Why am I here, What is my job, How can I help???

Because I open up this website to anyone surfing the net, I open myself up for comments/suggestions/and sometimes critizing. For those of you who do not personal know me, and/or the purpose of my being here, I have taken a few moments to write alittle about my sector of the Peace Corps, Small Business Development...

Basically, in many countries where Peace Corps volunteers serve, governments and local communities face impediments to economic growth, such as high unemployment, rapidly increasing populations, unskilled workforces, and a lack of private sector investment. Peace Corps Volunteers have a long history of working with individuals and communities to promote economic opportunities at the grass-roots level. My sector (Small Business Development) focuses on increasing family income, improving the environment for businesses, educating young people, and helping businesses find markets for traditional or value-added products.

Over the next few years, I will participate at many levels, whether helping artisan cooperatives in rural Moroccan by marketing their handmade goods or training people to take advantage of new free-market opportunities. Often, business Volunteers begin in a classroom setting, which gives them a position in the community as respected leaders and makes other projects possible. These projects include training entrepreneurs in the basic skills of small business development and working with women to help them expand their access to credit and find new markets for their products. Some Volunteers work with development banks, nongovernmental organizations, and municipalities to support local development projects. Most business Volunteers have business or public administration degrees or experience; others have degrees in other disciplines and a strong interest in business and nonprofit organizations. I myself have a degree in Fine Arts and have worked in the field of both Sales/Marketing for the last 4 years. My experience, my ability to manage others, and my good will are those factors that (I believe) will help enrich the people of Morocco.

Over the next 3-4 months I will begin working on specific projects within my community. As for now, my first 6 months is 100% survey related. With the help of my counterpart at my site, I am to evaluate the needs of my community and see what projects are sustainable and pertinent to them. Therefore, over the next year I will be posting more specific information about what my project is and how my community is benefiting from it. As for now, my posts have mainly represented a period of acclimation to my new environment and the experiences I have encountered throughout Morocco.

Thank you for continuing your interest.