Peace Corps Programs in Cape Verde
Cape Verde is a nation of ten islands located off the coast of West Africa. Each island's topography, size, population, and other features are distinctive. Some of this island nation's most pressing challenges are a severe shortage of fresh water, low agricultural production, and a lack of trained professionals in both the public and private sectors. To address these issues, the government's stated priority is the decentralization of the majority of its functions to the local level on each island. According to the Secretary of State for Decentralization, "the country counts on Peace Corps Volunteers working in community development as an integral part of the process of decentralizing the government, working with communities to identify their most pressing needs, and designing appropriate strategies for resolving these problems." Volunteers are currently working in community development and education projects. Although Portuguese is the official language of Cape Verde, the government has determined that knowledge of English will enhance prospects for economic development.
Education
English is taught at the secondary school level, but there is a chronic shortage of qualified English teachers. The Minister of Education has remarked, "without the presence of the Peace Corps in Cape Verde, we could be severely handicapped in reaching our goal of securing Cape Verde's place in the process of globalization. We recognize that English is the language of commerce, education, and international relations. We are most grateful to have the Peace Corps in our country."
During 2000, Volunteers taught English to more than 5,000 students, a significant percentage of the secondary school population. Volunteers also play a primary role in the pre- and in-service training of licensed English teachers. They have developed instructional materials that incorporate Cape Verdean culture and history and have introduced them into secondary schools. In activities outside the classroom, Volunteers have a two-week English summer camp, a career day for female students, and field trips to broaden student awareness. Volunteers are also involved in adult English literacy training, which is designed to help stimulate the growth of the islands' burgeoning tourist trade. A small number of Volunteers also work in pre-school administration. The Peace Corps has continued to expand its English teaching initiative into primary schools.
During 2000, one Volunteer organized a seminar to instruct future English teachers on using the Internet as a resource for finding lesson plans, texts, and other English-language teaching materials.
Community Development and Information Technology
Since the government's shift toward decentralization, municipalities and local communities have had difficulty identifying community needs and developing solutions to community problems. In an effort to develop and implement sustainable, small-scale, community development projects, Volunteers continue to promote information technology as a tool for development . One Volunteer organized a town's collection of maps, plans, and projects, and categorized them in a database. Another Volunteer assisted in the creation and launch of a bilingual Web site designed to attract foreign investors to Cape Verde. In addition to work in information technology, Volunteers are working on a number of other community development projects. One Volunteer founded a "young business club" for high school students that successfully launched a jewelry business. Other Volunteers assisted in the creation of a youth center and writing a proposal for an Internet café
