Peace Corps Ethiopia presents its 2017 accomplishments in the Annual Report. Designed, edited, copy-written, and produced locally by Peace Corps Ethiopia Communications and Outreach Coordinators John Space and Kirsten Kuwatani.
2. ፒስኮር ኢትዮጵያ በፕሬዝዳንት ጆን ኤፍ ኬኔዲ በ1961 ዓ.ም ከተመሠረተ
57 ዓመታትን ቢያስቆጥርም የተነሣበት ተልዕኮ “የአለምን ሠላምና ወዳጅነትን
ማጠናከር” ሳይልወጥ አንድና አንድ በመሆን ዘልቋል። ይህንን ተልዕኮ እውን
ለማድረግ የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብና መንግስት እያደረጉልን ባሉት መልካም አቀባበል
በጣም ደስተኛ ነኝ።
2017 የላቀ ሽግግር እና እድገት የታየበት ዘመን እንደመሆኑ ይህም በጎ
ፈቃደኞቻችን የሚያገለግሉት ማህበረሰብንም በተሻለ ሁኔታ ተጠቃሚ ያደርጋል።
በዚህ ዓመት፣ በጎ ፈቃደኞቻችን ከዚህ በፊት ከሚመደቡበት ትላልቅ ከተማዎች፣
መሰረታዊ ፍላጎታቸውን ለሟሟላት አነስተኛ ግብአት ወዳላቸው እና ትናንሽ
የገጠር ከተሞች/ማህበረሰቦች ሙሉ በሙሉ የተቀየሩበት ዘመን ነው። በእነዚህ
አነስተኛ አገልግሎት የሚያገኙ ትናንሽ የገጠር ቀበሌዎች የሚገኙ ተማሪዎችን
እና ቤተሰቦቻቸውን የግል እና የጋራ ፍላጎቶታቸውን እና ዓላማዎችን እንዲያሳኩ
ለመርዳት፣ በቀጥታ መስራት በማስቻል ከፍተኛ አስተዋፅኦ እንዲያበረክቱ እና
ውጤታማ እንዲሆኑ ያግዟቸዋል።
በእነዚህ ከተሞች እና መንደሮች መመደባቸው ንቁ ተሳታፊ እና የተሻለ አስተዋፅኦ
ማበርከት የሚችሉ የህብረተሰቡ አባል መሆን እንዳስቻላቸው በጎ ፈቃደኞች
እራሳቸው ያረጋግጣሉ፤ ይህም የፒስ ኮር መሰረታዊ የአሳታፊነት ሞዴል ማሳያ
ነው። በእነዚህ አነስተኛ አከባቢዎች መመደባቸው፣ በጎ ፈቃደኞች በአከባቢያቸው
የሚገኙ የስራ ባለደረቦቻቸውን የተማሪዎቻቸውን እና የጎረቤቶቻቸውን ጉዳዮች
እና ችግሮች እንዲረዱ እና ምላሽ እንዲሰጡ አስችሏቸዋል። እንግሊዘኛን እንደ
ሁለተኛ ቋንቋ(TEFL) በሁለተኛ ደረጃ ትምህርት ቤቶች ውስጥ የሚያስተምሩ
በጎ ፈቃደኞች ተማሪዎቻቸውን የከፍተኛ ትምህርት መግቢያ ውድድርን እና
የወደፊት የስራ እድሎችን በብቃት ማለፍ እንዲችሉ የተማሪዎችን የክፍል ውስጥ
ብቃት በከፍተኛ ሁኔታ በማሳደግ ላይ ይገኛሉ።
በተመሳሳይ ሁኔታ፣ የጤና እና የግብርና ፕሮጀክቶች የተግባር አቅጣጫዎቻቸውን
በጎ ፈቃደኞች በአከባቢው ለሚገኙ ቤተሰቦች ስለ ተሻሻለ የቅድመ ወሊድ ጤና
ክትትል፣ የአመጋገብ ስርአት፣ የቤተሰብ ምግብ ዋስትና፣ የግል እና የአከባቢ
ፅዳት አጠባበቅ እና በሌሎች በርካታ ጉዳዮች ላይ የጋራ ስምምነት እንዲኖራቸው
በመርዳት የተሻለ እና አስተማማኝ ህይወት መኖር የሚችሉበትን ግቦች ለመፍጠር
እንዲችሉ በጎ ፈቃደኞች ለሁለት ዓመት እና ከዚያ በላይ በቀጥታ እየሰሩ ይገኛሉ።
የፒስኮር ኢትዮጵያ የዚህ የ2017ዓ.ም የበጎ ፍቃደኞች አመታዊ ክንዋኔን
በሚያትተው የዚህ ዘገባ አካል በመሆኔ በጣም ደስተኛ ነኝ።
በመጨረሻም ፒስኮር ኢትዮጵያን በቅንነት ለምትደግፉ ሁሉ ምስጋናን እያቀረብን
በቀጣይ አመታትም የተሻሉ ስራዎችን የምንሰራበት እንደሚሆን ተስፋ እናደርጋለን።
ብራነን ቲ ብሪወር
የፒስኮር ኢትዮጵያ ካንትሪ ዳሬክተር
Brannon T. Brewer
Country Director
Letter from the Country Director
2
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy authorized the
establishment of the Peace Corps, and in the 57 years since
its founding, the mission of Peace Corps has remained
singular and unchanged — to promote friendship and
world peace, one person at a time. I am extremely pleased
that the government and people of Ethiopia continue to
welcome Peace Corps as a valued development partner in
pursuit of these worthy ideals.
2017 represented a year of tremendous transition and
progress, and the communities our volunteers supportwill
be better served as a result. The year marked the
completed shift of volunteer placements from more
urban centers to predominantly rural communities that
often have fewer resources to address their development
needs. These lesser served kebeles are where volunteers
can be most effective and make the greatest contribution
by working directly with students in the classroom and
with beneficiary families to address both individual and
shared needs and aspirations. In these smaller towns and
villages, volunteers themselves have proven better able to
become participating and contributing members of their
communities, as is fundamental to the Peace Corps model
of engagement.
With volunteers now in smaller communities, their
activities have also been refined to better respond to
the locally specific issues and concerns of their partners,
colleagues, students and neighbors. The volunteers that
teach English as a foreign language (TEFL) in secondary
schools are now achieving even higher standards for
classroom performance and thereby better preparing their
students to realize success when competing for university
placements and future employment opportunities.
Likewise, the health and agriculture projects have been
refocused so that volunteers are now working directly with
area families over two or more years, by helping them to
reach commonly identified benchmarks for improved pre-
natal care, nutrition, household food security, and hygiene
and sanitation, among many other areas with the goal of
creating an improved and enduring quality of life.
I am pleased to join the entire Peace Corps Ethiopia team
in offering this annual report that describes many of the
activities in which volunteers engaged across Ethiopia
during 2017, as well as recognizes individual stories from
among the community initiated activities where volunteers
participated.
Thank you to everyone that generously supports Peace
Corps in Ethiopia, and we look forward to many more
notable contributions to the government and people of
Ethiopia in the years to come.
Brannon T. Brewer
Country Director
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
3. W
ithin one year of President
Kennedy’s historical announce-
ment to create the Peace
Corps, the first Volunteers landed in
Ethiopia. When the first group of Peace
Corps Volunteers arrived in Ethiopia
(which included present-day Eritrea)
in September 1962, the 279 Volunteers
came to teach in secondary schools and
vocational/technical schools. From 1962 to
1977, Peace Corps Ethiopia was one of the
largest Peace Corps programs in the world.
More than 3,000 Volunteers served in the
country before Peace Corps suspended the
program in 1977 due to political instability.
Peace Corps Ethiopia re-opened from 1995-
1999, but conflict with its northern neighbor
Eritrea caused the post to close again.
In 2006, the
G o v e r n m e n t
of Ethiopia
and the U.S.
A m b a s s a d o r
signaled strong
support for the
placement of
Volunteers to
strengthen community-based HIV/AIDS
prevention, care, and treatment activities as
part of The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan
for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Subsequently, a
new country agreement was negotiated
and the post re-entered the country in
2007 with 38 health Volunteers.
Nearly 4,000 Volunteers have served
in Ethiopia since 1962 in the sectors of
education, community development,
business development, agriculture,
and health. The Peace Corps has been
involved in almost every facet of Ethiopia’s
development over the past decades,
making contributions in the fields of
education, health, rural development,
and small business development. Peace
Corps’ current program focuses on
three core areas: strengthening English-
language learning through classroom
teaching and professional development
activities, advancing family health through
strengthened health practices and care
seeking behaviors, and improving farming
families’ food security through increased
availability of diverse and more nutritious
foods.
“
Nearly
4,000
Volunteers
have served
in Ethiopia
since 1962
Peace Corps EthiopiaHistory of
3
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
4. C
urrently, an average of 140 Peace
Corps Volunteers serve annually
in Ethiopia working as part of
the Education, Health, and Agriculture
programs. All Peace Corps Volunteers
are United States citizens and they all
have a degree or advanced degree from
a university.
Like the broad range of cultures within
Ethiopia itself, the Volunteers serving
here represent America’s own diversity,
representing a broad spectrum of ages,
races, ethnic identifications, and more.
Women comprise 63% of the Volunteer
population. This year Volunteers
represent 35 different states and range in
age from 20 to 75 years old; Volunteers’
average age is 28. Volunteers Helene, Rashika, Emily, and Traci
Peace Corps Ethiopia Today
Volunteer Statistics
39 Education
Volunteers took
the oath of
service at the
US Embassy in
September 2017
90%
10%Advanced Degree
University Degree
37%Male
63%Female
19%
57%
24%
Health
Agriculture
Education
4
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
5. The environment program developed a new project
to focus on Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture to promote
both availability and utilization of nutritious foods in
rural households. Current volunteers are implementing
many of the new project’s activities, and both projects
will fully launch with the training classes arriving in
early 2018.
Beyond their primary work assignment in the
Education, Health, and Agriculture sectors, Volunteers
also work in Peace Corps’ worldwide priority areas
of gender equality, volunteerism, youth leadership,
support of people with disabilities, malaria prevention,
food security and HIV prevention.
In addition to Volunteers serving
their standard 2-year commitment,
Peace Corps Ethiopia has a
vibrant community of 3rd-
year Volunteers who have
chosen to contribute further
by extending their service for
an additional year. These
Volunteers work with
local partner organizations
around the country or
directly with Peace
Corps offices.
P
eace Corps Volunteers live and work in
communities in the Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, and
Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’
(SNNPR) Regions of Ethiopia. Each Volunteer works
with local counterparts to support the Ethiopian
government’s strategy to create and strengthen
their communities’ public health, food security,
natural resource management, and English language
education. To best serve the needs of the Ethiopian
people, Volunteers are placed in community health
centers, farmer training centers, community-based
organizations, district-level government offices, and
public secondary schools.
Most Volunteers live in small towns in rural
Ethiopia. To strengthen integration and
relations, Volunteers live a lifestyle similar
to their Ethiopian neighbors. They speak
the local language, follow local customs
and eat local foods. Volunteers do
not have access to large funds to
construct large projects; instead
they focus on building people to
people relationships. Volunteers
collaborate with friends,
neighbors, and counterparts
in their communities to utilize
local resources to solve local
problems. Volunteers use
this unique grass roots
approach to promote
capacity building, resource
utilization and skills transfer,
thus ensuring sustainability long
after they are gone.
In response to the identified need to
improve individual and family health
in Ethiopia, the health program designed
a new project focusing on improving
household and school WASH and nutrition.
Where our Volunteers Serve
Volunteer Jodi in her community
5
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
Tigray
Amhara
Oromia
SNNPR
Addis Ababa
6. 1.1
1.2
Increase Student Success In and Outside of
the Classroom
Ethiopian high school students use English more effectively and
confidently to broaden their academic and professional opportunities.
1.3
Ethiopian high school students and teachers gain access to personal, academic, and
professional development opportunities through improved English education.
Project Purpose
2017 Results
Objectives
Objectives
Improve teachers’ English communications skills
Improve teachers’ instructional skills
Engage in communities of practice for continuous
proffessional development
Increase student achievement in English class
Improve student confidence, motivation, and
participation through extracurricular activities in
English
Expand use of library and/or information and
communication technology (ICT) resources
2.2
2.1
2017 Results
Improve Teaching
Ethiopian high school teachers engage in professional develop-
ment to teach English effectively and confidently.
2.3
P
eace Corps Ethiopia’s Education program began in 2011 with the first Volunteers working as teacher trainers in
primary schools and teacher colleges. In response to needs expressed by the Ministry of Education and schools,
Volunteers now work directly as English teachers in local high schools around the country within the refocused
education project, Promoting English Language Learning in Ethiopia (PELLE). Since 2014, Volunteers have been placed
directly in high schools as English teachers, instructing approximately 2-3 sections of their own. Additionally, Volunteers
plan and lead extracurricular activities such as student and teacher English clubs, gender-empowerment clubs, teacher
trainings, and information and communications technology (ICT) skills workshops. As of 2017, the training given to new
Education Volunteers has been standardized and updated to adhere to the Centre of Applied Linguistics (Teaching
English as a Foreign Language) TEFL program. This ensures that every new Education Volunteer is an internationally
accredited English Language Teacher.
Education Program
Goal 1 Goal 2
75 volunteers worked with local high school teachers, engaging them
in English Clubs to promote English speaking practice on a range
of cultural and educational issues. Volunteers helped teachers with
English proficiency, teaching methodology, communicative learning
techniques, language teaching skills trainings and effective classroom
management techniques.
495 Teachers conducted a higher proportion of their class
procedural language in English
426 Teachers demonstrated improved English proficiency
291 Teachers improved their English instruction by using
new techniques for teaching language skills or more
effectively applied established communicative language
learning principles
429 Teachers increased their participation in teacher
professional development activities in English and
creating communities of practice to reduce the risk of
diarrheal diseases due to poor hand hygiene and hand
etiquette at school
6
95 Volunteers provided English language education for high
school and preparatory school students. Volunteers ran clubs
which provided support programs such as after school tutoring.
Volunteers worked collaboratively with the school administration,
teachers, and students to support school IT centers so that
students were able to better use and access computers and
practice basic IT applications.
10,185 Students received English language instruction in
the classroom
6,170 StudentsdemonstratedimprovedEnglishproficiency
4,927 Students demonstrated improved performance
in reading or written composition in English for
academic or professional purposes
4,991 Students participated in extra-curricular activities in
English
4,982 Students demonstrated increased confidence or
motivation in a class, club, or camp
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
7. Tigray | While teaching the 11th grade unit on
Traditional and Modern Medicine, Elizabeth
decided to take her students on a field trip
to visit the local health center. Working with
partners at the health center and at the school,
Elizabeth was able to arrange for both of her
sections to visit the health center; where a health
extension worker had been prepared to meet
them. The students then asked questions about
different diseases, their symptoms, and how to
treat them — completely in English. This was
a great opportunity for students to learn from
professionals in their field and also to practice
their English outside of the classroom.
English Language Learning
on a Health Center Field Trip
Encouraging Student
Interest and Confidence
through English Clubs
Oromia | With the support of the local Education Bureau,
Eva and her counterpart travelled to four different schools
in the woreda to promote different English clubs and
English days at schools. “My project with my counterpart
has been to encourage English learning in a fun and active
way,” said Eva. One school they visited started a twice a
week English club that focuses on topics of interest to
the students, including physical fitness, ICT, reading and
speaking, drama, and writing. In each of these groups
the students complete different activities all in English.
The fun and informal environment helps the students
to become more comfortable, confident and capable of
speaking English in different environments.
Education Stories from the Field
SNNPR | In his classrooms, Joel saw that it was difficult to teach to all students’ levels in a grammar-centric classroom
setting. Some students lacked basic English skills and didn’t have enough foundational English to be successful in
an the classroom, while others possessed the ability to conduct advanced level conversation. In order to address
this achievement gap, he set to create leveled tutorials so he could target the actual ability level of all students. He
developed a tutorial schedule with his vice-director that allowed him to teach more students at their level; in support
of this, the school provided Joel with a spare classroom to create a “model classroom” to better facilitate these
tutorials. As a result, this new learning centered environment with more targeted tutorials not only aided students in
participating and being more active members in his class, but established a precident to be carried forward by future
English teachers at his school.
Tutorials to Match Every
Student’s Levels
7
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
8. Community Health Program
To improve individual and family health in Ethiopia through strengthened health practices
and care seeking behaviors.
Project Purpose
Goal 1 Goal 2
2017 Results
Objectives
Objectives
Improve School WASH
Improve Adolescent and Youth Reproductive
Health (AYRH)
1.1
1.2
Improve Household Water, Sanitation, and
Hygiene (WASH)
Improve Household Nutrition
2.2
2.1
2017 Results
Improve Household Water Sanitation and
Hygiene and Nutrition
Parents and caregivers will adopt healthy behaviors to improve
the health status of children less than 5 years of age.
Improve School Water, Sanitation, and
Hygiene and Adolescent and Youth
Reproductive Health
Students will adopt behaviors to reduce risk of water, sanitation
and hygiene related diseases and to improve adolescent and
youth reproductive health practices.
W
hen Peace Corps Ethiopia reopened the post in 2007, 38 Volunteers began working within the Community
Health and HIV project framework with direct support from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
(PEPFAR). In 2016, the project was reviewed and refocused to align with the national health strategy and
move services to the rural area. To best fit the health needs in Ethiopia, and to be consistent with Peace Corps’ global
vision of grass roots development and people-to-people relationships, Volunteers work with the Health Extension
Program at the community level. Health Volunteers work with caregivers of young children to help them adopt healthy
nutrition and water, hygiene, and sanitation (WASH) related behaviors to improve child health. Additionally, Health
Volunteers help to strengthen the link between community health centers and schools by working with students in
schools. Initiatives at the schools involve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects as well as interventions to
improve youth reproductive health. Volunteers are involved in a variety of projects including leadership camps for
youth, behavior change interventions, organizational capacity building, and school clubs.
30 volunteers and their community partners worked with students
and teachers in improving water, sanitation projects and sexual
reproductive health by providing handwashing lessons, promoting
personal hygiende and sanitation, training girls on making reusable
menstrual pad, and providing life skills and reproductive health
education for students.
694 Individuals trained on sexual and reproductive health
and modern contraceptive methods
397 Individuals identify at least two behaviors to prevent
unwanted pregnancy or prevent STIs
277 Students reported washing their hands with soap, ash or
other disinfecting material and water before preparing
food, eating or feeding, and post defecation
177 Students reported washing their hands with soap, ash or
other disinfecting material and water before preparing
food, eating or feeding and post defecation
8
42 Volunteers and their community partners worked with individuals
in improving access to household hand washing stations, improving
water storage and treatment of water, and increasing access to
latrines by mobilizing community members through demonstrations,
trainings, and disease education and educating on nutrition, balanced
diets, and maternal care.
223 Individuals received education on the benefits of exclusive
breastfeeding
139 Individuals trained in household environmental sanitation
practices specifically on trash and waste management,
water treatment and storage, and livestock management
105 Individuals received education on nutritional needs of
young children from 12 months to under 5 years old
91 Individuals at the household level trained on face washing
57 Individuals at the household who reported that they washed
their child’s face
80 Individuals adopted at least three new practices to reduce
the risk of diarrheal disease and pneumonia in children
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
9. Tigray | Using the knowledge and experience that she came to Peace
Corps Ethiopia with, Rhianna worked alongside her counterpart and a
Non-Governmental Organization. They assisted in the designing and
implementation of several projects to assist with scaling her rural health
center up to a hospital. These initiatives included new filing and data
collection systems, improved care and sanitation by staff at the health
facility, and strengthening the monitoring and evaluation programs
around antenatal care visits. The efforts that Rhianna advised specifically
targeted women with young children, aiming to help reach more mothers
and ensuring that Health Extension Workers were visiting pregnant
mothers and connecting them with health services. The result of this work
was an increase in mothers being referred to the health center for care
prior to giving birth as well as advances in clinical sanitation techniques.
There has also been a marked improvement in both monitoring and care
given to mothers delivering their babies.
Improving Patient Screenings
Creating Healthy,
Sustainable Livelihoods
Health Stories from the Field
Building YFS Room into a Student-
Centered Health Resource Library
SNNPR | In a southern secondary school, where 50 girls and 250 boys were enrolled, the teachers would follow a strict
curriculum and stay far from personal health topics. Emma recognized that at the health center that across the street
there was a Youth-Friendly Service (YFS) Room which had been empty. It was clear that the local students were not
utilizing the health center, so Emma decided to bring part of the health center to the students in their school. The
school needed not just health learning materials, they needed to offer a space to talk about health, and interact with
one another to create a safer, health-conscious, prevention-based community. With the help of a dedicated librarian,
the principal and a group of interested students, the Volunteer spent the summer collecting books, painting murals,
and creating what they would soon call their “Health Corner” in the library. The Girls Club has since started weekly
meetings, headed by two students who attended a Peace Corps led Camp Glow the previous summer; they often
discuss gender equality, puberty, dealing with boys, and safe sex. The library has become a safe space to talk about all
aspects of health.
9
SNNPR | ‘It is very difficult for people living with HIV and
AIDS to maintain a healthy weight and immune system.
Work is scarce, diets lack variety and there is a lot of water
borne illnesses,’ said Jared, a Volunteer in the Keffa region
of Ethiopia. He worked with a group of people living with
HIV/AIDS to address the difficulties of their daily lives.
“We used a VAST grant to buy cows, a butter churn and
stock a small shop. The group now produces butter and
cheese in addition to the vegetables from their gardens
to sell out of their shop. They teach the community
about the healthy variety of food they are selling while
increasing their financial independence”. Currently, the
group has saved more than 10,000 Ethiopian birr from
the sales of vegetable and butter in addition to leading a
stable and healthy livelihood.
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
10. Goal 1 Goal 2
2017 Results
Objectives Objectives
1.1
1.2
Improved Garden Production
Improved Livelihoods 2.2
2.1
2017 Results
Food Security
Community members will increase availability of, and access to,
diverse and more nutritious foods.
Environment Stewardship
Communities improve environmental awareness and natural
resources management
Promoting Tree Nurseries & Tree Planting
Improved Resiliency
Environmental Education2.3
Environment & Agriculture Program
Ethiopian community members improve food security and management of their natural
resources.
Project Purpose
P
eace Corps Ethiopia’s Environment program began in 2010 with 30 Volunteers. Since its inception the program
evolved into the Resilient Environment, Agriculture, and Livelihoods (REAL) project, which has been a partnership
with USAID and the Feed the Future initiative. REAL Volunteers have provided core support at the rural level to
improve food security and natural resource management in the communities they serve. Volunteers, in collaboration
with local farmers, development agents, and other stakeholders, have worked to strengthen individual and
organizational technical capacities, and have primarily worked in agriculture offices, farmer training centers, schools,
and local development agencies. In 2016, the REAL project was reviewed and refocused toward food and nutrition
security, resulting in a programmatic shift to Agriculture. This new framework — called Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture
(NuSA) — is being implemented by volunteers with community members in agriculture, health, nutrition, education,
and businesses, mobilizing farming families to sustainably increase availability and utilization of nutrient dense foods,
diversify diets, and increase nutritional knowledge.
51 Volunteers worked with community members to establish a
new nursery and to use improved nursery management practices
in existing tree nurseries to reduce deforestation and soil erosion,
and improve water resource conservation.
55 individuals planted trees
13 new water wells or other water capture and distribution
systems were installed
179 individuals received training on new environmental
knowledge and skills
209 students demonstrated a new understanding of the
existence, causes, consequences of, and solutions to,
one and more environmental issues confronting the
community
10
42 Volunteers and their community partners worked with community
members to establish new gardens or improve current gardening
practices. Volunteers conducted trainings and organized new income
generating activities, conducted training on post-harvest techniques,
assessed and advised on post-harvest value addition of crops and
products, ecotourism, beekeeping, small animal husbandry, and
provided training on business development services.
707 individuals received short-term agricultural sector
productivity or food security training
162 individuals implemented one or more new or improved
garden practices
69 new gardens were established
183 members of producer organizations and community based
organizations received technical assistance in agriculture
443 farmers applied improved technologies or management
practices as a result of volunteers’ assistance
192 vulnerable households benefiting directly from volunteer
interventions and services related to agriculture
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
11. Oromia | Andy worked with his local agriculture partners in
order to help train community members on how to manage and
maintain apple trees. For the first two months, Andy taught the
farmers proper management of the trees from start to finish
of the harvest with formal trainings and regular house visits.
Bikila Nigusse, a partner of the project said, “Even after he
leaves here, even if I move to another kebele, I can teach them
what I learned from Andy. The skill I gained will remain with
us. Through this, we have the opportunity to live ourselves out
of poverty.” Only with the transfer of knowledge, not money,
did Andy help his community generate income and gain lasting
knowledge that will remain long after he leaves Ethiopia.
Sustainable Income-Generation
from Apple Trees
Environment Stories from the Field
SNNPR | Samantha and her counterpart Faris have learned how to blend the aspects of their different cultures by
working and eating together. Both of them worked on a garden training with a group of 12 women to increase food
security and family nutrition. The garden used many techniques for water retention and maximized use of the space
provided in order for these women to make use of their gardens to yield a variety of vegetables. However, they saw
that after the trainings the women became more social and more open to hearing their ideas during the coffee breaks.
