FORMER RESIDENT SERVING IN THE PEACE CORPS
Evan Delahanty, who grew up in the area, is currently living in Suriname – formerly Dutch Guyana, serving in the Peace Corps. He arrived there in May and will be serving through July, 2013. His mission is community and youth development in the village of Pikin Slee (google-able!) and he is currently working on projects involving river access piers, adult educational programs, tourism/business activities – and one involving soccer as an educational tool. This is dear to his heart, as he played Woodridge Recreational League soccer from the time he was 5!
In a recent e-mail, Evan wrote: “Peace Corps is currently trying to raise money to buy a slew of “One World Futbols” to use in a business education program that focuses on teaching soft work/life skills through sports-inspired games. Every Peace Corps Volunteer in Suriname has gone through the initial stages of training in the curriculum and plan to roll it out with the youth groups, schools, etc. that Volunteers work with all over the country. This is a project which will benefit almost every village in Suriname with a Volunteer and I can tell you that my village is already set up and ready to go - I've already started a youth group and we are chugging along well, though supplies really help! Check it out here:
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=568-133.
These blue balls are tough - so tough that lions can chew on them, trucks can squish them, and - hopefully - kids in 3rd world environments can play soccer and other games with them without busting. Video of a lion playing with the ball: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9su83Pxrmc&noredirect=1. The company that makes them also has a program to donate one for each one purchased, so if you are looking for a soccer ball, go to http://www.oneworldfutbol.com/.