I have been in Pohnpei since Saturday, September 12, undergoing Peace Corps Response training. Pohnpei is one of four states of the Federation of Micronesia. The other island states (or groups of islands) are Kosrae (to the east) and Chuuk and Yap to the West. The capitol of the Federation is in Pohnpei, and Peace Corps training takes place here. Peace Corps has been in Micronesia for almost 50 years. Most of the two year volunteers are teaching English in public schools. Peace Corps Response (PCR) is a fairly new program. There are about 20 PCR volunteers in FSM now. They generally have one year appointments and come to fill positions where their specialized skills and experience is needed.
There are five (PCR) volunteers in my group. Four have served as two year volunteers in the past (in my case over 50 years ago). Ron is going to Yap is to help set up a data management system for the state hospital, Michelle is going to Chuuk to work on health projects with the Chuuk Women's Council (check out their website), Marshall is staying in Pohnpei to assist the state government here obtain external grants, and Eric (the only one of our group who had not served in the Peace Corps before) is going to Kosrae to help create a website for the State Department of Education.
I was originally scheduled to go to Chuuk, but two weeks ago the Country Director who covers both FSM and the Republic of Palau, called and asked me to take an appointment in Palau. He had just signed an agreement with the President of Palau and they were eager to start the program as soon as possible. So I am going to Palau tomorrow to be the first PCR volunteer in that country. I believe there are no two-year volunteers in Palau now, although there have been some there in the past who taught English.
Arriving in Pohnpei: Me, Ron, Marshall, and Eric (Michelle was delayed a day)
I have been assigned to the Environmental Quality Protection Board of Palau and will be flying to Palau tomorrow. We spent the past week in training and orientation sessions, so there has been little time to blog. I should have a chance to post some more information and pictures about Pohnpei in a few days, as soon as I get settled in Palau. I'm the most senior of the senior citizens in our group and was asked to deliver a talk at the swearing-in ceremony today attended by the U.S. Ambassador to FSM, Doria Rosen, and the Secretary of the FSM Department of Education. So preparing for that also kept me busy. Charlie
