1. CORPSDELA'PAIX.'DES..ETATS.UNISD'AMERIOUE
CHANDLER ELIZA.BETH LYONS
DESCRIPTION OF PEACE CORPSVOLUNTEER SERVICE
EnvironmentalActionVolunteer
Yearsof Service:2014-2015
REPUBLIC OF BENIN. WEST AFRICA
TRAINING
Pre-ServiceLearning(June24-September18,2014)
1."
Language(155hours)-Classroomstudyof French;currentFrenchlevel:AdvancedMid
2. TechnicalTraining(109hours)-Overviewof thecurrentenvironmentalsituationin
Benin,differentenvironmentaltechniquesincludingnaturalresourcemanagementmethods,
environmentaleducation,gardeningpractices,composting,andagriculturalpracticesand
techniques.
3. Cross-Culture(35hours)-Discussionon Beninesehistory,geographyandtraditions;
professionalandsocialculturallyappropriatebehaviorsandcommunication.
4. Health(18hours)-First aid,preventativeandsymptomorientatedmedicalprocedure,
diagnosisandtreatment.
5. SafetyandSecurity(18hours)-Safety andculturalawarenesstrainingfor personal
securityin Benin.
PCVChandlerLyonswassworn-inasanEnvironmentalAction(EA) volunteeron September
18th,2014.I wasassignedto thesouthwesternBeninesevillageof Tannou-GolawhereI was
partneredwith thelocalgovernment,the"Arrondissementof Tannou-Gola".
TechnicalII Training (December2014):An intensiveweeklongtrainingwith sessionson
language,technical(projectmanagement,animalhusbandry,andsitedevelopment)and
cross-culturalskills(grantwriting,projectdesignandmanagement).
In-ServiceTraining (March 2015):A two-daytrainingon small-animalhusbandrythat
includedhands-onpracticewith feed,trimmingflightfeathers,eggcollectionand
checking,etc.ThisinclLrdeda tourof a poultryfarm;andwehadanopportunityto learn
aboutbestsmallanimalraisingpractices,includingdiseasepreventionand
immunizations.Fishfarminswasalsocoveredwith a tourof a localfarmandhands-on
practice.
ln-ServiceTraining (March 2015):A three-daytrainingon howto providestudent-friendly
schoolsin Benin.Themainpurposewasto helpPCVsandcounterpartsbuildthe
capacityof betterunderstandingandbeableto successfullyaddressschoolrelated
gender-basedviolence.Sessionsincludedthedifferencebetweensexandgender,the
definitionof gender-basedviolence,understandingthecausesandinfluencesof gender
01B.P.971RecettePrincipale,Cotonou,BENIN
T€f.: (229)21.31.38.93I 55.75t 47.gg- Fax,:(229121.g1.01.92

2. CORPSDELAPAIXDESETATS.UNISD'AMERIQUE
basedviolence,theroleof theeducator,developingstudent-friendlyschools,and
responseto gender-basedviolence,support,referral,andreporting.Thistraining
equippedmewith theskillsto promotegenderempowermentby creatinga safeand
studentfriendlylearningschoolenvironment.
PRIMARY PROJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PROGRAM (EA)
EnvironmentalClub (January-February 2015):Organizedaweeklyclubata highschoolto
teachstudentsaboutthe importanceof environmentalawareness,localenvironmental
problems,andhow to startatreefarm,with a hands-onlessonwith moringa.
Moringa TreeFarm (March-April 2015):Starteda moringatreefarmof 100treeswith a
women'sgroupof l5 women.Taughthow to starta treefarm,whento waterandweedit,
andwhento transplantthetreesintotheground.Gaveeachwoman3 seedsto starttheir
own mini-treefarm.Laterbroughtin a guestspeakerto teachthewomenhow to turn
moringaleavesintoa nutritionalpowderandhowto properlycooksaucewith theleaves.
HealthCenterGarden(June-July 2015):Begana gardenthatconsistedof tomatoes,onions,
okra,andlettucewith a women'sgroupthatconsistedof 20women.Taughtbasic
gardeningskillssuchashowto properlyclearland,builda naturalfence,makeseed
beds,andgardenmaintenance.
EnvironmentalAction Camp (August2015):Actedasa campcounselorfor a weekwith a
teamof l0 kids.Playedgames,instructeda sessionon trash,andprovidedstudentswith
newinformation,networkingopportunities,andenthusiasmthatcanbetakenbackto
theirclubsandcommunities.
SECONDARY PROJECTS/ACTIVITIES
MosquitoBedNet Distribution(November 2014):Distributed150mosquitobednetsto
studentsat a localhighschool.Superviseda presentationon how to usea bednet,why to
useit, andhow to properlymaintainit. Followed-upwith nearlyall 150studentsto seeif
theyregularlyusedtheirnets.
Girls' SoccerTeam(November20l4-June 2015):Organizeda girls' soccerteamin a
neighboringvillagecalledDoko.Theteamconsistedof about30 girlsfromtheagesof l4
to 20.Partneredwith thegymteacherto coachtheteam,whichmeteveryWednesdayfor
anentireschoolyear.
ScholarshipGirls Program (November2014-June 2015):Formeda selectioncommitteeof
localcommunityfigures,comprisedof theschooldirector,membersof theParent
TeacherAssociation,andanunbiasedcommunitymember.Hostedanessaycontest,
selectingthecriteriaof bothfinancialneedandscholasticperformance.Chosetwo
recipients,a girl in herfirstyearof highschoolanda girl in herlastyear.Then
01B.P.97l RecettePrincipale,Gotonou,BENIN
T6t.: {22e}2r.gr-ssigs/ ss.zsI,Az.gg- fAx : {229),21;g1,,0i.92

