WECT
By Bob Townsend
And while some may not hear about that volunteer agency as much as they used to, there are still 9,000 volunteers assigned to over 75 host countries.
Less than two months after John F. Kennedy delivered his special words as part of his Inaugural Address, he created the Peace Corps.
The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: to provide technical assistance, to help people outside the United States to understand American culture, and to help Americans to understand the cultures of other countries.
Almost 4,000 North Carolinians have served in the government agency, and this week, one more will be added to that list. Wednesday, 27-year-old Casey Lowman is embarking on her two-year commitment.
“I think it serves a dual purpose,” Lowman said. “It is a wonderful way to travel and also give back at the same time.”
It will not be the first time that Casey has volunteered to help others. Right after college graduation, she worked at a youth camp in Wisconsin before heading overseas for several months to teach English to children in South Africa.
Then, she returned to the United States, where she worked in the Peace Corps recruitment office in Chicago, which she says is what convinced her to become a volunteer herself.
For Lowman’s assignment, her destination will be Morocco.
“I will serve in youth and community development at a youth center,” she said. “A lot of it is focused on youth and in the community, to deal with them and help them, whether it is at-risk, or just improving other opportunities — giving them life skills, health skills, education skills…that sort of thing.”
After three months of pre-training, Lowman will work with young people in the country by teaching English and organizing events to help develop life skills. She will also be working with young women in Morocco to coordinate activities with an emphasis on education and empowerment.
Morocco is located not far from some countries often discussed in the news, including Libya, Egypt and the Middle East. Despite the history of the region, Casey is looking forward to her new commitment.
“We would never put our volunteers anywhere where safety and security was a risk…that is one of the biggest factors we look at when we are going into different countries when they pick sites and that sort of things,” said Lowman.
And after her two-year assignment is over, would she accept another Peace Corps assignment?
“For now, I am just excited to be a volunteer and if it led to other things, that would be just as wonderful as well,” she said.
Lowman will be one of 247 people from North Carolina currently serving around the world in the Peace Corps.
And although her term of service will be 27 months, almost two of those months will be her vacation time — so, just maybe, she will be able to return home and visit her family in Wilmington then.
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