My Job Title and Program

I will be serving in the Natural Resources Management Program as an NRM Extension Agent. Yeah, I know, it does sound official. Pretty awesome considering my last job title was Professional Burrito Roller.

According to my assignment description sent to me by Peace Corps,
"As a NRM Extension Agent, your overall goal and primary responsibility will be to promote environmental awareness that leads to the implementation of sustainable integrated agriculture practices in your work zone. You and your official and/or unofficial counterpart(s) will work in collaboration with local farmers, community groups, and schools to introduce sound agroforestry, soil conservation, and NRM techniques into rural communities in Togo."

So what does all this mean? Well, I'm not totally sure, but as long as I get to wield a machete, I'm down for just about anything.

Work activities I may be involved in:
"-Identifying and training model farmers."
"-Tree planting activities and tree nursery development."
"-Training individuals and groups in sustainable agriculture practices such as alley cropping, use of indigenous species, erosion control, gardening, integrated agriculture, composting, crop rotation and inter-cropping and use of appropriate technology such as fuel-efficient mud stoves."
"-Helping implement various projects with community, women's, student, and youth groups..."
"-Helping our Togelese partners understand the realities of the HIV/AIDS epidemic as well as options for coping with this reality."
"-Designing and conducting environmental education classes in elementary, middle, or high schools in your work areas."

-And many more!

I fly to Philadelphia on Sept. 17 for three days of staging, then over to Lome (note: the "e" in Lome should have an accent mark above it, pronounced "Lo-may"), the capital of Togo (via Paris).

I do not know where I will be living in Togo but NRM volunteers are typically placed in rural villages without electricity and running water. (I have to admit, I am kind of excited about my first sure-to-be hilarious encounter with a "squat" toilet)

I will be training in a small village with the other new volunteers (probably 20-30 people) for the first three months, and living with host families during that time. During training, I will be assigned my post and will live there for the two years of my service.