3. CONPS.DEil PRIXDES'.ET'S.UN.F0IAMENNUE
receivedfundsto paytheschoolfeesrequiredby theschool,uniform,andschool
supplies.Met with my menteesduringtheschoolyearto developa mentor/mentee
relationshipandto ensurestrongacademicperformance.Alsoparticipatedin the2015
TrainingWeekend,wheremy menteesdevelopedcommunityserviceprojects.
EnglishCIub (January-June 2015):OrganizedanEnglishclubof 30 studentsthatmetevery
Wednesdayfor a schoolsemester.Taughtbasicverbtenses,vocabulary,andgrammar,
andfollowedup with quizzesandworksheetsto monitorthestudents'progress
throughoutthesemester.
SafeSchoolsPresentation(March 2015):Gavea two-hourpresentationto a groupof 30 people
* thatincludedteachers,mothers,andchildren,onhow studentfriendlyschoolscanbe
'
created.Discussedthedifferencebetweengenderandsex,children'srights,sexual
harassment,andtheroleof theeducator.
HandwashingStations(April-May 2015):Appliedfor a GenderEqualitySmallProjectgrant
to buildthreehandwashingstationsatTannou-Gola'shighschool.Trainedthreestudents,
two boysanda girl,on howto givepresentationsaboutthehandwashingstations;
specificallywhento washone'shandsandwhy,andhowto maintainthehandwashing
stations.Thensupervisedthepresentationsto eachgradelevelattheschoolgivenby the
trainedstudents.
Girfs' SoccerTournament(May 2015):Participatedin a 4-daylongnationalsoccertournament
for girlsin Dassawith my girls'teamfromDoko.Promotedgenderequalityand
strenglhenimportantcharacteristicswithin my teamthroughteamworkandsports
participation.
TakeOur Daughtersto Work Weekend(April-May 2015):Selectedtwo girlsfroma rural
villageto bepairedwith professionalwomenin Cotonouwhoactedastheirrolemodels
for a 5-daytrip to Cotonoou.Theobjectiveof the programwasto empowertheyoung
girlsto stayin schoolandbecomefutureleadersby showingthemthemyriadof
professionalopportunitiesavailableto themoutsideof theirvillages.
CotonouWorkstationCommittee(May-August 2015):Actedasa volunteerliaisonbetween
volunteersandadministrativestafffor Cotonouworkstationquestionsandconcerns.Kept
theworkstationstockedwith basicfoodandhygienicsupplies.Improvedtheworkstation
throughupdatedfurniture,organization,andupdatedrulesandregulations.
StudentInternshipProgram (August-september 2015):Selecteda femalestudentto doa
month-longinternshipa localNGO,PlanBenin.Installedtheinternata hostfamily
whereshestayedduringherinternship,andcheckedup ontheintern,hostfamily,and
NGO.
Girls' SoccerJerseys(August2015):Appliedfor a GenderEqualitySmallProjectgrantto buy
25 socceruniformsfor my girls' teamfrom Doko.Promotedgenderequalityand
teamworkthroughthesejerseys.
018.P.971RecettePrincipale,Cotonou,BENIN
Tdl.: (229)21.31.38.93t 55.75| 47.93'Fax : (229121.31.01.92

4. RETURNEDPEACECORPSVOLUNTEEREMPLOYMENTSTATUS
I
'''
Pursuantto Section5(t),ofthePeaceCorpsAct,22U.S.C.s.ZSO+(f)as.aretrdedanyformer
Volunteerernployedby the UnitedStatesGovernmentfollowingher PeaceCorpsVolunteer
serviceis entitledto haveanyperiodof satisfactoryPeaceCorpsVolunteerservicecieditedfor
purposesof retirement,seniority,reductionin force,leaveandotherprivilegesbasedon length
of Governmentservice.PeaceCorpp..serv,iceshallnot becreditedtowardscompletionof the
probationaryortrialperiodo.f,completfu..lofany-,.,servicerequirementforcareerappointment.
Camp GLOW Couffo (August 2015):Appliedfor d SPAgrantthroughHIV/AIDS to funda
CampGLOW for theCoufforegionof Benin.Hosted37 girlsata high schoolfor a
week.Held sessionson HIV/AIDS, localhistoryandlanguage,environmentaleducation,
health,studyskillsobusiness,girls' empowerment,andwenton two field tripsto Dogbo
andDjakatomey.Made surethatthe campransmoothlyanddelegatedtasksto
volunteers.
Robert B. Friedman
PeaceCorpsCountryDirector,Benin
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ChandlerLyons
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Date