me

I began my service with the US Peace Corps in July 1997 in the Eastern Caribbean country of St. Lucia. I worked on a Community Based Rehabilitation project in the seaside community of Soufriere. In this community of 7,000 people I taught Community Health Aides how to work more effectively with disabled children and older adults modeling the Community Based Rehabilitation program. I also was acting Co-Director of the only government run Home for older adults and people with disabilities. Here I planned, organized, and implemented training programs for staff to better meet the needs and increase living conditions of its residents. With a community advocacy group, I organized and supervised the construction of a wheelchair accessible ramp funded by USAID. The grant was obtained from the Small Project Assistance program of the US Peace Corps and USAID. The event was attended by community members, Advocates of Children with Disabilities Group, government officials, and local and national media. A success indeed! Additionally, I worked with the Ministry of Education on their proposal to open a Special Education School in Soufriere. Another success!!
My experiences on this beautiful island will stay with me forever. I also learned how to grow and harvest my own food, how to teach an illiterate adult how to read, how to slow the pace of living and enjoy the moment. My service in St. Lucia was completed in July 1999.
I have already returned for a visit since my service and was treated like a princess away from her kingdom. It was nice to see that the people that I grew to love had missed me as much as I missed them. I love St. Lucia and I cannot wait to return!

Instead of returning back to the United States, I decided to continue my service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the South American country of Ecuador. I wanted to increase my international development experience, learn Spanish, and to explore the country where my paternal grandfather was born. From July 1999 until October 2001, I was a Youth and Families at Risk Volunteer. I spent my first year in the coastal capital of Portoviejo in the province of Manabi where I conducted outreach to working/street children in marginal neighborhoods and their working environment. I did assessments of children for the Casa Hogar, a community based activity center and soup kitchen. The children and staff taught me how to speak Spanish, Gracias a Uds!
My second year was spent in the provincial capital of Ambato in the province of Tungurahua, some 10,000 ft in altitude! Here i wrote a project poposal and secured a grant to open a multi-purpose center for street children located in the city center. During the last 6 months of my service in Ecuador, I worked with the city orphanage, Santa Marianita. Here i assisted with recreational and therapeutic activities with residents to promote proper early childhood development. I also participated in the national and international adoption process. Not to mention the fact that I fell in love with over a dozen babies! Hola mis bebes!!!! Cuidate mucho!
I am grateful for the experiences that i had as a volunteer in Ecuador and i am already planning my first visit. A diverse and beautiful country that I have adopted as my Third Home. I was 25% Ecuadorian (thanks to grandpa Palau) before I lived in Ecuador. Ahora, soy media Ecuatoriana pues!