Recently I completed my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Michigan State University. College was an awesome experience and was very sad to leave. Throughout college I learned about our political system here in America and the political systems of other countries in the world. Through my courses I gained an interest in International Development, particularly in Urban Planning/Urban Geography. It fascinates me to learn how societies develop, succeed and fail. What better to get me started in the international learning experience than the Peace Corps.
I have always wanted to do some sort of public service and after a few years of thinking about the Peace Corps, I finally applied. The Peace Corps is a unique government sponsored organization that takes skilled Americans to countries that lack certain skills. Peace Corps employs thousands and are stationed all over the world. Volunteers have many different degrees and work in many different fields from education to business/community development to environment. I began the application process in December of 2006 after two essays, two interviews and three letters of recommendation, I was nominated for a community development position in Africa. The whole process leaves you in suspense because you could be denied at any time and they give no details about what could happen. I then began a three month medical review. I have been examined from head to toe. In April I passed Medical review at this point the process began to run faster. I soon after got an invitation to serve in community development-health in Malawi, Africa.
I will be leaving May 27 to Philadelphia for a staging event where I will meet others that will be in my tour (22 total). We will go through a few seminars and more shots! On the 29th I will fly out to Johannesburg, South Africa then on to Lilongwe, Malawi (capital of Malawi). We will then move to a small village south of the capital to begin our house stay and training. Training is an intense 8 week program in language, health, culture and technical fields. Living with a host family will give me a glimpse into the life of a Malawian and a chance to immerse myself in the language, Chichewa. Upon completion of training I will be sworn in as a US Peace Corps volunteer by the US Ambassador to Malawi and I will be off. I will be placed in a village somewhere and will begin my project for the next two years.
I am very excited and nervous! I look forward to learning about a new culture and language. I am also excited about developing my interests in international development. I plan to continue with grad school when I return. I will have a little access to Internet but it will most likely be minimal and unpredictable. I look forward to emailing you all and maybe writing a few letters.
Malawi is a small Sub-Saharan country located in east southern Africa. It is a small country with about 12 million people and land mass about the size of Pennsylvania. On its eastern border there is a very long lake called, "Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)." The country is a sub tropical country with mountains in the north and south of the country. The middle is Savannah grass lands and in the south tropical jungle. The official language is English due to its history as a British colony but most speak a native language called Chichewa. Malawi has a lot of natural beauty but it is a country with a lot of sadness as well. Malawi is devastated with HIV/AIDS. Just over a million people are infected with the disease. Because of this development is very slow and hard to overcome. If you can imagine with a life expectancy of 37, progress goes only so far when so many die so young. I will be doing a lot of work with AIDS and other disease awareness. Other projects that I will be working on will depend on the needs of the village and my own personal goals when I arrive at my site.
Below I've included a few websites for you to check out to further learn about Malawi.
- Peace Corps: http://www.peacecorps.gov
- Volunteers in Malawi: http://www.friendsofmalawi.org/
- My Blog: http://malawiboy.blogspot.com/
- My Photos: http://flickr.com/photos/aleoed21/
- Map of Malawi: http://www.maplandia.com/malawi/
- Malawi Government: http://www.malawi.gov.mw/
My address abroad will be:
Edward Cobern, PCV
US Peace Corps/Malawi
Box 208
Lilongwe, Malawi
Southern Africa
US Peace Corps/Malawi
Box 208
Lilongwe, Malawi
Southern Africa
Mail will take around 2 weeks to get to me but its a good way to keep in touch. I will be unsure about my Internet access until after my 8 weeks of training and I'm at my site.
I will also have a cell phone there. I will send out the number in a later email and information about calling cards on your end if you ever feel like giving me a call.
Thank you all for your support. I look forward to hearing what you are all up too in the future. Keep the people of Malawi and my work in your prayers.
In His Name,
Alex Cobern
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