The Peace Corps Mission Statement:

Since its inception, the Peace Corps has aimed to promote world peace and friendship by:

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans

The main objective of this blog is to achieve Goal #3. I hope that you find my stories both informative and interesting. If you have any questions about the culture or my work in Africa, please leave me a comment or an e-mail and I will do my best to respond!

About Me:

My name is Harmony and I’m currently serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) in Kenya. I work in the field of Small Enterprise Development.  I hope that you will join me on my adventure as I entrench myself in African culture.

I am tasked with a project funded by an NGO which focuses on income generation, conservation and eco-tourism. I will be working with a women’s group, a youth group, and a fisherman’s group on a variety of activities, including the reforestation of local mangrove trees, expansion and repair of an existing boardwalk into the mangrove forest, marketing of the boardwalk to local and international tourists, growth and harvesting of alternative tree species for fuel, creation of a mangrove nursery to support reforestation activities, beekeeping (among the mangroves) for income generation, awareness seminars in schools and tourist destinations, and other activities TBD.

Experience: Before I joined the Peace Corps, I worked eight years for a document management company in San Diego, California. I spent six of those years as a Manager in operations, followed by two years as an Analyst. I have an undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance.

Volunteer Work: I’ve served as a volunteer mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters since April 2006.  At work, I was the office “Wellness Champion” during our corporate Wellness Challenge in February 2008, I coordinated a CPR/Basic First Aid class in for our office in August 2008, and most recently, I served as Project Leader for our annual corporate Volunteer Day in October 2008.  I’ve also served as a volunteer for the Poway High School Band Boosters, and participated in various fundraisers for my local HOG chapter.

Extra-Curricular Activities: In my free time, I love to ride my Harley, play disc golf, or belt out a few notes on my trombone. I enjoy reading books and listening to NPR. I love to read Tarot cards, and I am especially interested in all things surrounding religion and spirituality (though I don’t practice any religion in particular). Music is also huge part of my existence - with a name like Harmony, how could it not be? I enjoy listening to all sorts of music in a wide range of genres and languages. I also spend a lot of time focusing on nutrition and exercise; I like working out, taking long walks, and balancing protein with carbs!

Photo Credits

Left Photo of Maasai woman courtesy of edit felix.
Right Photo of Samburu children courtesy of aftab.
Center Photo of Kenyan landscape courtesy of Bobbie Johnson.
***These photos are used under the Creative Commons Attribution.