PCJ 103

Okay here's some more info on how things are broken down here in PCJ world:

• There's currently about about 85 PVCs currently serving on island.
•  35 of us are from g81. We all came in March 2010 and will finish our tour about May 2012. (For those of you who are keeping track, it's true. We've already lost 4 people from the orginal 39 that arrived 6 months ago. A sad and difficult reality of PCJ.)
• About 25-30 g80ers. They're here March 2009-May 2011.
• About 14 PCRVs. Peace Corps Response Volunteers. These guys have served as a PCV previously, and as such are able to work as a PCRV. PCRVs serve much shorter terms, and thus their 'assignments' tend to reflect this. Many PCRVs in Jamaica are looking at a 6 month tour (4 days of which was training).
• The other 5 or so are a random mix. Basically they consist of PCVs who have extended or transferred from another post.

     These PCVs are quite literally spread across the island from Negril to Port Antonio. Some PCVs live and work in a small bush community like ourselves, while others work in rather large tourist cities such as Ochi or Negril. This means that even within the same country, PCVs can have a VERY different experience than someone who might be located just a couple hours away.
     In PCJ world, most PCVs are assigned to work with/alongside an organization. For example, our good friend lives in a larger community in St. Ann, but is assigned to work with a residential deaf school within her community. As a result, her daily work looks very different than what Matt and I experience here in Accompong. We tend to operate and work in the way which seems to be the more traditional PC experience. The 'organization' we work with is the Accompong Maroon Council, the governing body of Accompong Town. They don't have an office, or a daily schedule. We don't have to report into anybody regularly (more because of the tone we've set for ourselves, than anything else). We can go to anyone on the council if we have questions, or need their support or something, and somctimes they'll suggest things they would like us to work on. But for the most part we spend our time mostly just living in our community and doing what we can to better it.

     And really, isn't that what we all should be doing everywhere? Just living within, and AS PART of our community -that's usually where many Americans seem to miss the mark-, and doing our share to better it?