74 days until departure...

To anyone who plans on reading this Livejournal (and I can only assume that the number is small at this point), I apologize for the delay in updating. Since finding out that I have been accepted into the Peace Corps, I have been mega busy with so much stuff...A lot of it not even related to my impending trip.

However, this blog (what the hell does "blog" mean?) wasnt created as an outlet for me to complain about how busy I am, but as a means to keep those who care enough to read about my adventures updated with relevant information. I suppose the most logical place to start is with the research that I have been doing about Tanzania, and the steps I have taken in regards to the Peace Corps.


Since being accepted, I have had two major tasks to complete:

*Apply for my Peace Corps passport (valid for the time I am away) and Tanzanian visa (as I am a guest of the government and worker in the country)
*Send my resume and Aspiration Statement (what I plan on doing/taking away from my experience) to the Tanzanian government.

Both took considerable amounts of work, but were completed quicker than I expected.

The next few post will be about Tanzania, and the aspects of the Peace Corps that are relevant to the country...



My assignment:

Country - Tanzania
Program - Health Education Project (HIV/AIDS education, in a nutshell)
Job Title - Peace Corps Volunteer Health Education
Dates of Service - August 15, 2007-August 14, 2009*
Orientation Dates - June 13-15, 2007* (In Washington D.C.)
Pre-Service Training - June 15, 2007-August 14, 2007* (In Tanzania)

*=dates subject to change

Government:

The United Republic of Tanzania was formed on April 26, 1964, by the adoption of the Act of Union between Tanganyika and the islands of Zanzibar. The nation is governed under a Constituation formulated in 1977.

Chief executive - President Jakaya Kikwete (elected to 5 year term)

Economy:

The economy of Tanzania is primarily agricultural. About 80% of the economically active population is engaged in farming, and agricultual products account for about 85% of annual exports. The country is the world's largest producer of cloves, while also producing tea, coffee, cashews, sisal (an agave that yields a stiff fiber used in making rope), timber, and cotton.

Per capita income: $336 per year (ranks 164 of 182)

That means they are mega poor...


Guess thats all for now, ill keep randomly updating with interesting facts about Tanzania and my experiences for the next few months before I leave.

James