December 27, 2003 - Kansas State University: Capt. Kenneth Wedge and his wife, Coleen, will be entering the Peace Corps in September as volunteers in Suriname

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Suriname: Peace Corps Suriname: The Peace Corps in Suriname: December 27, 2003 - Kansas State University: Capt. Kenneth Wedge and his wife, Coleen, will be entering the Peace Corps in September as volunteers in Suriname

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-232-99.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.232.99) on Monday, December 29, 2003 - 1:29 pm: Edit Post

Capt. Kenneth Wedge and his wife, Coleen, will be entering the Peace Corps in September as volunteers in Suriname



Capt. Kenneth Wedge and his wife, Coleen, will be entering the Peace Corps in September as volunteers in Suriname

Suriname calls local family
JANIS BERNAT Collegian

Thatched huts, rain forests and walking paths might be all two Manhattan residents will be seeing for the next 27 months.

Capt. Kenneth Wedge and his wife, Coleen, will be entering the Peace Corps in September as volunteers in Suriname.

"It's something we always kind of wanted to do," Kenneth said.

The Wedges will be members of the first Corps volunteer group to work in Suriname, Kenneth said. Suriname is located on the northeastern coast of South America.

He will be serving as a Community Service Extensionist. Some of his duties will include adult education and organizing support for women's and youth groups.

Coleen said she would be involved in rural community development in Suriname. She has been a paraprofessional in special education for the past 10-15 years.

"My impression is that I would be doing more of the teaching of women and children and teaching them skills to better their lives," she said

Moving to Suriname from Manhattan is a big step for the Wedges. But, for the couple, it is a step that is looked upon with excitement.

"It seemed like a good way to kind of end my military career and start something else," Kenneth said.

Kenneth Wedge has been teaching at the K-State Department of Military Science and working with the Army ROTC for the past two years.

He decided to volunteer for the Peace Corps because he wanted to share some of the opportunities he had been given with others.

"This is my chance to help somebody," Kenneth said.

Coleen said she is both excited and scared about moving to Suriname. But she said she believes this is the right decision for them at this time.

"Both Ken and I are committed to this decision," she said.

Nancy Chartrand, Public Affairs Specialist for the Peace Corps, said individuals serving as volunteers must be dedicated and flexible.

"Peace Corps has to be their first choice," Chartrand said.

The Peace Corps has about 6,500 volunteers in 100 countries around the world, Chartrand said.

Before they leave for Suriname in September, Kenneth and Coleen are trying to prepare themselves both mentally and physically.

The first thing they are doing is getting rid of most of their possessions.

"A big question comes up -- what do you do with all you've collected in 23 years?" Kenneth said.

Most of their possessions are either being sold or given away. Their possessions with sentimental value will be stored by family members.

Secondly, the Wedges are getting into shape. Kenneth said 80 pounds of gear is allotted per person. Backpacks loaded with weights help them prepare for the walking paths of Suriname.

"Where we are going, the only transportation is on walking paths or in dugout canoes," Kenneth said.

Before reaching their volunteer sites, the Wedges are required to participate in three months of in-country training. The in-country training is basically a language study, Chartrand said.

Kenneth Wedge said the official national language of Suriname is Dutch, but that English is also spoken.

"Fortunately for us English is widely spoken in Suriname," he said.

Once the training is finished, Kenneth and Coleen will be transferred to their permanent sites.

Kenneth said he believes they will be living with the Amerindian and Bush Negro communities.

While on tour, volunteers in the Peace Corps receive housing, food and some living expenses.

"You kind of live at the same standard as they do, as much as it's possible," Kenneth said.

Kenneth said he believes the experience in Suriname will be more of a learning experience for him and his wife.

"Really, I expect to learn more from them than I ever teach them," he said.

Coleen said she suspected her children would support her decision, but she was amazed at how much enthusiasm they showed.

"I feel very, very humbled by our family's acceptance of this decision," she said.

Besides learning the language and the culture of Suriname, Kenneth said he would like to learn how to do one thing above anything else -- "I want to learn how to make a dugout canoe," he said




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Story Source: Kansas State University

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Suriname; Older Volunteers

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