~~Adz:Right~~Basseterre, St. Kitts (October 25, 2006): The United States Peace Corps organization is celebrating 45 years of existence this year.
Created in 1961 via a Presidential act by John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps enable Americans to travel to different countries around the world to share skills and gain experience living in new cultures. Their aim is to spread worldwide peace through sustainable development and education.
Rebecca Holderman is a member of this organization serving in St. Kitts. She told SKNIS that the first Peace Corps volunteers arrived in the Eastern Caribbean on October 22, 45 years ago when they landed in St. Lucia. The programme has since expanded to include Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Dominica and St. Kitts and Nevis.
To mark the anniversary, the first volunteers were invited back to St. Lucia for a banquet. In St. Kitts, volunteers have been
holding extra curricula activities with persons they work with in the community.
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"I was able to do some sessions with the students in my after school programme to help them to be more aware of American culture and diversity in American culture," Holderman said.
"We did some fun activities like playing baseball and making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, just simple things to teach them about American culture and what Peace Corps is, because a lot of them aren't quite sure why I'm here."
In Nevis, volunteers there sought grocery donations from businesses and cooked meals for bus drivers. This initiative was dubbed Bus Drivers Appreciation Day.
Holderman admitted that it was a challenge adjusting to the climate and the new culture when she arrived some one and a half years ago.
~~Adz:Right~~However she was more comfortable after her 3 month orientation and now calls St. Kitts "her second home." The young lady expressed her desire to see the programme continue in the long run.
"Being able to develop relationships with persons will be beneficial for St. Kitts and Nevis as well as the Peace Corps,' Holderman stressed, adding that the focus on community development by volunteers gives them more opportunities to establish meaningful relationships with the public.
There are 17 Peace Corps volunteers in the Federation. Volunteers have worked with the majorettes and Project Strong and have volunteered in the areas of youth, education, information technology and health among others.
