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Marion Smith
Country of Service
Lesotho
Dates Served
2004 - 2006
Volunteer Position
Youth and Health Volunteer (Community Health and Economic Development)

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Description of main volunteer activities:

I was assigned to the Good Shepherd Centre for Teenage Mothers, a home for teenage mothers and their children located in Ha Makujoe, Lesotho where I worked as a Youth and Health Volunteer. I acted as coordinator of campus activities and worked to improve the capacity of the Centre. One initiative involved incorporating HIV/AIDS awareness, health and nutrition courses into the curriculum. As part of this initiative I located speakers and introduced relevant educational material. My work in conjunction with Population Services International (PSI) Lesotho lead to the initiation of an HIV support group, rotating peer education training, and quarterly HIV testing and
counseling for the teenage mothers. I also initiated better nutrition standards for the teenage mothers and their children through the upgrading and redistribution of several animal husbandry projects and vegetable gardens. In addition, I coordinated the Lesotho Distance Teaching Centre (L.D.T.C.) program in conjunction with UNICEF for three academic years. This included scheduling winter classes for the teenage mothers for two years and tutoring teenage mothers in most subjects for the L.D.T.C. program. I also acted as project manager for Prince Harry''''s British Red Cross Lesotho Fund for the Good Shepherd Centre.

How Peace Corps service influenced decision to go into nursing and future plans:

I have always known that I wanted a career in service and have always loved helping others. My work as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho helped me narrow my focus to nursing after my involvement with HIV positive teenage mothers and their children. My service focused on these indigent women and their children and helped me realize the path I needed to pursue to provide assistance to the most needy is through the framework of health care. My experience living and working with the teenage mothers and their children motivated me to pursue a career in nursing. I wanted the clinical knowledge necessary to provide effective solutions to the many questions I was asked in the Peace Corps. Nursing places me in direct service to those who are in need and will leave me with the skills to return to the underserved populations I assisted as a volunteer.

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Marion Smith