, videos addressed gardening and food
security issues. In Lesotho, they helped communities create libraries.
GPS/GIS/mapping helped community groups plan community action for environmental protection in Costa Rica
and developed forest firefighting plans in a national park in Mexico. In Jamaica, a waste management project
used Google Earth to demonstrate the path of trash from mountains to the coast.
Spreadsheets tracked agriculture products, yields, and pricing in Honduras, Namibia, and Togo; school grades
and printing reports in Namibia and Uganda; polio immunizations in Cape Verde; and health care records in
Tanzania.
Computer centers were established in
schools in Nicaragua and Ghana.
Computer literacy training helped schools
in Kenya improve school administration
functions, exam management, and
classroom presentations. In Azerbaijan
and Burkina Faso, it helped community
members, especially women, learn basic
computer skills.
Websites supported online product
marketing, e-commerce, and tourism in
Georgia, Morocco, Senegal, and Thailand.
Radio was used to advance literacy and
numeracy in Guyana and sea turtle conservation in Cape Verde.
For World AIDS Day, a Volunteer used USB drives to demonstrate the spread of HIV and computer viruses; he
also showed community members how to protect themselves from both.
Schoolchildren in Benin and Peru used Skype to talk with students and music, art, and dance experts in the U.S.
YOUTH IN DEVELOPMENT

More than 9,000 Peace Corps Volunteers are currently working
with local communities in 75 host countries in the areas of
education, health, community economic development,
environment, youth in development, and agriculture. For two
years, many Volunteers live in hard-to-reach or marginalized
communities, learning the local language and working with local
partners to find sustainable solutions. Volunteers bring innovation and resourcefulness; they help communities
leverage appropriate local resources and technology to address needs.
Overview of the Peace Corps and the Youth in Development Sector

Youth in development projects aim to prepare and engage young people for their adult roles in the family, the
world of work, and as active citizens. At the heart of all youth development activities, Volunteers and their
partners aim to support the life skills and leadership development of all youth with whom they work. They also
aim to promote a high level of participation in programs and activities to reach young people. There are four
project areas on which posts typically focus, depending on the outcomes that are most relevant to their local
context. These areas, or competencies, are 1) supporting young people in choosing healthy lifestyles and
preparing for family life, 2) preparing young people for the world of work, 3) engaging young people as active
citizens, and 4) supporting parents and communities.
The Peace Corps supports both stand-alone youth in development (YD) projects and youth development as a
cross-cutting programming priority. This means the agency recognizes that Volunteers in all sectors can play an
important role in the lives of young people. Many posts work to integrate high-quality and high-impact youth
development work into all of their sectors. This info-brief attempts to summarize the contributions of standalone youth in development projects and highlights some of the integrated youth development work done in
other sectors.
What we do in the Youth in Development Sector

