2007.02.14: February 14, 2007: Headlines: COS - Uganda: AIDS: Rushville Republican: Uganda Peace Corps Volunteer Brian Dunn writes: Thoughts from the Third World

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Uganda: Peace Corps Uganda : Peace Corps Uganda: Newest Stories: 2007.02.14: February 14, 2007: Headlines: COS - Uganda: AIDS: Rushville Republican: Uganda Peace Corps Volunteer Brian Dunn writes: Thoughts from the Third World

By Admin1 (admin) (adsl-70-240-139-254.dsl.okcyok.swbell.net - 70.240.139.254) on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 - 9:25 am: Edit Post

Uganda Peace Corps Volunteer Brian Dunn writes: Thoughts from the Third World

Uganda Peace Corps Volunteer Brian Dunn writes: Thoughts from the Third World

"For the past nine months I’ve been working exclusively with Compassion International, a worldwide children’s aid organization that works primarily in poor countries which provides children with sponsors from the US and around the world. The sponsors pay a small amount each month and that money goes towards mosquito nets, mattresses, school fees, school supplies, school uniforms, health care and in several cases food and shelter. There are nearly 300 OVCs (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) that I work with, teaching various health topics such as HIV/AIDS awareness, malaria treatment and prevention and nutrition as well as conducting home visits to check on the living conditions of each child. Of the 300 children here, 90 percent have lost one or both parents, almost exclusively to HIV/AIDS."

Uganda Peace Corps Volunteer Brian Dunn writes: Thoughts from the Third World

Thoughts from the Third World


Brian Dunn

(Editor’s note: Brian Dunn, Rushville Consolidated High School graduate, is serving with the Peace Corps in Uganda in eastern Africa.)

I awake to the sound of a rooster crowing a full 10 minutes before my alarm is set to go off. It always seems to happen that way. I lie in bed for the next few minutes planning out my day, too lazy to arise before the alarm actually goes off. Finally, I slither out from under the sheets to silence the buzzing cell phone alarm, throw on a pair of running shorts and lace up my running shoes for my morning jog. It’s 6:30 and the sun has not yet perched over the mountainous horizon. The air is cool but comfortable in the light morning fog and the run gets my blood flowing and helps me to clear my mind. The day starts out as any day back in Indiana would except that here I run past mud huts, children walking barefoot to school and men pushing bicycles up the hilly roads loaded with large bunches of unripe banana plantain. So begins my day as a Peace Corps Volunteer working in Uganda in eastern Africa.

I had never given any thought to the Peace Corps while growing up. Living in Africa was about the farthest thing from my mind after college. If it hadn’t been for my high school choir teacher Mr. Doyle taking us to Mexico in high school or my friend Roger Williams giving me a nudge towards the Peace Corps after a frustrated discussion about career paths, I never would have. So, after a nine-month application process, quitting my job, selling my house and selling/giving away whatever wouldn’t fit in Dad’s and Mom’s storage shed here I am.

I arrived in Uganda in March 2007 with 36 other future PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) from around the U.S., ages 22 to 63, set to work in the fields of health and education. We all shared a common interest of wanting to help others less fortunate and to see and experience another part of the world in ways that only a PCV can. After a 10-week training period in which we were living with host families and were taught basic phrases in the local language (Uganda has 55 of them), technical training for what we’ll be doing at our site, and lessons in local culture, we packed our belongings and left for our future sites where we would work with a local organization and live for the next two years. Each volunteer is placed with an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) with which to work with and provide direction, supervision and support.

What is it like to be a PCV, you might ask? Life as a PCV varies from country to country as well as from individual to individual within the same country. I live in a concrete “office” building which resembles a college dorm room located next to a Christian minister’s house. I fetch my water from a public tap about 50 meters from my house using large “jerry cans,” I take bucket baths and wash my clothes by hand. (Actually I pay to have the wash done. My wash lady is a mother of one of the Compassion kids and she has been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. I pay her $4 a week to wash clothes and it is her greatest source of income.) I ride my bicycle into the nearest town, one kilometer away, to buy fresh pineapples, goat meat and vegetables, but I also check my e-mail there on my laptop using satellite Internet. I’ve also had the true pleasure of watching Colts playoff games (live at 2 a.m.) on DSTV at a local hotel/restaurant (when the power is on, that is), and I receive weekly calls from my folks on my cell phone. So it’s not exactly what I pictured, that’s for sure.

For the past nine months I’ve been working exclusively with Compassion International, a worldwide children’s aid organization that works primarily in poor countries which provides children with sponsors from the US and around the world. The sponsors pay a small amount each month and that money goes towards mosquito nets, mattresses, school fees, school supplies, school uniforms, health care and in several cases food and shelter. There are nearly 300 OVCs (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) that I work with, teaching various health topics such as HIV/AIDS awareness, malaria treatment and prevention and nutrition as well as conducting home visits to check on the living conditions of each child. Of the 300 children here, 90 percent have lost one or both parents, almost exclusively to HIV/AIDS.

The experiences I’ve had here have been amazing and have already taught me a great deal and I’m not even halfway through this adventure. I’ve learned about people and poverty, about myself and my neighbors, about Compassion and compassion and about what life is truly like on the other side of the world. Mostly I’ve learned that a great deal more awareness needs to be raised to end the needless suffering, hunger and poverty that has devastated this beautiful continent and these amazing people for far too many years. And that my being here hasn’t changed the world so much as the world has changed me.

For more information on the Peace Corps, Compassion International or my experiences in Uganda and to see pictures feel free to check out my blog at http://pervispc.blogspot.com or e-mail me brianrdunn@gmail.com.




Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: February, 2007; Peace Corps Uganda; Directory of Uganda RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Uganda RPCVs; AIDS





When this story was posted in March 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:


Contact PCOLBulletin BoardRegisterSearch PCOLWhat's New?

Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Subscribe to Peace Corps News Date: January 14 2007 No: 1059 Subscribe to Peace Corps News
Don't miss our new web site, Peace Corps News, for the latest news about the Returned Volunteer community and what is going on with the Peace Corps around the world. Subscribe to our news feed to get Peace Corps news delivered to your desk as it happens. Then visit the Peace Corps Library, History of the Peace Corps, the worldwide RPCV Directory or leave a message for the RPCV community on the RPCV Bulletin Board.

Peace Corps News Peace Corps Library Peace corps History RPCV Directory Sign Up

March 14, 2007: This Month's Top Stories Date: March 14 2007 No: 1074 March 14, 2007: This Month's Top Stories
Evacuated PCVs attend Festival on the Niger in Mali 23 Feb
Tom Bissell tells the story of how Vietnam came home 13 Mar
Mike Honda cites Japan's Sex Slavery 8 Mar
Donna Shalala co-chairs presidential commission 7 Mar
Sixth Anniversary of Disappearance of PCV Walter Poirier 6 Mar
Sam Farr was de-selected during Peace Corps Training 6 Mar
Elaine Jones would be good fit for NAACP President 6 Mar
Pat Waak re-elected chairwoman of Colorado Dems 5 Mar
Astronaut Mae Jemison was PC Medical Officer 4 Mar
Guy Consolmagno blends faith and science 3 Mar
Doyle Turns Down Federal Abstinence Money 3 Mar
Owen Cylke writes: Taxi in the Rain 2 Mar
Jody Olsen receives "Founder’s Day" Award 2 Mar
Chris Dodd introduces PCV Empowerment Act 1 Mar
Michael O'Hanlon writes: Iraq Deserves One More Chance 1 Mar
An Excerpt from Jan Worth's Night Blind 28 Feb
David Harde sentenced for Medical Marijuana 28 Feb
Oscar winner Helen Mirren congratulated by RPCV husband 26 Feb
RPCVs distribute mosquito nets 25 Feb
Peter McPherson new Chairman of Dow Jones 21 Feb
Arabic speakers under-utilized in Homeland Security 9 Feb
Dr. J. Michael Taylor co- founded Konbit Sante 4 Feb

February 23, 2007: This Month's Top Stories Date: February 24 2007 No: 1070 February 23, 2007: This Month's Top Stories
Hill announces Draft Accord in North Korea Nuclear Talks 12 Feb
Dodd builds connections in New Hampshire 19 Feb
PCVs accused of counterinsurgency activities 19 Feb
Harris Wofford declares support for Obama 18 Feb
Tschetter becomes the first Director to visit Malawi 16 Feb
New Fellows Program at Yale University 15 Feb
Sidney Slover helps start donut production in Honduras 16 Feb
Kevin O'Donnell's Daughter and Granddaughter are PCVs 14 Feb
Joe Krueger helps restore Liberia's timber industry 14 Feb
Peace Corps Hippies 13 Feb
Maryland RPCVs to screen "American Idealist" on March 3 9 Feb
Aaron Kase writes: Moon over Africa 8 Feb
Margaret Krome writes: 'Rogue nations' aren't only threat 8 Feb
Shays says he would Support McCain 8 Feb
A Mistrial for Lieut. Watada 8 Feb
Chris Matthews drops the F-bomb 8 Feb
RPCVs - Believe it or not 07 Feb
White House requests $334 Million for Peace Corps 5 Feb
Carol Bellamy writes: We need an Earth Corps 3 Feb
First Group of PCVs arrive in Cambodia 2 Feb
Mae Jemison wears red for charity 2 Feb
Dear Miss Lonelyhearts 30 Jan

The Peace Corps Library Date: July 11 2006 No: 923 The Peace Corps Library
The Peace Corps Library is now available online with over 40,000 index entries in 500 categories. Looking for a Returned Volunteer? Check our RPCV Directory or leave a message on our Bulletin Board. New: Sign up to receive our free Monthly Magazine by email, research the History of the Peace Corps, or sign up for a daily news summary of Peace Corps stories. FAQ: Visit our FAQ for more information about PCOL.

Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps Date: September 23 2006 No: 996 Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps
Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments.

He served with honor Date: September 12 2006 No: 983 He served with honor
One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

Meet Ron Tschetter - Our Next Director Date: September 6 2006 No: 978 Meet Ron Tschetter - Our Next Director
Read our story about Ron Tschetter's confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that was carried on C-Span. It was very different from the Vasquez hearings in 2001, very cut and dried with low attendance by the public. Among the highlights, Tschetter intends to make recruitment of baby boomers a priority, there are 20 countries under consideration for future programs, Senator Dodd intends to re-introduce his third goal Peace Corps legislation this session, Tschetter is a great admirer of Senator Coleman's quest for accountability, Dodd thinks management at PC may not put volunteers first, Dodd wants Tschetter to look into problems in medical selection, and Tschetter is not a blogger and knows little about the internet or guidelines for volunteer blogs. Read our recap of the hearings as well as Senator Coleman's statement and Tschetter's statement.

Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance Date: August 19 2006 No: 964 Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance
The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process.

The Peace Corps is "fashionable" again Date: July 31 2006 No: 947 The Peace Corps is "fashionable" again
The LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace.

PCOL readership increases 100% Date: April 3 2006 No: 853 PCOL readership increases 100%
Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

History of the Peace Corps Date: March 18 2006 No: 834 History of the Peace Corps
PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help.


Read the stories and leave your comments.






Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: Rushville Republican

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Uganda; AIDS

PCOL36188
39


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: