RPCV Phoenix takes the money we raise from membership dues as well
as calendar sales and donates the money to Peace Corps Partnership
Projects. We specifically support current volunteers that hail from
Arizona.
The Peace Corps Partnership Program began in 1964 and has helped thousands of Peace Corps Volunteers implement community-initiated projects that have had significant and positive impacts on communities and thousands of individuals. The Partnership Program does not directly fund projects, but serves as a link to groups who want to contribute to the valuable work Volunteers do with their host communities. By establishing this link between donors and communities overseas, the Partnership Program facilitates an understanding among different cultures and the opportunity for cross-cultural exchange. In order to receive funding through the Partnership Program, a community must make a 25 percent contribution to the total project cost and outline success indicators for the individual projects. This helps ensure community ownership, a greater chance of long-term sustainability, and, ultimately, success.
The Peace Corps Partnership Program began in 1964 and has helped thousands of Peace Corps Volunteers implement community-initiated projects that have had significant and positive impacts on communities and thousands of individuals. The Partnership Program does not directly fund projects, but serves as a link to groups who want to contribute to the valuable work Volunteers do with their host communities. By establishing this link between donors and communities overseas, the Partnership Program facilitates an understanding among different cultures and the opportunity for cross-cultural exchange. In order to receive funding through the Partnership Program, a community must make a 25 percent contribution to the total project cost and outline success indicators for the individual projects. This helps ensure community ownership, a greater chance of long-term sustainability, and, ultimately, success.
This past year, RPCV Phoenix was able to donate funds to
two different projects!
Preserving the Oral Tradition of the Gambia
The volunteer set out to collect folk tales and compile them into a book
with illustrations and create a website.
The volunteer traveled around Gambia and gathered folk stories from
women and children. These stories where
then translated into English and compiled into a book that was printed in
Gambia. At the time the project was
finishing, the website was still in the process of being completed.
Kalahari After School Center
The volunteer set out to create a place for children to go to
learn and play outside of school hours in a small rural village in South
Africa. The after school center opened in early June. Teachers and community
volunteers have been conducting Life Skills classes focusing on HIV/AIDs,
making good decisions, nutrition and perma gardening.
We always have at minimum 20 kids between the ages of 6 and 16
coming every weekday to do homework, read and play games. Some days we have as
many as 80 kids.
The drop in center has been making a difference in the
community. Since children have activities and youth sports to participate in,
there's less fighting because children have been using their words more to
express their feelings. Teachers have reported that literacy marks have shown
improvement. They have also recommended more focus on basic math skills.
Recently we did skits on alcohol abuse and some of the kids made posters.
Puzzles and board games has given them better spatial reasoning and logic
skills. It's been a joy watching them take care of baby dolls, play house and
using their imagination more.
For more information & photos on the project go to Kalahari
After School Center on Facebook.