Latin America & the Caribbean
Peace Corps Volunteers tell compelling stories from rural areas in the Caribbean and South America, accompanied by lesson plans that enhance their classroom value.
- About the Impact of Hurricane Georges (Advanced)
- The hurricane did serious damage to the infrastructure of the country: Homes, roads, bridges, dams, and airports were destroyed or were seriously damaged. The official death toll was approximately 300.
- About the Impact of Hurricane Georges (Intermediate)
- On September 22, 1998, Hurricane Georges hit the Dominican Republic.
- Chiggers and Other Challenges
- One of my biggest work challenges has been my involvement in the small coffee-growing community of Las Quebradas (the Streams) to develop a proposal for a water system. Of the communities in our county, Quebradas is the farthest from town, isolated by a long, rutted dirt road.
- In the Aftermath of Hurricane Georges
- Hurricane Georges, which hit the Dominican Republic September 22, 1998, was a defining experience in my life. This was my third hurricane, but never had I personally seen, heard, or felt winds of 150 mph.
- Interviews With Peace Corps Volunteers Serving in the Dominican Republic (Advanced)
- I live in the town of Hato Del Yaque, just outside of Santiago, which is the second largest city in the country. It's in the middle of the country, so there are a lot of people who have never even seen the beach.
- Interviews With Peace Corps Volunteers Serving in the Dominican Republic (Intermediate)
- I live in the village of La Pina, in the northwest of the country, in the hills of the central mountain range. I am nine kilometers south of the town of Los Almacigos. It is a 25- to 35-minute motorcycle ride up and down hills on a dirt road.
- 'Magic' Pablo
- "Let's imagine," Pablo would say, "that Michael Jordan is walking with us." He would smile. "What would these people say?" he would ask, pointing to the women in dark blue cortes and white húipiles.
- A Rural Honduran Day
- Some people might find life in a small Honduran pueblo monotonous, boring.
- Soccer Until Dusk
- My father laughs when I tell him / how in Santa Cruz Verapaz / men quit work at noon, and after lunch / play soccer until dusk.
- The True Cost of Coffee
- January is the "mero mero," or height, of coffee season in Corquín.
- Working for the Common Good
- The damage was extensive. You could actually see how the rivers had flooded their banks destroying whole towns. People came to us and said they had lost their town, they had lost their way of life, they had lost their way of living.