Paul Hendig will work in Jordan with Peace Corps
Paul Hendig will work in Jordan with Peace Corps
By Shari Kaplan
Monte Sereno resident Paul Hendig has embarked upon the toughest job he'll ever love. The slogan of the Peace Corps is an appropriate one; before Hendig departed for Jordan on April 30, he said he anticipated that his two-year assignment would be both challenging and rewarding. Hendig and 28 other Americans will be the first group of Peace Corps volunteers ever to serve in the Middle Eastern country of Jordan.
"Basically, I'll be living as the people live where I'll be located. This will be the first time I'll be traveling outside the United States. I'm excited about learning a new language and getting to know the people and the culture," said Hendig, a 1985 Los Gatos High School graduate.
Hendig holds a bachelor's degree in biology from San Diego State University and a master's degree in the same discipline from Western Washington University. Although he has worked as a U.S. Forest Service field technician and served on the staff of the University of Washington's wildlife science department, Hendig said he realized there was nothing really tying him down to one place or one specific profession.
At about that same time--whether coincidence or something more--Hendig said he kept seeing fliers and hearing a good deal of publicity about the Peace Corps.
"I don't have a lot of money to give, but I can give a lot of myself," Hendig said of one of his inspirations for joining the volunteer organization. "I basically said, 'Send me anywhere because I haven't really been anywhere yet.' "
During their two years in Jordan, the Peace Corps members will work on income-generating projects for rural Jordanian women as well as on eco-tourism projects in the country's newly formed national parks. Hendig's projects include assisting with environmental-management efforts in Jordan and working with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, which promotes public awareness of wilderness areas and manages tourism in the national parks.
The volunteers are serving in Jordan following an invitation from the Jordanian government. This is the result of discussions initiated by King Hussein and President Clinton nearly two years ago. Jordan is the eighth Arabic country in which Peace Corps volunteers have served and the 132nd country worldwide to be assisted by the Peace Corps since 1961.
Volunteers are always needed to provide assistance to developing countries in education, health and nutrition, agriculture, the environment and small-business development. For more information, call 800-424-8580.
