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07/27/2022 08:30 AMWestbrook prides itself on being a community-minded town where residents volunteer their time to help others. Having grown up in Westbrook, it’s no surprise that William Neale will be embodying that spirit when he heads to Uganda next month for a two-year stint in the Peace Corps.
The Peace Corps is an international service network of volunteers that work alongside community members around the world on locally prioritized projects. The agency’s mission, according to a press release is one of world peace and friendship, and volunteers work on projects in the areas of health, education, environment, agriculture, community economic development, and youth development.
For William, the mission of the Corps hits a little closer to home than most.
“My father was a volunteer in the Peace Corps in Tunisia in the ’70s. It was always something I was aware of and conscious of,” William says. “Everything I heard was very positive.”
William explains that the Peace Corps is something he’s always kind of had in the back of his mind as an option and became more serious about in college. Post-graduation, William had the chance to live all over the world from Norway to Japan doing agricultural work. Then the COVID-19 pandemic started and William moved home. Coincidentally, the Peace Corps also removed their members from the field at the same time. When the organization announced they would be sending members back into the field earlier this year, William was ready to join.
“Working overseas I got to know some people who had done the Peace Corps, too, and had good things to say about it,” says William. “I applied in the fall of last year and then was accepted in March.”
William expects that the time he’s spent overseas will come in handy.
“I think being able to adjust to a lot of different cultures and rolling with the punches is an adjustment to everyone,” William says. “I think I’ll be a little ahead of the game a little bit in that regard.”
William will serve as an agriculture volunteer in Uganda, once again using skills honed in Westbrook. He studied economics at Bennington College, but the agricultural field is where he’s found enjoyment.
“I’ve worked for John Hall on and off for about 10 years now, and that’s what got me first interested in agriculture,” says William.
In particular, William adds that sustainability is a key interest of his that intersects with agriculture.
“The program I’m going to be working in is an agriculture and business development program so it’s a good mix of both,” says William, calling agriculture with a sustainability focus a “burgeoning filed” that could see himself working in long-term down the line.
William admits that at first, he applied to volunteer in a different location, but the Peace Corps came back and told him there was a need in Uganda and asked if he would go there instead. His journey will officially begin on July 28 when he goes to Washington D.C. for a short training. He will then department to Uganda on Sunday, July 31 where he will undergo another three months of on-location training. Then he begins a two years’ service commitment.
“A fair amount of what I’ll specifically be doing is TBD,” says William.
Once in Uganda he will be evaluated for his skills and assigned a position based on his skills and need. As of press time William still has about two weeks until head to D.C but he has started some training on his own.
“I have started working on learning Swahili a bit,” he says.