The Fourth Goal of Former Peace Corps Volunteers
I will write something up! This is a great idea. It was really hard to just walk away especially since…
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What Have You Done (Lately) For Your Host Country?
As you have read on this site, there are numerous RPCVs who have never forgotten the people of their Peace Corps countries. Recently we wrote about what several Ethiopia RPCVs have done, and are still doing today, for where they once served. We know there are many similar stories that can be told by all of you.
We call this generous effort the Fourth Goal of the Peace Corps. A term suggested By David Arnold (Ethiopia 1963-65). It is how being a PCV does not end with the close of service conference.
We ask you now —
- What have you done for your Peace Corps country since you came home?
- How have you helped one or more of your former students?
- What have you done for the family that adopted you, gave you a new name and all their love, support and attention?
- What have you done for the school where you taught, the hospital where you worked, or anyone of the other assignments you did as a PCV?
Send us your story, plus photographs, that tell your story. We’ll post them on this site. Tell your tale of caring and giving after your days as a PCV. It is time to tell Washington and the world the complete story of what it means to be a Peace Corps Volunteers. Only you can tell it.
Marian Haley Beil & John Coyne (Ethiopia 1962-64)
I will put together some information about what Friends of the Dominican Republic has done for our country of service since we were created in 1998 and send it to you in a few days,
Kim Herman
President, Friends of the Dominican Republic
Kim, could you send the information to be in an email.
Add to it
1) a photo or two of the projects
2) names and years of the RPCV involved
3) an estimate of the total $$ donated
Thank you,
Friends of the Dominican Republic (FDR) is a nonprofit organization created by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers that served in the Dominican Republic (DR). It is an affiliate member of the National Peace Corps Association. Since 2004 we have been supporting Peace Corps Volunteers and their projects in the DR. In recent years we have also worked with other Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s) on projects in the DR. Here is what we have accomplished with our two primary programs:
Our Community Challenge Fund is primarily focused on infrastructure projects. Between 2004 and 2019 we financed a portion of 126 different projects that served 10,530 poor Dominican households that included 46,684 Dominican residents. The total value of the projects was $1,044,247, of which FDR contributed $306,918. Each project was required to have Dominican contributions of labor, materials or money. The projects included the following types of infrastructure:
255 Water systems, wells or household storage tanks; 27 bathrooms; 297 cement floors; 6 community electric or power projects; 8 school libraries or learning centers; 2 health clinics; 3 class rooms; 163 household water filters; 573 environmental/smokeless wooden stoves; 8 kids basketball courts or playgrounds; 5 various economic development projects; 143 handwashing stations; 2 small houses; and, 1 covered sewage canal system.
Our Program Support Fund focuses on supporting the projects of Peace Corps Volunteers and related Volunteer needs that are not paid for by government funds. Between 2002 and 2019, we have made 49 different grants in the total amount of $53,237 for a variety of different projects to serve Peace corps Volunteers and Dominican nationals. The grants have included the following types of support:
7 Historic District Tours in the Capitol, Santo Domingo; Flood and Hurricane Relief; 10 or sets of specialized equipment for water system installations by PCV Engineers; 9 Environmental Youth and Volunteer workshops; the first year of a four year college scholarship for a graduate of the National Environmental School; Printing more than 700 Environmental Program Manuals for Volunteer use; providing books, supplies and computer equipment for 6 libraries/community centers; various computer equipment for Youth Education Labs; the purchase and licensing of 3 software programs for use by volunteers producing manuals and magazines; 4 or more Citizenship Documentation Rights workshops for Dominican residents who are not citizens and Volunteers; 3 Teacher Education Conferences; 2 Youth Business Development Conferences and awarded Youth Scholarships.
More than 4000 Volunteers have served in the DR since 1962 and FDR has approximately 3000 members.
Kim Herman
President, FDR
President@fotdr.org
I will write something up! This is a great idea. It was really hard to just walk away especially since we were evacuated after 17 months. I am so glad that I listened to the little voice in my head that said I should build a clinic.