Howdy,
My name is Matt Stellbauer, I am a Peace Corps volunteer living on the island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and this is my blog.
Now, you may be asking why I waited so long to start a blog? Well the short answer is I am lazy, and the long well... I had not felt like I had been having this experience long enough to make my writing meaningful, plus with all the emails I get asking about my experience I was starting to feel like Santa Clause.
So let me bring you up to speed. I have been in the Peace Corps for about 10 months now and and living in St. Vincent for 9, I serve for a total of 27 months. For the first month I was being trained to be a volunteer in St. Lucia where I was tested and evaluated, eventually being hand picked to serve on one of the 6 island nations that make up the Eastern Caribbean.
I was selected to serve on the island of St. Vincent and The Grenadines where my official title became that of a Community Development Volunteer, with the assigned task of promoting sustainable development in my village. Simply, I work free lance connecting with groups in my village and on the island that are involved in projects and task that I have an interest in. Ill tell you more about my village in the next post.
As a new volunteer, one of the first thing that happens is you are bombarded with villagers hot ideas on what they perceive your role to be. Looking back, it was both important and Necessary for me to try each and everyone in order to find the project that were meaningful to me. So far I have taken on the roles of :
a Pre-school teacher
a kindergarten teacher (Turns out, that they still cry just as much even though they are older)
a computer technician/ teacher
Aerobics instructor ( It didn’t take me long to figure out that this was not an interest)
These are just a few things I tried that didn’t work. As for my projects that I enjoy this list grows and shrinks on a daily basis. As of right now I feel like I have a good list.
Adult Leader for the Greggs 4H club
Why I enjoy this: Its effortless, the kids in my village do all the work, I just show up, they tell me what they want to do and we do it.
Consultant on a small business enterprise
Why I enjoy this: Why not, bringing a bakery and banana chip kitchen to our village will provide both revenue, jobs and will also feed my belly, its a win win situation.
Project Manger for The Caribbean Cares Program.
Why I enjoy this: I am heading up an International HIV/AIDS initiative, I am bringing attention to a part of the world that does not get any and if its successful I will have helped many people. It just makes me feel good.
Lackey for the Department of Youth Affairs office.
Why I enjoy this: I get to see the island and interact with the youth on all levels and even if all my project fail these guys still show me some love.
Well its getting late and I must go to bed, for tomorrow is Sunday and if I sleep through church, I will be reminded of how Lazy and typically American I am.
Until Next Time,
Matt
My name is Matt Stellbauer, I am a Peace Corps volunteer living on the island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and this is my blog.
Now, you may be asking why I waited so long to start a blog? Well the short answer is I am lazy, and the long well... I had not felt like I had been having this experience long enough to make my writing meaningful, plus with all the emails I get asking about my experience I was starting to feel like Santa Clause.
So let me bring you up to speed. I have been in the Peace Corps for about 10 months now and and living in St. Vincent for 9, I serve for a total of 27 months. For the first month I was being trained to be a volunteer in St. Lucia where I was tested and evaluated, eventually being hand picked to serve on one of the 6 island nations that make up the Eastern Caribbean.
I was selected to serve on the island of St. Vincent and The Grenadines where my official title became that of a Community Development Volunteer, with the assigned task of promoting sustainable development in my village. Simply, I work free lance connecting with groups in my village and on the island that are involved in projects and task that I have an interest in. Ill tell you more about my village in the next post.
As a new volunteer, one of the first thing that happens is you are bombarded with villagers hot ideas on what they perceive your role to be. Looking back, it was both important and Necessary for me to try each and everyone in order to find the project that were meaningful to me. So far I have taken on the roles of :
a Pre-school teacher
a kindergarten teacher (Turns out, that they still cry just as much even though they are older)
a computer technician/ teacher
Aerobics instructor ( It didn’t take me long to figure out that this was not an interest)
These are just a few things I tried that didn’t work. As for my projects that I enjoy this list grows and shrinks on a daily basis. As of right now I feel like I have a good list.
Adult Leader for the Greggs 4H club
Why I enjoy this: Its effortless, the kids in my village do all the work, I just show up, they tell me what they want to do and we do it.
Consultant on a small business enterprise
Why I enjoy this: Why not, bringing a bakery and banana chip kitchen to our village will provide both revenue, jobs and will also feed my belly, its a win win situation.
Project Manger for The Caribbean Cares Program.
Why I enjoy this: I am heading up an International HIV/AIDS initiative, I am bringing attention to a part of the world that does not get any and if its successful I will have helped many people. It just makes me feel good.
Lackey for the Department of Youth Affairs office.
Why I enjoy this: I get to see the island and interact with the youth on all levels and even if all my project fail these guys still show me some love.
Well its getting late and I must go to bed, for tomorrow is Sunday and if I sleep through church, I will be reminded of how Lazy and typically American I am.
Until Next Time,
Matt
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