I have known Jason for about five years, so I was excited to have the opportunity to talk with him about his Peace Corps experience.  It’s always fun to exchange Peace Corps stories with a friend.  Jason and I talked about the interesting journey he took to get to where he is today – starting out in IT, working in environmental education in the Peace Corps, and finally ending up as a public health professional in Seattle.  I like how his story doesn’t really follow a linear path, and the many adventurous leaps he’s taken along the way.  That’s something I aspire to have in my own life.

Demonstration garden

Fuel efficient stoves

Improved vitamins

Originally from Richmond, VA Jason worked in IT and the dotcom scene of San Francisco prior to heading off to East Africa with the Peace Corps. He served as an Environmental Education volunteer in Palangawanu, Tanzania from 2002-04. It was there where he learned to appreciate the dynamics at play within communities and the inherent challenges confronted in a rapidly changing world. He experienced firsthand the advent of the cellphone and its dramatic impact within Palangawanu. He continues to try and address challenges in access to health care through the utilization of eHealth and improved community health programs through his work at PATH. He focuses on maternal and newborn health, TB, HIV/AIDS, malaria, nutrition and water and sanitation programs throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Following his time in the Peace Corps he's lived in New Zealand, Uganda and South Sudan and worked extensively in Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Ghana. He's thrilled to now call the Pac NW home, but enjoys his opportunities to travel back to Africa.

Jason in Palangawanu