Over a few months, both visited the women to continue their work. In addition to their work together, Samantha saw
Faris become more proactive on the next steps of their project, punctual to all meetings, and patient in trusting the
longer process of creating sustainable change through commitment to each individual family. He gained the capacity
to build and explain the steps of these gardens to others. Both have found that the blending of cultures helped Faris
and Samantha with all skills, both social and professional.
Using Cultural Integration to
Increase Work Productivity
Beekeeping Techniques and Training
SNNPR | Arriving in Wushwush, Leighia learned that
her area is known for coffee and honey. There were
already three Forest Honey Producer Cooperatives that
had been using traditional hives. While shortly before
she moved into Wushwush all the cooperatives had
been given modern Zander-type hives, the cooperative
members had not been given trainings on how to use
them. Together with a local organization — Mellifera —
Leighia held a training on how to use the modern hives.
Over the course of a week, representatives from each
of the three community cooperatives saw a sample
apiary (bee-keeping site), learned about the biology of
honeybees, how to use beekeeping equipment, how to
transfer hives, internal inspections, and supplementary
feeding among other topics. After the training concluded,
Leighia followed up with individual beekeepers. She and
local beekeeping experts helped to answer questions
and foster the continued use of valuable management
techniques for greater productivity.
11
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
12. S
tomping Out Malaria in Africa began in 2011
as an international project to engage
volunteers in malaria elimination.
Following instruction on malaria prevention
activities during Pre-Service Training,
Volunteers from all three sectors implement
projects to support malaria awareness and
prevention efforts. The Volunteer leadership of PC
Ethiopia’s Stomp Committee includes 8 regional
representatives to facilitate intentional collaboration with
community counterparts and implementing partners.
Supported by Stomp, Volunteers use the effective
Addis Ababa | Zoë and Kaitlin represented Peace Corps
and the Stomp Out Malaria Committee at the annual
President’s Malaria Initiative Implementing Partners’
Conference with about 50 professionals and NGO
representatives in Addis Ababa. They shared how Peace
Corps Volunteers, using best practices for malaria
prevention within their communities, are effective due
to the Volunteer’s unique level of cultural integration,
language skill, and resourcefulness; this enables them to
effectively mobilize communities and accurately monitor
and evaluate progress. Amidst much spending from other
organizations, they demonstrated how Peace Corps
offers low-cost and proven methods of behavior change.
Volunteers give knowledge and time, not money, to
educate local counterparts about testing and treatment,
and eradicate common misconceptions of a curable
disease.
Malaria Prevention
Volunteers and their counterparts participate in engaging activities
that teach about malaria prevention at a training in Jimma
approach of social and behavior change communication
(SBCC), including community-based activities such as
painting murals, training counterparts, and facilitating
educational programs. Volunteers implement unique
projects to promote care-seeking behavior using
methods individualized to the community in order
to provide training and expertise. Ethiopia’s
Stomping Out Malaria project empowered
several Volunteers and local counterparts
through four intensive two-day trainings
across Ethiopia. These trainings more than
tripled participants’ knowledge about social
behavior change communication (SBCC),
engaged the group in a doer/non-doer
analysis, and generated action plans for
community interventions.
Sharing Best Practices at
National Conference
Preventing Malaria in
Our Communities
2017 Results
141 Community educators and mobilizers who were trained to promote prevention or care seeking
Long-lasting Insecticide-treated Nets (LLINs) that were purchased or delivered to individuals 168
152 Individuals who slept under an insecticide-treated bed net
Individuals who received behavioral change malaria prevention education 380
12
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
13. A
t the heart of Peace Corps Ethiopia’s food security
and nutrition work are permagardens: small-scale,
high-yield, and diverse spaces designed to grow
nutritious and abundant amounts of food close to home.
Permagardens are focused on family health and individual
resilience. The techniques used in permagardening, such as
double-dug beds, use of compost and other locally-available
soil amendments, tight seed spacing, and crop rotation, are
intended to increase yields and nutritional content of crops
by significant amounts.
During in-service trainings, Volunteers are instructed on
how to link produce from their bio-intensive gardens to
nutrition lessons through culturally appropriate cooking
demonstrations. Additionally, improved small animal
husbandry rearing techniques coupled with nutrition lessons
and income generation, involving poultry and bees, add to
the food security dynamic here in Peace Corps Ethiopia.
Amhara | When Emily saw the potential for a family in her
community to create small-scale, high-yield model per-
magarden, she got to work. In teaching the family how to
grow and sustain a nutrient-dense garden, she was met
with an eagerness to not only maintain the garden, but
to do more. As a response, Emily helped the family build
a chicken coop, one that — while based on pre-existing
designs — was modified to fit the needs of the family. Now
the family not only has a bountiful garden, but has begun
raising chickens in a secure space optimized for grazing.
The family is now eager to demonstrate to other farmers
what amazing things can be done with a little bit of wood,
sweat, and knowledge.
Food Security
Food Security for Female
Farmers
Sharing Model Gardens and
Chicken Coops
13
Tigray | Jesse developed a food security program for 27
female participants who learned the value of a nutrient
diverse diet. He showed them how they could cook a
nutrient-rich meal with minimal money, work, and time.
The program included nutrition trainings, garden trainings,
replanting and cooking trainings, and a final community
celebration to help spread the word about the project
which featured the participants as role models within the
community. As a result, the program has helped women
in the community increase their understanding of how
to produce culturally relevant yet dietarily diverse and
nutritious meals, which can help them and their families
lead healthier lives.
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
14. Advocating for People
with Disabilities in their
Community
Working with People with Disabilities
P
eace Corps has a mandate to help empower People with
Disabilities (PWD). The Peace Corps Act of 1961 states
that, “the Peace Corps shall be administered so as
to give particular attention to programs, projects, and
activities which tend to integrate disabled people into the
national economies of developing countries, thus improving
their status and assisting the total development effort.”
In light of this, the agency has made “Empowerment of
People with Disabilities” a Cross-Sectoral Programming
Priority, meaning that all Volunteers in Ethiopia,
and around the world,
contribute to this
goal. Here in Ethiopia,
Volunteers are
actively involved in
community projects
that work for People
with Disabilities.
In 2015 Volunteers formed the Abilities
Committee, which seeks to empower
People with Disabilities. The committee
seeks to promote a disability-aware and
inclusiveEthiopiainwhicheveryone’sability,
humanity, and dignity are encouraged and
prioritized. The committee has developed
numerous partnerships, trainings, and
resources, and has made them accessible
to staff and Volunteers, enabling them
to work effectively on this priority.
