Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Out of quarantine
Out of quarantine and living with my sister and her family! It's been very enjoyable to walk on paths through the woods behind their house, help with cooking and jigsaw puzzles, listen to the birds, work on job applications, be within 6 feet of people (who I'm living with), etc.
Monday, April 6, 2020
Peace Corps Ethiopia Description of Service
Peace Corps Ethiopia Description of Service
Erica Lucille Ward
Ethiopia
After a competitive application process stressing applicant skills, adaptability and cross-cultural understanding, Erica Lucille Ward was invited to serve as a Volunteer with the Peace Corps.
Erica entered Pre-Service Training on January 19, 2018, participating in an intensive 12-week community-based training program during which Erica completed the following training requirements:
● Language training: 160 hours of Amharic spoken and written language. Achieved Intermediate-Mid in Amharic on the American Council for Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency exam at the end of Pre-Service Training.
● Cross Cultural and Core sessions: 60 hours
● Technical Training: 94 hours
● Medical and Safety and Security training: 40 hours
Erica Lucille Ward was sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer on April 12, 2018. Erica was assigned as a Community Health Volunteer in Tugo, Sidama, Ethiopia where she worked on the following:
Household Health Visits: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
● With 6 Health Extension Workers (HEWs), conducted weekly household behavior change negotiation lessons on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in order to help parents and caregivers reduce the risk of diarrheal diseases in children under five.
● Collaborated with HEWs to graduate 24 families from the household WASH program. The WASH program included families demonstrating improvements to household latrine, construction of hand-washing station near latrine, increased reporting of face-washing and hand-washing during critical times, and ability to identify symptoms indicative of a need to seek care for pneumonia and diarrhea in children.
Household Health Visits: Nutrition
● With 6 HEWs, conducted weekly household behavior change negotiation lessons on infant and young child feeding practices in order to reduce malnutrition and promote healthy growth and development.
● Collaborated with HEWs to graduate 24 families from the household nutrition program. The nutrition program included families demonstrating ability to make enriched porridge using foods from all the major food groups (fats, carbohydrates, protein, vegetables/fruits), establishment and maintenance of nutrition-sensitive household gardens, knowledge of early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breast-feeding for 6 months, knowledge of the importance of nutrition in children under-5 and how to monitor a child’s growth through weight monitoring and recognizing signs of malnutrition.
Health Behavior Change Agent Trainings
● With HEW Supervisor and 6 HEWs, facilitated 6 trainings on skills for health behavior change negotiation, using the “Make Me a Change Agent” program. Strengthened capacity of 6 HEWs to
conduct home health visits by using effective communication, empathy, story-telling, collaboration, and negotiated behavior change techniques. School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Clubs
● With local secondary and primary school teachers, co-led two school WASH clubs, in order to help students adopt behaviors to reduce the risk of WASH related diseases. Educated 60 students in personal hygiene and environmental sanitation practices, including: handwashing at critical times, maintenance and use of school latrines, and face-washing for trachoma prevention.
Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health
● With local secondary school teacher, co-led the Grassroots Soccer Skillz program. Coached students using soccer and other interactive methods, in order to improve adolescent and youth knowledge of HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and life skills. Led this program twice, in the spring of 2018 and the fall of 2019, with a total of 50 students graduating.
● With local primary school teacher, co-led Gender Club in order to empower girls and support reproductive and emotional health in youth. Taught 30 girls to make reusable menstrual pads.
Secondary Language:
● At her assigned site in Sidama, with local language tutors, she learned Sidamu Afo, the local language of Sidama. Achieved Intermediate-High in Sidamu Afo on the American Council for Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency exam at Close of Service.
Resource Volunteer
● Served as a Resource Volunteer for G20 Peace Corps Health Trainees in March 2019. Facilitated training on: “Working with Men in Maternal and Child Health” and “Latrines and Sanitation.”
● Served as a Resource Volunteer for G22 Peace Corps Health Trainees in March 2020. Facilitated training on: “Working with Ethiopian Schools” and “School Health Clubs and WASH in Schools.”
