Friends of Ecuador

Impromptu Omnibus 77 reunion here in Austin for Josh Busby and Larry Clement. Let's get more of the gang together. Maybe next year? I hear Maine is lovely in summer or near DC?

From a current US citizen living in Ecuador, Friends of Ecuador was made aware of a fundraiser for a special needs child named Nico in Ecuador who has some health needs. There is a GoFundMe set up for Nico. The information below is from the GoFundMe page. Thus far, they’ve raised nearly $5k of the overall $12k goal.

Help Nico: Medical, Therapy & Education Support for a Brave Boy in Ecuador

Donate to Help Nico Get the Medical and Educational Support He Needs, organized by Evan Dribbon Help Nico: Medical, Therapy & Education Support for a Brave Bo… Evan Dribbon needs your support for Help Nico Get the Medical and Educational Support He Needs

¡Cuerpo de Paz Ecuador les desea felices fiestas!

Peace Corps Ecuador wishes you happy holidays!

RPCV Master's program at the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota.

Dear RPCV Community Stewards -

I’m reaching out today to ask for your support in getting the word out to your RPCV community about a new graduate program that I developed, specifically and exclusively for RPCVs.

Since 2013, I have directed the masters of development practice (MDP) program at the University of Minnesota, each year considering the program's close alignment and significant overlap with my own Peace Corps experience (Ecuador 2002-2003) and those of our RPCV students. This reflection led to the development of an accelerated program track exclusively for RPCVs, designed to provide an academic complement to in-country experience and to allow RPCVs to earn the degree in one year instead of two. It’s the first program of its kind and we know that RPCVs will appreciate this acknowledgement of their service and experience, not to mention the lower cost.

We are currently taking applications for our first cohort. I’m asking for you to use your affinity network channels to share the announcement for the program so that it is not overlooked this admissions cycle. The attached image has both a link and a QR code embedded, so sharing it will give any viewer access to our program information.

Thank you in advance for your support and help to successfully launch this amazing program!

Sincerely,

Dave Wilsey
MDP Director
University of Minnesota

[email protected]
linkedin.com/in/dswilsey​
z.umn.edu/MDP4RPCV

Master of Development Practice Peace Corps Track The Humphrey School of Public Affairs is proud to introduce a new accelerated track within our Master of Development Practice (MDP) program, created exclusively for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs).

News from Friends of Jamaica and a fundraising appeal after the hurricane.

Peace Corps Jamaica activated its Emergency Action Plan earlier this week and consolidated all volunteers and trainees. According to Peace Corps leadership:

"All 42 Peace Corps Jamaica Volunteers are safe and accounted for. Peace Corps Jamaica continues to monitor the safety and security situation in close collaboration with Peace Corps Headquarters and the United States Embassy."

Are you inspired to take action? We encourage you to donate to disaster relief and recovery efforts such as the Jamaican Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, or our RPCV affiliate, Friends of Jamaica, below.

There is a fundraising appeal below as well.

Hurricane Melissa Relief - Donate Today - Friends of Jamaica Hurricane Melissa has left communities across Jamaica reeling — homes damaged, crops destroyed, families displaced. Friends of Jamaica is raising funds to provide emergency relief and help people rebuild their lives.

This project is just $500 short of its goal. Donate now!

Erin Charles is a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Ecuador, serving at the first and only community library in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. The library works to provide educational and cultural enrichment in this remote province far from the opportunities of the mainland. Together with her counterpart, Erin designed the “Library for All” project to help reach a wider range of community members with the benefits of library programming. Read more about the project and consider contributing to this Peace Corps Partnership initiative at: https://www.peacecorps.gov/donate/projects/pp-25-518-011/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNJJyVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE3U0hyUGFLM0Voc3RzYnlBAR5OsX0HGxRlYbEfuiUJXOMiqkS1Q3XbzD03rLzefrfTQj298p5USlSSlBz4UQ_aem_SyFRBFnLC9fzIHGlh7-OEA

Library for All Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

UPDATE: FOE helped with the final amount of funds to fully fund this project. Thank you all!

PCV Evan Dribbon is currently serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Chordeleg, Ecuador. One of the projects he's leading is a community garden / food bank to help address malnutrition and promote healthy food access.

A few months ago, the project was approved for a PCPP grant, and I'm currently fundraising to reach the goal of $6,000. He only has about $1,000 left to raise before we can start construction.

Here’s a link to his project on the Peace Corps website if our community would like to support it. https://www.peacecorps.gov/donate/projects/pp-25-518-007/?fbclid=IwY2xjawM0KrZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFyQzc1a25IeTdnbWRPNUVqAR6Gloz1N8h3xVDx6wX7HXOQA-_y1GxAv9NTsUEb-N8nGjbPyhecFTwuS-NC9Q_aem_c2P4dmriYnM9ywCjIvWcCQ

Feeding the Future Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.