Peace Corps Project-Request for Help

[fusedlight]

My son, Jeff, has been in Togo (that's west Africa!) for nearly two years now with the Peace Corps. His "capstone" project is a tool library. We've been talking it over for a couple of months now, and it's finally happening. Here's what he's written:

A common complaint in my region is a lack of access to the tools necessary for construction projects, with tools such as wheelbarrows or sledgehammers being exorbitantly expensive for the average community member. This problem extends to other high-cost items such as corn shellers which mechanically remove the corn grains from the cob. In an effort to solve these problems while also encouraging village development, the Community Development Committee of my region and I are creating a tool lending service or €œ'Tool Library' that will rent, for a reasonable fee, construction tools and a corn sheller to members of the community. This Tool Library will provide these tools to all 6 of the villages in my region while also using the fees to provide funding for the Community Development Committee's projects. From these two goals we seek to encourage a development economy wherein development pays for itself by offering valuable services to members of the community. Out of this project, we seek to improve the village's capacity to drive its own development through supporting itself with much needed services.

He's looking for help...as in...funding. Can you donate?

https://beta.peacecorps.gov/donate/p...-tool-library/

[james kent]

So where did the$379 million go from the 2014 fiscal year?


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[fusedlight]

To feeding the members, providing them stipends (Jeff sure as heck isn't getting rich off this), providing them with medical aid, getting them to and from wherever they are, all sorts of things that Aren't Bombs and Missiles. (the US spends a lot more than this in ONE DAY on military stuff).

Part of the Peace Corps process is to "empower" (oh, how I hate that word) the volunteers to figure out things. He figured this out. He is lining up the funding. Around 1/3 of the funding is coming from the community itself. Funding like this where the local recipients are part of the process has a far greater chance of success than money just coming down from on high.

He went over to Africa two years ago with his bachelors degree and hopes. He's been busting his butt working on things. He's not with a fancy NGO riding around in a white Land Rover and staying in an air-conditioned hotel. He lives in a crappy room in a back-water village. Ask yourself: would you rather help a guy work with villages to get shovels and saws or send bullets and bombs to someone else?

ADMIN: feel free to remove whatever you want.

[bill&sandra]

As a RPCV I find this a truly worthy cause. Just to let you all know, there are NO benefits for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and you pay income tax on every penny received while a volunteer.

[james kent]

I realize all said, but this is not a venue for solicitations.


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[Steve L.]

I agree with James.

[fusedlight]

Whatever.

Fully funded! Thanks to those that helped. Jeff was giddy when I talked with him the other day. This is going to have a BIG impact on his village.

[David Tilston]

Hey it's the General Chat forum. People talk about whatever.

Congrats!