Youth in development Volunteer activities revolve around common project areas:
Improved skills for life in young peopleLife skills development is one of the most common Peace Corps
Volunteer activities throughout the world. The following key life skills are considered to be the most
common and essential for Peace Corps projects: self-esteem and positive personal identity; communication
skills; decision making; goal setting; and healthy emotional practices.
Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Headquarters | 1111 20th Street, NW | Washington, D.C. 20526 | 1.800.424.8580 | www.peac ecorps.gov
YOUTH IN DEVELOPMENT | Global Info Brief 2011
Supporting young people to lead healthy lifestyles and be prepared for family lifeVolunteers and their
partners work to support adolescent sexual and reproductive health, as well as provide training in HIV/AIDS
prevention. They also get involved in extracurricular clubs and activities that include sports and exercise,
health, wellness, and nutrition activities. They also work to improve emotional well-being and resiliency in
young people. While the Peace Corps supports a model of youth development that focuses on building
assets and strengths in young people, the result is to promote resistance to high-risk activities such as
substance abuse and risky sexual behaviors.
Helping young people prepare for the world of workVolunteers and their partners support training in
preparation for employment, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Just as importantly, Volunteers and
their partners help young people develop skills in English and in applying technology to improve their
livelihoods. Activities may include resume development, career planning, establishing savings groups, or
developing income-generating activities.
Engaging young people as active citizensVolunteers and their
partners work to support the next generation of young leaders.
They help mobilize young people to improve their communities,
many by designing activities that use service learning approaches.
Others involve environmental stewardship or use camps as a
vehicle for leadership training.
Building community support for young peopleVolunteers work
with youth service providers and youth-serving organizations to
help develop their capacity to implement high quality youth
programs. Volunteers and their partners also support parents and
other community adults, as they play essential supporting roles
for youth.
Our approach
In 2011, globally, Volunteers reached more than 2.2 million young people under the age of 25, representing
over 73 percent of all the people with whom Volunteers worked. Of this number, 53 percent were girls. The
Peace Corps is, in large part, a youth development organization and has the opportunity to become a world-class
partner of choice in this sector.
The value of the Peace Corps approach to youth is twofold. First, young people are often drawn to Peace Corps
Volunteers for their novelty, and Volunteers often serve as catalysts for youth potential. Second, the Peace
Corps approach views young people as a significant community asset, which provides a framework for positive
youth and community development.
Peace Corps youth projects typically arise in response to priorities articulated by national-level host country
partners. Volunteer activities are typically related to the project sector areas mentioned above and are linked to
national strategies, policies, and priorities. Volunteers counterparts and collaborators include youth service
providers (formal and informal), including staff at youth centers, nongovernmental organization workers, teachers
or school social workers, municipal or community workers, and youth. The purpose of the Peace Corps youth
projects is to prepare and engage young people for their adult roles in the family, in the world of work, and as
active citizens.
Where we work
(EMA) Region
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bulgaria
Jordan
Mongolia
Morocco
Philippines
Tunisia
Ukraine
Africa (AF) Region
Inter-America and the Pacific (IAP)

Region
Belize
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Eastern Caribbean
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Jamaica
Peru
Cameroon
Swaziland
Who We Support
Individuals
Assisted
Region
AF
Service Providers
Assisted
Organizations
Communities
EMA
104,000
19,200
1,800
1,200
IAP
146,000
7,600
1,400
1,200
Total
250,000
26,800
3,200
2,400
communities reached by region for the Youth in Development sector in FY11.
Total Beneficiaries for All Peace Corps Work by Age and Sector
Number of Volunteers and Activities by Youth Outcome Area
900,000
Resulted in young people
demonstrating new life
skills
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
AG
CED
Adults
ED
ENV
HE
Youth (under 25)
3,450
11,800

better prepared for the
world of work
2,450

taking part in volunteering
or service-learning activities
2,350
5,850
5,350
YD
# of Volunteers engaged in activities
# of Activities

Youth as multipliers and change makersVolunteers often work with youth as partners who, in turn, go on to
lead change in their communities. Most projects, including those in Azerbaijan, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
and the Philippines, report that young people who worked with Volunteers have emerged over the years as
leaders and are, in turn, working to support other young people. In 2011, Volunteers reported training almost
40,000 young people as service providers.
Institutionalization of positive youth developmentOver the past several years, countries such as Guatemala,
Honduras, Mongolia, Morocco, and the Philippines have made significant strides by working closely with host
country ministries and government agencies to adopt curricula and positive youth approaches.
DemandSeveral countries note progress and success in their youth sector by indicating an increase in the
numbers of Volunteers requested by host organizations and communities. Jordan, Morocco, the Philippines and
Ukraine were among those that shared an increase in requests for Volunteers.
Other highlights from youth projects include:
Presidential Citation for Peace Corps/PhilippinesThe president of the Philippines awarded the Peace Corps a
Presidential Citation recognizing the projects and activities Volunteers have been doing in the field.
Recognition in PeruOne youth Volunteer in the Andean city of Cajamarca and his main community partner
were awarded a certificate of appreciation from the regional government. Along with his counterpart, he played
a lead role in bringing 25 nongovernmental and government organizations together to hold quarterly meetings
to coordinate outreach activities and resources.
Promoting Volunteerism and Service Learning in BulgariaVolunteers reported 130 different volunteerism and
service-learning activities this reporting period. This is a result not only of focused efforts during the years, but
also of the increased interest in volunteerism in the 2011 European Year of Volunteerism and Peace
Corps/Bulgarias 20th anniversary.
Brain Camp in JordanTwo Volunteers created a curriculum for teaching critical thinking to Jordanian students.
The six-day Brain Camp program introduces students to an approach to studying and learning that builds these
skills and gives them a chance to practice them through games and fun activities. The curriculum was presented
as a 30-hour summer camp or a semester-long after-school club. Thirty Volunteers were trained and 18 camps
were implemented during the summer of 2011.
Chicas Brillantes and Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) in the Dominican RepublicThis camp program
has been so successful in the Dominican Republic that nine young women between 16 and 20 who have shown
outstanding leadership skills during their participation in the GLOW gender initiative have been appointed to a
project advisory committee. Committee members take an active role with Volunteers in planning subregional,
regional, and national GLOW events, as well as in working with a girls group in their communities.
V2 VOLUNTEERISM

