Katie Hartman |
| Country of Service |
| Costa Rica |
| Dates Served |
| 2005 - 2007 |
| Volunteer Position |
| Rural Community Development Volunteer |
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| Description of main volunteer activities: |
During my service I worked with a group of local women, who had formed a cooperative. Each produced a small amount of cacao, but not enough to make taking it to market worth it. We learned the technical skills involved in processing the cacao into chocolate, and the necessary business skills to brand and market the cacao into a profit-generator. With support from a local university, we were able to get our ''chocolate factory'' off the ground. The group is still in business and sells their product to locals and tourists.
I also carried out a variety of community health workshops on topics such as nutrition, family planning and child health and safety, with 150 adults.
Finally, I developed and implemented a year-long leadership development project for 80 high school students, which included weekly interactive discussion groups on such topics as human rights, leadership and identity, and gender roles. We explored these topics through the lens of art, engaging in projects such as theater, plastic arts, and paint. |
| How Peace Corps service influenced decision to go into nursing and future plans: |
| My time in the Peace Corps taught me the importance of public health, and the profound impact it can have on improving the health of entire communities. Upon returning to the states, I began working in public health and really enjoyed my work. I learned though, that public health practitioners with clinical knowledge were making the biggest impact. I want to pursue nursing to gain clinical skills and knowledge, which I hope to combine with public health to improve the health of residents of my community. My experience in the Peace Corps has both motivated and prepared me to work towards this goal. |
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