The Ichupa Upcycle Project is a community-based social enterprise inspired by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer -RPCV Michał Matejczuk when he served (2016) in Mbale District in Eastern Uganda. Michal now lives in Hyderabad, India as a Henry R. Luce Scholar.

You never know where your Peace Corps service, or your career for that matter, can take you. I truly owe my entire career to the Peace Corps and the experiences I had serve me every day.

Climate change and environmental degradation continues to be a major concern in Uganda but it can be addressed through sensitizations and the teaching of conservation skills.

I was probably 8 years old the first time I told my mom I wanted to join the Peace Corps, and I don’t think it came as any surprise to her. I grew up with “Peace Corps” being a regular part of my family’s vocabulary.

Working inside a Hospital in Northern Uganda, I feel strongly about implementing a support group for youth in the community, specifically HIV positive adolescents. 

In my role, as a Community Agribusiness Peace Corps Volunteer, I focus on child nutrition as a critical piece of my work at an orphanage in Western Uganda. At my site, we are fortunate to be surrounded by lush gardens and a variety of rich vegetation. However, ensuring that fresh produce makes it from the garden to the plate, for well-balanced meals for the students, was a point of learning for myself and the staff.

As an Agribusiness Peace Corps Volunteer living in Uganda, I implemented a project that benefited the planet and people’s lives at the same time! This was done through a series of trainings that were implemented with the objective to reduce deforestation through introduction of new and more efficient cooking stoves.

I had little idea what I’d be getting into when I signed up to be a Peace Corps Response Volunteer.

I am GHSP but even more, I am Peace Corps Liberia.

“You're still going.”