“
to promote
a disability-
aware and
inclusive
Ethiopia
Volunteer Tedla makes a regular visit to a blind
child, whom he encourages to attend school
Oromia | In Ethiopia, the community of people with disabilities is often ignored and underappreciated. Students in
this community lack the support they need in order to be successful in school. Marianna and Lauren started a weekly
club at the local primary school for students with special needs because they did not have a teacher to provide them
with extra support in the classroom. Every Tuesday their students would create different art projects that would later
be displayed at an end of the semester art gallery. They finished the semester by painting a mural on the fence of the
school compound for all to see. In addition the students prepared a coffee ceremony for all of their teachers among
the display of all of their art projects. At the ceremony, teachers came and were amazed by the creativity and work of
the students with special needs. Not only did the students’ confidence level improve, but their club helped also to show
the school community that these students are just as capable as anyone else.
14
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
15. HIV Prevention & Grassroot Soccer
Students participate in Grassroot Soccer in Amhara
1.1
1.2
HIV Prevention, Care, and Support
Community members adopt behaviors to decrease the spread and
mitigate the harmful effects of HIV
2017 Results
Objectives
HIV Prevention
HIV Care and Support
HIV Goal
Volunteer Emily and her counterparts
with their Grassroot Soccer graduates
First Peace Corps Ethiopia Staff-led GRS Training
“
Over 2,650
youth have
participated
in GRS
interventions
in Ethiopia
to date.
G
rassroot Soccer is an innovative HIV-prevention
intervention which uses the popularity of football to
educate young people about gender equality, HIV,
and sexual reproductive health. After signing on as a national
implementing partner in 2012, Peace Corps Ethiopia has
trained 370 Volunteers and counterparts in the Grassroot
Soccer SKILLZ and SKILLZ GIRLS curriculum; an innovative
curriculum developed specifically for young people. Now,
GRS is one of the flagship cross-sector programs for Peace
Corps Ethiopia. In 2017, Peace Corps Ethiopia welcomed
GRS staff from South Africa to conduct a Training of Trainers
workshops for Volunteers and Ethiopian counterparts. In
addition to the HIV prevention
themed curriculum, GRS also
offers a malaria awareness
curriculum.
2018 promises to be an
incredible year for the Peace
Corps Ethiopia Grassroot
Soccer program, with plans to
continue training Volunteers
and counterparts. Peace Corps
Ethiopia is committed to supporting this unique program
that provides Volunteers an innovative tool-kit to teach youth
about HIV prevention and life skills strategies. To ensure the
GRS program is sustainable over the long term, Peace Corps
Ethiopia is exploring options to strengthen local ownership
of the training in order to ensure that the expertise and
experience gained from implementing programs will stay in
country. Peace Corps Ethiopia is confident that this program
has a very promising future in Ethiopia.
52 Volunteers worked with community partners to educate
individuals on HIV prevention, care, and support through trainings,
camps, clubs, schools, health promotion referral services,
management of care groups, and Grassroot Soccer
1,181 Individuals were reached with HIV prevention
interventions
1,414 Individuals were reached with education on gender-
related prevention related to HIV and AIDS
799 Individuals were able to identify two or more sexual
risk behaviors associated with over-consumption of
alcohol or substance use
621 Individuals received education on the importance of
voluntary testing and counseling for HIV
15
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
16. W
hen a girl receives an education, her life trajectory
changes. She is more likely to earn a viable income,
raise a healthy family, and improve the quality of
life for herself, her family, and her community. These are
some of the driving factors behind Peace Corps Volunteers
and the activities that they lead.
Volunteers in all three sectors are driven to encourage girls
in and outside of the classroom using clubs and programs
that are aimed at promoting education, equality, and
leadership. These activities also include male participation
aimed at sparking thought provoking discussion about
gender roles and about different ways males can help
their female counterparts succeed.
Often serving as catalysts of community-led change by
empowering local leaders to implement lasting solutions to
ensure that girls are in school, Volunteers serve a crucial role
in promoting gender equality and female empowerment in
many rural communities.
Students participate in a weekly Gender Club where
they learn about common gender roles in Ethiopia
Sanitation, Safety,
and Support through
a New Latrine
Amhara | While observing the high school in her community
— the only source of secondary education in her region —
Saba realized it was significantly deficient in hygienic latrine
and wash facilities, especially for the female students. For
Ethiopian girls, high school is a particularly trying time, a
critical juncture in the educational experience where data
shows females often fall behind
in their class work, attendance,
and that their dropout rates
increase. One reason for this
decline is due a lack of school
support and resources during
their monthly menstruation.
Saba’s high school only had one
latrine with four stalls for 1,385
female students. The lack of facilities and a water source —
for cleaning menstrual pads – affected attendance of female
students. In response, Saba set out to help construct one
latrine and one hygienic wash facility for the female students
of the high school. The new latrine consists of eight stalls and
a wash facility for the female students to use. Saba worked
withtheEducationBureau,YouthBureau,AgricultureBureau,
and Water Bureau for
the latrines planning,
and collaborated
with the high school
administration to
oversee its construction.
Finally, to ensure its
sustainability, the high
school administrative
team agreed to be in
charge of the latrine’s
continued maintenance
and longevity.
Theschoolsettingshould
be an environment
where a female student feels safe and supported to learn
and achieve their dreams; Saba’s latrine will bring her high
school one step closer to that reality.
“
one latrine
with four
stalls for
1,385
female
students
Gender Equality & Female Empowerment
The School Administration supervises
latrine construction progress
16
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
17. Amhara | With the help of student leaders, Alex began
a female-only Club GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) at
her school in order to create a space where girls could
feel completely free to express their ideas. While Alex
held the meetings, she allowed the three grade 12 student
leaders to help facilitate the sessions each week for about
60 participating students. Each meeting covered topics
including traditional gender norms, barriers for girls’
education, menstrual health, and more. Each meeting
was led mostly in Amharic by the student leaders. For
Alex, seeing the younger girls learn to speak out and the
older girls encouraging them was not only beautiful, but
inspiring.
Tigray | Seeing an opportunity to help empower young
women in her village, Heleen worked with Shefena — an
8th grade English teacher and the head of the Girls Club —
to create a program that would promote gender equality.
For three months, they hosted regular two-hour meetings
with a group of young girls from their community using
the Grassroot Soccer (GRS) GIRLS SKILLZ program.
