There has not been much from me here thus far about what I do, i.e. as in work, as a Peace Corps volunteer. In part that is because it is complicated--what is work? Technically I'm doing a 24-7 job and work is anything from having coffee with a local to leading English conversation hours to looking for grant money for the national park that is my primary site. Another reason is because frankly things are moving slowly--only this week did I learn what the park's 2010 plans are and I will not be surprised if it is several weeks (or months) more before I know which parts of the plan I can pitch in on. Finally, beyond my assignment with the park, I'm in charge of finding my own work here and in a new community with limited language abilities, it is a daunting task.
Luckily, the workaholic side of me is satiated in part by the Peace Corps committees I've joined. First, I am a member of the Volunteer Advisory Committee (VAC), kind of like the student council of Peace Corps. The VAC helps volunteers interact with the staff and resolve an issues that arise. Second, I am on the Small Project Assistance (SPA) committee, which oversees awarding small grants to volunteers for projects in their communities. Finally, I am exploring formation of an environmental committee with the two other environmental volunteers in Macedonia. My plan is to be a lean, mean committee machine and yet find ways to contribute meaningfully to my community, Bitola. Wish me luck.