Her service ended on March 19, 2020.
Pursuant to Section 5 (f) of the Peace Corps Act, 22 U.S.C. No. 2504 (f) as amended, any former Volunteer employed by the United States Government following Peace Corps service is entitled to have any period of satisfactory Peace Corps Volunteer service credited for purposes of retirement, seniority, reduction in force, leave or other privileges based on length of government service. Peace Corps service shall not be credited toward completion of a probationary or trial period or completion of any service requirement for career appointment.
This is to certify in accordance with Executive Order 11103 of April 10, 1963, that Erica Lucille Ward served satisfactorily as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Her service ended on March 19, 2020. She is therefore eligible to be appointed as a career-conditional employee in the competitive civil service on a non-competitive basis. This benefit under the Executive Order extends for a period of one year after termination of the Volunteer's service, except that the employing agency may extend the period for up to three years for a former volunteer who enters military service, pursues studies at a recognized institution of higher learning, or engages in other activities that, in the view of the appointing agency, warrant extension of the period.
Erica Lucille Ward has earned lifetime eligibility for the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows graduate school fellowship program.
Affirmed by Obie Shaw, Country Director
Erica Lucille Ward
Ethiopia
After a competitive application process stressing applicant skills, adaptability and cross-cultural understanding, Erica Lucille Ward was invited to serve as a Volunteer with the Peace Corps.
Erica entered Pre-Service Training on January 19, 2018, participating in an intensive 12-week community-based training program during which Erica completed the following training requirements:
● Language training: 160 hours of Amharic spoken and written language. Achieved Intermediate-Mid in Amharic on the American Council for Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency exam at the end of Pre-Service Training.
● Cross Cultural and Core sessions: 60 hours
● Technical Training: 94 hours
● Medical and Safety and Security training: 40 hours
Erica Lucille Ward was sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer on April 12, 2018. Erica was assigned as a Community Health Volunteer in Tugo, Sidama, Ethiopia where she worked on the following:
Household Health Visits: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
● With 6 Health Extension Workers (HEWs), conducted weekly household behavior change negotiation lessons on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in order to help parents and caregivers reduce the risk of diarrheal diseases in children under five.
● Collaborated with HEWs to graduate 24 families from the household WASH program. The WASH program included families demonstrating improvements to household latrine, construction of hand-washing station near latrine, increased reporting of face-washing and hand-washing during critical times, and ability to identify symptoms indicative of a need to seek care for pneumonia and diarrhea in children.
Household Health Visits: Nutrition
● With 6 HEWs, conducted weekly household behavior change negotiation lessons on infant and young child feeding practices in order to reduce malnutrition and promote healthy growth and development.
● Collaborated with HEWs to graduate 24 families from the household nutrition program. The nutrition program included families demonstrating ability to make enriched porridge using foods from all the major food groups (fats, carbohydrates, protein, vegetables/fruits), establishment and maintenance of nutrition-sensitive household gardens, knowledge of early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breast-feeding for 6 months, knowledge of the importance of nutrition in children under-5 and how to monitor a child’s growth through weight monitoring and recognizing signs of malnutrition.
Health Behavior Change Agent Trainings
● With HEW Supervisor and 6 HEWs, facilitated 6 trainings on skills for health behavior change negotiation, using the “Make Me a Change Agent” program. Strengthened capacity of 6 HEWs to
conduct home health visits by using effective communication, empathy, story-telling, collaboration, and negotiated behavior change techniques. School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Clubs
● With local secondary and primary school teachers, co-led two school WASH clubs, in order to help students adopt behaviors to reduce the risk of WASH related diseases. Educated 60 students in personal hygiene and environmental sanitation practices, including: handwashing at critical times, maintenance and use of school latrines, and face-washing for trachoma prevention.
Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health
● With local secondary school teacher, co-led the Grassroots Soccer Skillz program. Coached students using soccer and other interactive methods, in order to improve adolescent and youth knowledge of HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and life skills. Led this program twice, in the spring of 2018 and the fall of 2019, with a total of 50 students graduating.
● With local primary school teacher, co-led Gender Club in order to empower girls and support reproductive and emotional health in youth. Taught 30 girls to make reusable menstrual pads.
Secondary Language:
● At her assigned site in Sidama, with local language tutors, she learned Sidamu Afo, the local language of Sidama. Achieved Intermediate-High in Sidamu Afo on the American Council for Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency exam at Close of Service.
Resource Volunteer
● Served as a Resource Volunteer for G20 Peace Corps Health Trainees in March 2019. Facilitated training on: “Working with Men in Maternal and Child Health” and “Latrines and Sanitation.”
● Served as a Resource Volunteer for G22 Peace Corps Health Trainees in March 2020. Facilitated training on: “Working with Ethiopian Schools” and “School Health Clubs and WASH in Schools.”
Her service ended on March 19, 2020.
Pursuant to Section 5 (f) of the Peace Corps Act, 22 U.S.C. No. 2504 (f) as amended, any former Volunteer employed by the United States Government following Peace Corps service is entitled to have any period of satisfactory Peace Corps Volunteer service credited for purposes of retirement, seniority, reduction in force, leave or other privileges based on length of government service. Peace Corps service shall not be credited toward completion of a probationary or trial period or completion of any service requirement for career appointment.
This is to certify in accordance with Executive Order 11103 of April 10, 1963, that Erica Lucille Ward served satisfactorily as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Her service ended on March 19, 2020. She is therefore eligible to be appointed as a career-conditional employee in the competitive civil service on a non-competitive basis. This benefit under the Executive Order extends for a period of one year after termination of the Volunteer's service, except that the employing agency may extend the period for up to three years for a former volunteer who enters military service, pursues studies at a recognized institution of higher learning, or engages in other activities that, in the view of the appointing agency, warrant extension of the period.
Erica Lucille Ward has earned lifetime eligibility for the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows graduate school fellowship program.
Affirmed by Obie Shaw, Country Director
Monday, March 23, 2020
Arrived back in the USA
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
postponing my thru hike of the Appalachian Trail
Given the current situation in the USA and the many things I need to do to readjust/resettle after the Peace Corps, I am postponing my thru hike of the Appalachian Trail for another year. I still plan to section hike part of the trail this year sometime between early May to late August. It may be anywhere from 100 miles in North Carolina to 1000+ miles from Georgia to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia - the midpoint of the trail. Current update: I am still in Ethiopia and have a flight for Thursday night. I should arrive back in the USA on Friday. If you haven't heard - all Peace Corps Volunteers are being evacuated. It's a sad, stressful and confusing time for us - as it is for so many throughout the world right now.
Friday, March 6, 2020
goodbye ceremony
The Health Extension Workers, especially Tesfaynesh Abebe, and my school counterpart / language teacher, Dora, prepared a wonderful goodbye ceremony for me! In Ethiopia, grass on the floor is used for celebrations, ceremonies and holidays. Tomorrow I leave my site in Sidama (in southern Ethiopia), where I have lived for two years. Then for one week I will be a "Resource Volunteer" with the incoming Peace Corps Health Volunteers. I close my service as a Peace Corps Volunteer March 19 and return to the USA March 20!
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Etenesh graduation
Etenesh, Health Extension Worker Zerfe and I have been working together for 3 months and today Etenesh graduated from our water, sanitation and hygiene program! Etenesh accomplished many things in our program, including making improvements to her family latrine (building/improving walls and ceiling) and building a hand washing station. This photo is Etenesh, Zerfe, and Etenesh's family.
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Almaz graduation
Almaz, Health Extension Worker Safaye and I have been working together for 3 and 1/2 months and today she graduated from our nutrition program! Almaz has accomplished many things in this program, including making enriched porridge (with egg, tomato and carrot) and using oral rehydration salts to treat diarrhea.
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