Harry and Margie Bennett serve in Belize



Harry and Margie Bennett serve in Belize

Harry and Margie Bennett
Belize 2002 - present
Community Agribusiness and Environmental Education
Hometown: Marion, Kansas


Harry and Margie Bennett and family
Across the globe in Belize, Harry and Margie Bennett are serving in the Peace Corps at a different point in their marriage. After seeing their three daughters off to college, Harry and Margie Bennett traded life on their small farm in Kansas for that of a Mayan village in southern Belize. Harry’s agricultural experience quickly earned him an important role in village organizations, like the San José Branch of the Toledo Cacao Growers Association, while his plumbing skills were treasured by the struggling water committee. Margie easily moved into the women’s basket weaving organization, helping them with quality control and marketing, while teaching English as a second language and tutoring students in the local school.

Last December, the Bennetts were made aware of how their Mayan community felt about them when they were asked to be godparents for the marriage of a young Mayan couple. Harry wrote, “This experience will probably rank as one of the most significant in our Peace Corps service, mainly for the way it blurred the line between Peace Corps volunteers and the village we serve. We were allowed to become a part of an extended family and to participate in the celebration of one of life’s benchmark events. The fact that we could be engaged with these families of another culture in this celebration demonstrated to me that with a little understanding, respect and love the obstacles between our cultures can be overcome.”