Peace Corps & Belize
I'm currently a Peace Corps Health Resource Volunteer in the country of Belize, located in Central America.
Belize is unique, with Latin and Caribbean influences and so much more. It is an extremely diverse mix of Kriol, Mestizo, Maya, Garifuna, and other cultures. It's small (about the same size as Massachusetts) but feels vast to me. It is lush jungle and mountains, warm beaches and cold rivers, brightly colored buildings and dusty pickup trucks, Mayan ruins and internet cafes, small towns and smaller villages, friendly people and boisterous children, loud music and frenetic dancing. Hopefully my words and pictures will help you understand more about this place I will call home for the next two years.
Peace Corps
Peace Corps is a U.S. government agency focusing on development in countries that request the assistance. It’s independent, neither political nor religious. Peace Corps Volunteers are only sent to countries where they are invited, and to communities that request them. Volunteers commit to two years of living and serving in the community.
More information can be found at peacecorps.gov.
Peace Corps Belize
Peace Corps Volunteers have been in Belize for more than 50 years, before Belize gained its independence. The project I’m working on is called the Rural Family Health Project, which officially launched in 2013. As health volunteers, we work with members of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education as part of a collaborative effort to improve health and health education. With this project, we hope to provide support to Belizean rural families and encourage them to adopt positive behaviors to improve and maintain their health. The two main areas of focus are maternal and child health and non-communicable diseases (diabetes, heart disease, etc.). I’m excited to be a part of a project that emphasizes the importance of public health and education!