Overview of the Peace Corps and V2 Volunteerism Programming Priority

The Peace Corps, through its V2 Volunteerism Cross Sector Programming Priority, aims to build on the mandate
articulated in the Peace Corps Act1 and President Obamas call to service to support both existing and new
volunteer efforts of host countries. When appropriate, V2 efforts aim to build service-learning components into
education and community development activities. The results will include the following:
Millions of host country community members, especially youth, will have greater opportunity, capacity, and
motivation to engage in voluntary activities.
Through service, community members, especially youth, will build stronger communities, meet real
development priorities, and build relevant skills and capacities in the process.
What We Do through V2 Volunteerism

The Peace Corps efforts to support V2 typically involve one of the following:
Helping young people lead positive change in their community: Volunteers in all sectors promote the
personal and collective value of service while helping young people develop leadership skills and enthusiasm
for facilitating positive change. Activities may include serving as peer educators, environmental action,
1
To encourage less developed countries or areas to establish programs under which their citizens and nationals would
volunteer to serve in order to meet their needs for trained manpower. {MS 101, Sec. 2501a (a) (2)}
V2 VOLUNTEERISM | Global Summary 2012
tutoring, or supporting younger youth or marginalized groups. Young people develop their own skills in the
process of helping others.
Supporting national service corps programs or volunteer networks: Post staff members and Volunteers
play an important role in supporting host country government efforts or nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs) that are working to expand or coordinate volunteer efforts in the country.
Using service learning to strengthen education: Several posts have worked with education partners to
support the capacity of teachers and schools to implement effective service learning approaches.
Leveraging days of service to jump-start longer-term volunteering: Many posts support Global Youth
Service Day, World AIDS Day, International Womens Day, International Volunteer Day, or Earth Day
activities as a way to highlight specific development issues and
the important role that Volunteers play in addressing such
issues.
Our Approach
Support of host country volunteer programs and volunteerism
efforts is a natural synergy for Peace Corps Volunteers who already
work to build capacity and act as catalysts for positive community
change. Since 2008, many posts have chosen to increase their
impact in this area with an intentional focus on V2 in Volunteers
work or in partnerships developed by the posts.
Peace Corps V2 emphasizes a four-pillar approach that aims to expand upon the following:
1. Opportunities for host country individuals, especially youth, to participate in volunteer activities
2. Motivation to experience the personal and collective benefits of service
3. Capacity to develop the leadership and organizational capacity of partners to mobilize and leverage
volunteers effectively
4. Infrastructure to support the institutional aspects of volunteer programs, networks, and service corps,
primarily through Peace Corps Response, third-year Volunteers, or post staff participation
The V2 Volunteerism Action Guide: Multiplying the Power of Service is the primary resource that Volunteers and
their partners use to facilitate and promote service activities. Eight posts reported providing translated versions
of this guide to local partners. There are versions of the guide in Arabic, Armenian, Bahasa Indonesian, French,
Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, and Ukrainian. This ensures that the material can be adopted by host country partner
organizations to support their own efforts in mobilizing young people to volunteer.
FY 2012 V2 Volunteerism Accomplishments

Thirty-two posts reported receiving requests from host country partners for support with volunteering,
youth service, or service learning programs. These requests represent a range of support, including
assistance with national-level capacity building for service corps, participation in networks or coalitions to
support volunteerism, or with sector-specific community or youth-mobilizing activities.
Twenty-seven posts reported providing training and/or conducting or hosting meetings related to
supporting host country volunteering efforts.
2
Sixty-three host country partners have adapted or are now using the V Action Guide for their own service
programs.
Through the agencys Focus in/Train Up effort, posts now have access to a training package for Volunteers
and partners in how to use the V2 Action Guide.
Many posts reported using Peace Corps Response Volunteers or third-year Volunteers in order to respond to
specific host-country requests.

