I finished serving with Louisiana Delta Service Corps, a branch of Americorps back in August, where I spent the past year helping to rebuild houses that were destroyed by hurricane Katrina. I worked within a wonderful organization that has many dedicated individuals poised to take action by helping people with their long road to recovery. If you, or anyone you know is interested in working to help with the recovery in New Orleans, you can find out more by going to the Project Homecoming website. New Orleans is still in need of volunteers and is a wonderful place to serve in the community. I had the opportunity to help Joan Hamilton, Bathelona Thorton, and Juanita Hamilton move back into their homes, and will cherish the memories forever. I encourage everyone to “make” time to volunteer, it helped to see what values are most important in my life.
I began the online application process for Peace Corps on February 21, 2008. It seems like it was ages ago, but has only been about an eight month process so far. I was nominated for service in Sub Saharan Africa working at a water sanitation post. I have since cleared the legal and dental hurdles and am awaiting news on medical clearance. I hope to be serving in Africa, but don’t know what capacity I will be needed. I am interested in working in agriculture, and would love to continue learning about sustainability and natural building. I am interested in water sanitation, because it is one of the most critical parts of any community.
On June 27th, I interviewed with Erica Gannon a regional Peace Corps recruiter in Dallas. She was extremely helpful and explained the process in detail as well as multiple times so I could fully grasp the flexibility and patience that would be required throughout my Peace Corps experience. She recommended that I continue to develop knowledge and skills in the areas of agriculture, HIV, and the french language to make myself a more competitive candidate for Africa. She also recommended a book titled “Nine Hills to Nambonkaha: Two Years in the Heart of an African Village“
After the interview in Dallas, I began to seek ways to make myself a more competitive candidate. I found an interesting article in the the Los Angeles Times titled “Budget crunched Peace Corps cuts volunteer positions“. The article talks about how competitive the selection process has become with the current budget shortfall and encourages me to continue making myself a more competitive candidate. Thinking of ways I could educate myself in French, HIV, and agriculture, I began pursuing resources that would help in my quest for self improvement.
To help with French, I downloaded the demo version of Rosetta Stone
I was taught about HIV in health classes in both high school and college, as well as a workshop on sexually transmitted diseases I participated in while serving in Americorps. To learn more about HIV, I plan on attending seminars and/or conferences, so I can get a better understanding of how HIV can be prevented as well as how it is currently affecting the community. I don’t believe I will be working directly with HIV while serving in Peace Corps, but the epidemic has effected so many lives in Africa that I feel it is my responsibility to educate myself further before partaking in this next step. I haven’t yet found anything concrete, but think a good start would be contacting the Ohio AIDS Coalition, and the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care. I have also submitted a volunteer inquiry to the Colorado AIDS Project in Denver, Colorado .
To increase my knowledge and skills in agriculture I followed the suggestion of two friends I made while serving in New Orleans (thank you Bill & Donna Falgoust!). They told me about a program for people who are interested in working on organic farms. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, also known as WWOOFing. This organization provides access to over 700 organic farms in the United States and many more throughout the world. I signed up for a membership, which cost me $20 and was given a password that allowed me access to farms all across the United States. As I read about each farm, I was fascinated by the varying descriptions and vast array of different opportunities available within the farming community. There were so many to choose from, it was difficult to pick just one! I was intrigued by the description of one opportunity when I came to the description of the The Strawbale Studio Natural Building Project, located in Oxford, Michigan. The project description eluded to an artistic vision. Upon further investigation, of the projects mission statement my suspicions were confirmed. I contacted the Coordinator of the Strawbale Studio Natural Building Program, Deanne Bednar and she was very warm and welcoming when I explained my intentions. I interned with Deanne during the month of October and found her to be an extraordinary teacher/mentor, whose artistic vision for a sustainable community was evident in her daily practices. She was willing to share her home, food, and knowledge and I am extremely grateful to have found her.
While interning at the Strawbale Studio, I explored and worked with materials found on the 50 acre property. I helped in the building of a strawbale cottage, by thatching the roof with phragmite, lashing poles forged from local trees, and constructing the stone foundation out of stones dug up on the property. I also dug up dirt to make plaster and clay adding hay for tinsel strength and using the resulting cob to form the walls of the structure. I have also built my own worm composting bin and am currently feeding it garbage and generating rich soil and fertilizer for plants. I was also inspired by my placement in water sanitation and began work on creating my own water filters out of the clay I extracted from the property. I have added organic material (coffee grounds) to the clay and plan on firing the filters using horse manure collected from a neighbors farm. The firing will burn out the organic material and solidify the clay body so that it can be used to reduce pathogens by 95-98%. These ceramic water filters are based on Tony Flynn’ s design, which I will discuss more in a future blog and can be made with resources that are readily available most anywhere in the world.
I ran into some good fortune while working at the Strawbale Studio. Another natural building project was under way at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, a short drive from the Strawbale Studio. Jim Miller, an expert in primitive and traditional skills and crafts was working on a Wigwam at Cranbrook and had invited Deanne to work with him on the project. She brought me along, so I was able to work hands on during the production of an all natural Wigwam built at the Cranbrook Academy.
I also attended the Bioneers conference in Detroit. I worked a vendor table dedicated to natural building, attended a workshop on worm composting, and listened to speakers. I met a lot of amazing people with visions of a sustainable future. These people shared their ideas and offered further opportunity in the agriculture community. I also learned how to build and operate an earth oven, in which we made pumpkin muffins!
I am looking forward to a possible move to Denver, Colorado where I would be helping a friend build a photography studio as well as volunteering with the Colorado AIDS Project. I also plan to work on a farm while in Denver. Coastalfields is an interesting prospect for continued education and comes recommended by Peace Corps to gain more experience in agriculture. I will be checking it out when I make the move to Denver.
I also plan on visiting New Orleans in the near future, to volunteer for a week and to visit friends I made while working with Project Homecoming. Earlier this week, I heard from Juanita Hamilton, a homeowner that I worked with while serving in New Orleans. She said that she slept in her home for the first time on Friday, October 24, 2008! It was her birthday and she could not think of a greater birthday present than to be able to sleep in her home again! She does not have power yet in her home, but assured me that it was coming in the next couple of weeks. She is in great spirits and I can’t wait to see her again. I am hoping to get some advance notice on her home dedication, because I would love to be able to plan my visit around her homecoming. I also know of a number of others who volunteered on her house that would love the opportunity to attend. If I hear anymore about her progress, I will be sure to make a post.
