My Journey with Darien Book Aid and the Peace Corps
Learn How Volunteers Can Get Free Books for Their Schools Through Darien Book Aid
Hello, my name is Jim Damico, and I'm a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer currently serving in Armenia. We're doing this interview at Zar Secondary School, a small village school with about 250 students, covering kindergarten through 12th grade.
This is actually my fourth service. I've previously served in Thailand, Mongolia, Nepal, and now Armenia. Before joining the Peace Corps, I worked as a physical therapist assistant in hospitals. When work slowed down in the summers, I began traveling and doing some volunteer work in France. While there, I heard about an English school in Mongolia that needed a volunteer, so I signed up. During my time in Mongolia, I met a Peace Corps volunteer who encouraged me to apply. He even wrote one of my recommendation letters, and that led to my first assignment in Thailand.
I was serving in Nepal when the pandemic hit, and we were all evacuated within four days. It was an incredible logistical feat. I was supposed to return to Nepal, but due to some medical concerns, my doctor advised against it. Still, I wanted to serve, so I asked where the next available position was. That’s how I ended up in Armenia.
I'm currently an English teacher here at Zar Secondary School, working with two co-teachers, Mary and Lucine. In Armenia, Peace Corps volunteers collaborate with local teachers to help improve their English and teaching techniques while giving students exposure to a native speaker. I teach grades 3 through 8, though English is taught all the way through 12th grade at the school.
I first heard about Darien Book Aid from other volunteers while I was serving in Thailand. I requested books from them for the school library in the small village where I was placed. I wasn't in Nepal long enough to request any books, but once I arrived in Armenia, one of the first things I did was reach out to Darien Book Aid again. Since then, I've been spreading the word about them to other volunteers.
I also run a website where I offer tips and advice to volunteers around the world. I've featured Darien Book Aid several times on my site, and I think Peggy, who runs the program, often tells people to just check my site for more information.
I really love Darien Book Aid!
For more information on how you can order books for your community, check out my complete guide How to Apply for Free Books for Your Peace Corps Library which gives you all the details on how to request books from Darien Book Aid!