Africa
Building large-scale volunteering capacity: At the request of the Burkina Faso National Volunteer Program, a
fourth-year Volunteer was placed in its office to strengthen management capacities.
Participating in an international working group to promote volunteerism: A presidential decree in Cameroon
created a national civic service agency for participation in development, which sought out a partnership with
Peace Corps/Cameroon. With this new initiative, the Peace Corps is participating in an international
volunteerism working group to promote volunteerism in Cameroon and assist the Ministry of Youth. The
working group consists of other international volunteer organizations (the German-based GIZ, France
Volontaires, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the U.K.-based Volunteer Services Overseas) and
existing local organizations that promote volunteerism.
Supporting African Union and United Nations volunteer efforts: In Ethiopia, the post placed a third-year
Volunteer with the Africa Union Youth Volunteer Program to help support an initiative to recruit, place, and
support volunteers from across the continent. The post is also participating in a U.N.-led national steering
committee, which is meeting quarterly to discuss and form recommendations for the national government on
the development of a national volunteer program.
Partnering with ministries to place teachers: Following a presidential request in Liberia, the Peace Corps post is
planning to partner with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to develop a partnership between its National Youth
Service Program and the Peace Corps. Currently the ministry is placing national volunteers in schools that are
suffering from teacher shortages; many of these schools also host PCVs. The post plans to increase collaboration
between the two service organizations, both in the classroom and in the community.
Facilitating volunteering sessions: A two-day meeting was held in Kenya to plan for an East African Volunteer
Peace and Service Corps partnership. Six Peace Corps Volunteers attended to represent the Peace Corps
perspective on volunteerism and also served as facilitators for working group sessions.

Conducting training of trainers: After the Armenian Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs requested assistance
with strengthening its youth development activities, a youth component was included in Peace Corps/Armenias
project. The post partnered with Youth Foundation of Armenia (AYF) and conducted a training of trainers on
volunteerism and service learning, held in Yerevan in April 2012. Fifteen Volunteers participated in the V2
workshop with 19 host country national representatives (either counterparts from their communities or those
nominated by 16 different partner organizations). Additionally, the post shared V2 handbooks and related
materials and supported follow-up activities in the communities.
Participating in International Volunteer Day activities: Volunteers in Cambodia served as guest speakers to
1,000 youth from across the country. They addressed promising activities related to promoting volunteerism to
youth at the grassroots level. Volunteers were also invited to share best practices of working with youth and
promoting volunteerism to 60 community-based organizations and NGOs working in Cambodia.
Organizing trainings on volunteerism: In Moldova, NGOs and local public authorities requested support in
volunteer development and local community mobilization. In response, Volunteers organized presentations and
trainings on volunteerism, civic engagement, and community development service learning projects. Results
included the creation of youth councils and local volunteer groups that took more active roles in addressing
community development issues. Also, Peace Corps/Moldova responded to a request for support from the Hai
Moldova Program, a nationwide environmental cleanup day organized by youth with a goal of mobilizing
150,000 volunteers nationwide and cleaning up 100,000 tons of trash.
Preparing youth for service learning: The secretary general of the Moroccan Ministry of Youth and Sports sees
Volunteer support and role-modeling of volunteerism as one of the most important contributions Peace Corps
Volunteers can make to the youth of Morocco. JICA and KOICA, large groups headed by United Nations
Development Programme and consisting of Japanese, Korean, and French volunteer organizations and many
other groups, visit Peace Corps/Morocco each year when their new members arrive. The posts national focus is
to prepare youth for service learning and engaging youth across the country in projects on Global Youth Service
Day. The post participated on the planning committee for the 10th anniversary of the International Year of
Volunteers (IYV+10) and in a celebration in Rabat in December.