The program taught about reproductive health, family
planning, gender equality, and menstruation all through
fun activities designed around football. At the end of the
program, 19 girls graduated from the program, equipped
with vital knowledge about gender equality and sexual
health. Furthermore, the program established an enduring
safe space for the females to talk about the difficult topic
of gender issues. The program allowed these girls to
gain confidence to be effective change makers in their
communities.
Gender Equality &
Female-Only Club GLOW Helps
with Gender Equality at School
Promoting Gender Equality
through Fun and Football
International Women’s Day
Program and March
SNNPR | On May 8th, International Women’s Day, Megan and
her counterpart for Gender Club coordinated with the school
to hold a program for all of the students. After the program,
they held a short march through town to give awareness
to the community and show support to all females. Many
girls from the Gender Club helped create posters to use for
the program and prepared a short speech to inform their
classmates about powerful Ethiopian women and their
accomplishments. Two representatives from the Women’s
Bureau and Justice Office attended the program and shared
information with all the students such as all the resources
available to them in the community and how females should
be treated in the school setting. The program was very
beneficial for increasing awareness of the need for gender
equality in the community and developing confidence for
the future female leaders of Ethiopia.
Female Empowerment
17
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
18. Youth Leadership Camps & Grants
T
his year over 120 Peace Corps Volunteers in
Ethiopia invited nearly 600 youth to summer youth
leadership camps around the country to empower
them to be confident leaders in their communities.
Volunteers organized 17 summer camps that took place in
Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, and SNNPR regions.
Camps focused on health goals — Called
Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World), these
camps include trainings about HIV prevention,
life skills, reproductive health topics, and
gender equality
Camps focused on community-level food
security, nutrition and environmental
stewardship — called Camp GROW (Growing
and Renewing Our World), these camps
include trainings about small scale gardening
techniques, household nutrition, and local and
global environmental issues
Camps focused on English language
improvement — called Camp English, these
camps help students improve their reading,
writing, and public speaking skills
Despite the individual goals of each camp, all focused
heavily on empowering youth to be leaders. Since
Volunteers live in small communities they invited youth
to participate in camps so that they could return to their
communities as leaders.
These camps would not be possible without the generous
support from Ethiopian individuals, institutions, and
agencies including local NGOs, universities, primary and
secondary schools, and teacher’s colleges. Volunteers
worked with over 100 Ethiopian counterparts to
implement these camps. These counterparts — local
teachers, health officers, and development agents — all
donated their time to help organize and implement the
camps.
Peace Corps Volunteers organize summer camps
every year in Ethiopia. These camps are part of a
wider community of summer camps that the U.S.
Peace Corps implements around the world; this year
Volunteers organized camps in over 60 different
countries. Additionally, Volunteers in Ethiopia run
smaller localized camps in their communities to
ensure that the messages of youth leadership reach
the widest possible audience around the country.
11
4
2
Female campers participate in an empowerment
activity at Camp GLOW Debre Birhan
Volunteer Lauren leads a group of girls in an
activity at Camp GLOW Goree
Girls make Reusable Menstrual Pads at Camp GLOW Mekele
Volunteer Zoë coaches a student at Camp English #2 Sodo
Students complete homework by candlelight at
Camp English #1 Sodo
18
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
19. Youth Leadership Camps & Grants
Volunteer Elizabeth coaches a student at an all-girls Camp English Mekele
Male campers prepare coffee for the female campers
during a “gender-swap” activity at Camp GLOW Mekele
Volunteer Sean mentors a group of boys at Camp
GLOW Goree
Campers participate in a Grassroot Soccer “kilo” cheer
at Camp GLOW Jimma
Volunteer Adrienne challenges a female Camper to an
“arm-wrestling” competition at Camp Glow Dessie
37Grants Awarded
19
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
Grant Statistics
4,267
11,682
7,415
Individuals
Reached
Females
Males
15Grants Included
Health Related
Activities
8Grants Included
English Education
Related Activities
22Grants Included
Gender Related
Activities
9Grants Included
Agriculture Related
Activities
20. |
Peace requires the simple but powerful
recognition that what we have in common as
human beings is more important and crucial
than what divides us.
–Founder & Director Sargent Shriver | 1961
Our Goals
H
ere in Ethiopia, Volunteers strive to integrate
into their community, learn and respect
Ethiopian culture, and make new friends.
Volunteers are graciously welcomed into homes
and families, participate in local holidays, and
become contributing members of their community
where they will spend two years.
Many Volunteers find that the people-to-people
connections are what they remember most from
their time in Ethiopia.
In exchange, Volunteers also share American culture
and values with their new friends and colleagues.
Volunteers teach their students about American
holidays, sports, diversity, and culture. These cross
cultural exchanges are the backbone of Peace
Corps Goal 2 and 3 and the resulting international
friendships.
Many Volunteers maintain blogs where they post
stories, photos, and videos from their experience
in Ethiopia so that friends and family can follow
along. Blogs epitomize Peace Corps’ third goal:
sharing Ethiopia with Americans.
To help the people of interested countries in meeting their
need for trained men and women
To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the
part of the peoples served
To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the
part of Americans
1
2
The United States Peace Corps’ mission is to promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals:
3
Peace Corps Goals & Integration
“
Volunteer Kyle and a
family prepare a garden
Volunteer Kiely attempts
to make Injera
Volunteer Wu with her
PST host family
Volunteer Mary with her
PST host family
Volunteer Bryan with children from his compound
20
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
21. Tigray | For two days in Adigrat, 14 Education Volunteers
facilitated a training for 223 high school English teachers,
representing nearly every high school in the Tigray region.
The training focused on topics including building more
student-centered classrooms, teacher’s comfort with
speaking English, and creating and maintaining English
clubs.
Peace Corps worked in collaboration with the Tigray
Regional Education Bureau and the English Department
of Mekele University to ensure their vision and ideas for
the training aligned with local objectives and interests.
The Regional Education Bureau was so impressed by the
training that they invited Peace Corps to return to do a
training of high school administration staff throughout
Tigray. The Regional Education Bureau has also offered
its support in allowing Volunteers, with the help of
their counterparts, to return to their sites and head the
trainings at a more local level in their woredas. As a result
of the training, there have been many additional programs
at several schools in Tigray. Peace Corps plans to facilitate
many trainings for teachers in the future.
Sustainable Female Empowerment Programs
SNNPR | In a community in SNNPR, female students tutor each other in academics, life skills, and reproductive health.
