Senegal
Smallholder farmers, secondary schools, agriculture extension agents
Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in working in agriculture and one or more of the following criteria:
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
• 5 years' professional work experience
All candidates who meet the required skills are encouraged to apply. Additional skills that may make you a more competitive candidate include:
• Experience in agribusiness, gardening, or farming.
• Experience with or interest in working with women and youth
All Volunteers live with host families, which creates a sense of belonging and helps with integration. Many Volunteer homes do not have electricity and get their water from a community pump or well. Volunteers will be placed in the arid northern regions, including St. Louis, Thies, Diourbel, and Louga; more temperate central regions of Fatick and Kaolack; and tropical regions south of the Gambia River, including Sediou and Kolda.
None
Agriculture
Yes
Senegal
24
Yes
PCV
No
Develop partnerships with farmer associations, non-governmental organizations, and other local institutions.
Promote locally sustainable sources of improved seed varieties.
Facilitate youth clubs and agriculturally focused student groups.
Introduce food processing techniques to increase income and reduce food loss.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as establishing fruit tree orchards and facilitating English conversational clubs.
As a Sustainable Agriculture Agent, you will be trained on the promotion of improved seeds, gardening best practices, and agricultural product transformation. You will be introduced to a variety of soil fertility amendment and water conservation techniques. Peace Corps/Senegal will teach you Wolof, Pulaar, Sereer, or Mandinka to help you comfortably live in and connect with the community.
After 10 weeks of training, you will move to a rural community where you will work with the community to assess the local needs and develop solutions based on the participatory analysis for community action methodology. After 3 months at site, you will receive additional technical training tailored to your needs based on the results of your community assessments.
Learn a local language, such as Wolof, Pulaar, Sereer, or Mandinka, from skilled Language and Cross-Culture Facilitators.
Gain valuable, hands-on experience with sustainable agriculture at a grassroots level.
Experience the warm and welcoming culture of Senegal.
Only heterosexual couples can be accepted for this program.
Each person must apply separately and qualify for a position in a different sector than their partner.
Cross-sector couples will live with different host families who may reside in different communities during training. Cross-sector couples may see each other for joint-sector training days or on the weekends but neither are guaranteed.
Couples that serve in this country must be legally married to avoid conflicts that are not aligned with cultural and religious beliefs.
As the preeminent international service organization of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in Education, Health, Economic Development, Agriculture, Environment and Youth Development. Through their Peace Corps experiences, Volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a lifelong commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today's global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans of all ages have served in 142 countries worldwide.