Collaborating with teachers: In Costa Rica, the Ministry of Education expressed interest in Volunteers
supporting its service learning initiatives, which led to Volunteers collaborating with teachers/administrators in
charge of service requirements in public high schools to promote volunteerism. Fundacion Accion Joven (Youth
Action Foundation), an NGO, expressed interest in supporting service learning initiatives in schools and has also
collaborated with Volunteers to support service learning trainings and student projects in high schools.
Supporting volunteerism awards: The Volunteerism Support Platform, in partnership with VSO and the Ministry
of Culture Youth and Sport in Guyana, held its first volunteerism award ceremony and recruitment fair. This
event included awards for outstanding contribution to development in Guyana through volunteering. Volunteers
were asked to nominate model local volunteers in their communities.
Organizing volunteerism fairs: The post is working closely with two newly formed networks for volunteerism in
Paraguay, Somos Voluntarios por Un Paraguay Mejor and the Red de Encarnacion. The focus is on providing a
network for organizations and individuals that work on volunteerism initiatives throughout Paraguay. It aims to
promote and provide volunteering opportunities for interested parties. Peace Corps Volunteers in Community
Economic Development, Education, and Youth in Development sectors organized annual volunteerism fairs and
conferences with local NGOs and ministry officials to promote volunteerism in the country.
Partnering on days of action: The National Secretary of Youth in Peru began working with the Peace Corps on
the promotion of volunteerism among youth. Volunteers work with community leaders, Ministry of
Environment, and other institutions to organize youth service projects for Earth Day (April), Youth Day
(September), Hand Washing Day, and other days of action. United Nations volunteers have also asked Peace
Corps/Peru to support their initiative to promote volunteerism in the country.

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AGRICULTURE & ENVIRONMENT

Global Info Brief 2012

Overview of the Peace Corps Agriculture and Environment Sectors

AGRICULTURE & ENVIRO NMENT | Global Info Brief 2012

What We Do in the Agriculture and Environment Sectors

AGRICULTURE & ENVIRO NMENT | Global Info Brief 2012

Burkina Faso (EN)

The Gambia (EN)

Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia (EMA)

Inter-America and Pacific (IAP)

PEACE CORPS | Page 3 of 4

AGRICULTURE & ENVIRO NMENT | Global Info Brief 2012

Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia

Inter-America and Pacific

Highlights from FY 2012

PEACE CORPS | Page 4 of 4

COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Global Info Brief 2012

Overview of the Peace Corps Community Economic Development Sector

What We Do in the Community Economic Development Sector

COMMUNITY ECONOMIC D EVELOPMENT | Global Info Brief 2012

Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia (EMA)

Inter-America and Pacific (IAP)

PEACE CORPS | Page 2

COMMUNITY ECONOMIC D EVELOPMENT | Global Info Brief 2012

Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia

Inter-America and Pacific

PEACE CORPS | Page 3

COMMUNITY ECONOMIC D EVELOPMENT | Global Info Brief 2012

Highlights from FY2012

Promoting Business Development

PEACE CORPS | Page 4

Global Info Brief 2012

Overview of the Peace Corps and the Education Sector

EDUCATION | Global Info Brief 2012

What We Do in the Education Sector

PEACE CORPS | Page 2 of 4

EDUCATION | Global Info Brief 2012

In Africa and the Pacific, Volunteers are in the classroom

PEACE CORPS | Page 3 of 4

EDUCATION | Global Info Brief 2012

Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia

Inter-America and Pacific

Highlights from FY 2012

PEACE CORPS | Page 4 of 4

GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMENS EMPOWERMENT

Global Info Brief 2012

Overview of Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment at Peace Corps

GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMENS EMPOWERMENT | Global Info Brief 2011

How Volunteers Integrate Gender

PEACE CORPS | Page 2

GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMENS EMPOWERMENT | Global Info Brief 2011

Sector Highlights from FY 2012

PEACE CORPS | Page 3

GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMENS EMPOWERMENT | Global Info Brief 2011

PEACE CORPS | Page 4

Global Info Brief 2012

HEALTH | Global Info Brief 2012

Africa (AF) Region

Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia (EMA) Region

Inter-America and Pacific (IAP) Region

PEACE CORPS | Page 2

HEALTH | Global Info Brief 2012

Program Topic Area

Global Program View by Region - Number of

HIV Treatment, Care and

Care of Orphans and