Volunteer Zoë helped facilitate these classes in addition to English Training programs twice a week. In addition, the
school hosted a celebration to appreciate female students and recognize their potential. This included a drama on
gender equality and a passing-the-torch ceremony to symbolize the graduation of females to the next generation of
student leaders. Zoë also worked with her counterpart Alem to teach Grade 9 girls the importance of sexual health
through activities including fun games and demonstrations of how to make Re-Usable Menstrual Pads. Overall, all club
events were sustainable as they were sponsored within the community by the school’s café and profits from the club’s
on-campus, female-led garden. Zoë and her counterpart did a great job passing on knowledge and confidence to their
female students, ensuring continued and sustainable success for their female students.
Over 200 Teachers attend
Teacher Training in Tigray
More Stories from the Field
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2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
22. A
ll Peace Corps Volunteers complete comprehensive
and rigorous training before they begin their work.
Throughout a Volunteer’s 2 years of service, the Peace
Corps also provides training in various topics, ranging from
teaching techniques to project design and management, for
the Volunteer and their counterparts.
Pre-ServiceTrainingsareheldaroundButajira,SNNPR.Trainees
spend their first three months in Ethiopia in this area where
they live with local families who help them to integrate into
the community and learn and appreciate cultural norms and
values. During their Pre-Service Training, Trainees receive over
375 hours of intensive technical, cultural, language, and basic
development training through classroom sessions, practicum,
and even “on the street” immersion exercises.
While in Pre-Service Training, groups of Trainees create school
clubs, conduct mock assessments, and lead mini leadership
camps in the community. They learn how to be effective
Volunteers while the communities near Butajira benefit from
the skills transfer and collaborations. This year 934 Ethiopian
High School students graduated from Peace Corps’ 3-week
English summer term held in Butajira and surrounding towns.
Preparing Volunteers for Service
Trainee Arwa and PST host family
Trainee Sally’s Host Family
Experience
Pre-Service Training Numbers
12 Weeks of Training • 158 Hours of Language (Amharic, Afan Oromo, or Tigrigna)
131 Technical Training Hours • 53 Hours of Peace Crops Global Training • 33 Hours of Safety and Medical Training
year student at the university in Mek’ele. Besides going
to school, Salem worked part-time in the family’s shop
and also served as my main source of Tigrinya practice
and translation; we spent most evenings and weekends
swapping Tigrinya and English words and phrases. I was
also lucky enough to pick up quite a bit of knowledge
surrounding the art of Ethiopian cuisine from Salem, and
I now have a new found respect
for both incredible amounts of
berbere; and mealtimes that
result in sometimes third or
fourth helpings. Finally, our house
was made complete by Asmara’s
niece, Tsgeweyni, who is 15 years
old. Since it was summer break,
Tsewgeweni was a frequent
employee at the family’s shop,
but she also managed to be one
of my favorite students during
practicum teaching — a biased
opinion, I know. Tsgeweyni was
probably my biggest cheerleader
when it came to tackling
everything Ethiopian, handing
out praise even when I stumbled
over my Tigrinya homework and
complimenting my injera batter-
pouring skills when I can assure
you, I was terrible. My time spent
in Maimekden and with Asmara, Selam, and Tsgeweyni
was much too short, but I am so grateful for the love that
they imparted on me throughout my PST experience. My
first taste of Tigray would have been so vastly different if
I had not had the chance to share it with such an amazing
and caring family.
22
Tigray | I was fortunate enough to experience my first
two months of Ethiopian adventures with a host family
in a little town in Tigray. From day one, with my nearly
nonexistent knowledge of the
Tigrinya language, my family
welcomed me as a daughter and
sister. My time spent with them
was both hilarious and eye-
opening; in short, I fit in so well
with the antics of our household.
Asmara, my host mother, is the
owner of two small shops in
town and is a mother to two sons
and three daughters — with only
one currently living at home. Not
only did she seem to know every
person in town, but she made
sure I was just as well integrated
into the community — let’s not
forget the night she dressed me
in one of her chiffon dresses,
wrapped my head in a scarf,
and paraded me around the
town declaring, “my Sally, bitami
conjo (very beautiful).” She also
was an incredible help the few times I got sick, and she
never failed to make me laugh when she’d show up with
some “medication” to make me recover faster. Who knew
that banana gum and mints double as fever reducers?
Along with Asmara, the house was also frequented by
Selam, Asmara’s 22 year old daughter, who was a first
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
23. T
he staff of Peace Corps believes that the most effective way to assist in the development of Ethiopia is by ensuring
Volunteers are well prepared to meet the opportunities and challenges of life and work in their schools, work
places, and communities. This is accomplished by rigorous training, thoughtful site preparation and placement,
and ongoing support of the Volunteers during their two-year service. Volunteers may be the face of the Peace Corps,
but their work would not be possible if not for the dedicated and tireless contribution of the Peace Corps Ethiopia
professional staff. The staff is proud to serve the government and people of Ethiopia, and know the result of their work
today means improved opportunities for the future of Ethiopia.
Our Staff
We will only send Americans abroad that are wanted by the host country – who have a real job to do – and
who are qualified to do that job. Programs will be developed with care, and after full negotiation, in order to
make sure that Peace Corps is wanted and will contribute to the welfare of other people. Our Peace Corps is
not designed as an instrument of diplomacy or propaganda or ideological conflict. It is designed to permit our
people to exercise more fully their responsibilities in the great common cause of world development.
–President John F. Kennedy | 1961
“
2017 Peace Corps Ethiopia Staff
Pre-Service Training Staff
23
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T
24. Peace Corps Ethiopia 2017 Annual Report
Produced by Kirsten Kuwatani & John Space
Page 5 Map by Free Vector Maps | http://freevectormaps.com
As the preeminent international service organization
of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans
abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people
around the world. Peace Corps Volunteers work at
the grass root level with local governments, schools,
communities, small businesses, and entrepreneurs to
develop sustainable solutions that address challenges
in education, health, economic development,
agriculture, environment, and youth development.
When they return home, volunteers bring their
knowledge and experiences — and a global outlook
— back to the United States that enriches the lives
of those around them. President John F. Kennedy
established the Peace Corps in 1961 to foster a better
understanding among Americans and people of other
countries. Since then, more than 225,000 Americans
of all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide.
Visit www.peacecorps.gov to learn more.
About the Peace Corps
P.O. Box 7788
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 320 0316
Fax: +251 11 320 0315
www.peacecorps.gov/ethiopia/
www.facebook.com/peacecorpsethiopia
www.instagram.com/peacecorpsethiopia/
2 0 1 7 A N N U A L R E P O R T