American voulonteers in Macedonia: A personal story from Alameda, California

By Alameda Time Star
Date Posted 12.08.2004

Alamedan heads to Macedonia with Peace Corps

UC Berkeley architecture grad to help modernize city and regional planning policies

By John Geluardi, CORRESPONDENT

ALAMEDA -- When Karen Quinto graduated UC Berkeley last year with a degree in architecture, she could have easily secured a good job and started down a well-traveled career path.

Instead, Quinto, 23, is going on a cultural adventure.

She joined the Peace Corps, and in early September, Quinto will board a plane bound for Eastern Europe, where she will help municipalities in Macedonia modernize their city and regional planning policies.

She also hopes her experience will be one of self-discovery.

"So many people follow the usual route. Everyone goes to high school, then college, and then everyone finds a job," Quinto said. "I've always wanted to make a difference and learn more about myself, and the Peace Corps is the ideal way to do that."

According to Peace Corps spokeswoman Laura Johnston, Quinto will be the 96th Alamedan to volunteer for the internationally-known organization, which was formed in 1961.

The average Peace Corps worker is college-educated and about 28 years old (the oldest volunteer is 84). There are currently workers in 71 countries and the 2003 budget for the Peace Corps is $295 million.

When people think of Peace Corps work, images of constructing earthen aqueducts and remote, sun-parched fields come to mind. But the Peace Corps also works in major metropolitan areas where local governments face challenges such as housing shortages, crumbling sewer systems and antiquated water and electrical delivery.

Macedonia gained its independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. Since then, the country has been struggling to dismantle the socialist, centralized government and shift power to municipalities.

The country's efforts to develop a viable market economy are hampered by rising unemployment, inflation and the 2001 conflict in neighboring Kosovo, which sent millions of refugees flooding into Macedonia.

Quinto will be working in the Peace Corps Municipality/Non-Governmental Organization Program. She will help local government and nonprofits develop operational policies and procedures for city planning.

"It's basically working on day-to-day efficiencies," she said. "Helping with business acquisition and working within their administrative structures to make it more efficient."

Quinto said she has not yet been told where she will be assigned, but expects it will be the capital city of Skopje. During her stint, Quinto will be completely immersed in Macedonian culture. Besides working with local government, she will take intensive courses in the Macedonian language and after living with a local family for three months, she will move out on her own in the city known for its sixth century hilltop fortress, ancient bazaar and Serbian Orthodox and Roman Catholic cathedrals.

Quinto said she has wanted to join the Peace Corps since she was a student at Alameda High School. Later, while she was studying architecture at UC Berkeley, she took an introductory city planning course and was further inspired by her teacher Michael Larice, who worked as a Peace Crops volunteer in Swaziland.

"He spoke a lot about the process of local government from an international perspective and the things he learned about another country," she said. "It was after that course that I decided to minor in city planning."

Quinto said at first her parents were not too happy with her decision to join the Peace Corps. They were concerned about the recent wars and conflicts in the region.

"But they began to do some research on their own and now they feel much better because things have stabilized there and they know it will be safe," she said

Quinto said she will probably not be able to return home until her two-year stint is up, but she is looking forward to leaving her life behind so she might be better able to understand it.

"So many things are forced on you here -- clothes, career, cars, where you work. It's hard to tell which of those things you have actually chosen," she said. "I hope to discover which matter, and which don't."

For more information about the Peace Corps go to www.peacecorps.gov or call 1-800-424-8580.

Alameda Time Star

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