Service Description

CUERPO DE PAZ
San Jose, Costa Rica
Calle 13, Ave. 9
Tels. 22-74-66, 22-73-66
Apt Postal 1266

DESCRIPTION OF PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER SERVICE

DEAN WAYNE JEFFERSON    VOLUNTEER NUMBER {SSN not shown} COSTA RICA

{ Note: This is written in the third person even though I wrote the first draft of it myself. }

Dean W. Jefferson entered training on August 4, 1974 as Básico, San Antonio de Belén, Costa Rica, and completed an intensive ten week program. Included in the subjects studied were Spanish, tropical grass management, management of forage sorghum and its use for silage, basic vocational agricultural training for El Salvador.

He was enrolled in the Peace Corps on October 18, 1974. Upon arrival in El Salvador, Dean W. Jefferson went to work at the National Irrigation Agency (DGORD), assigned to the Atiocoyo Irrigation Project. In his capacity as a sociologist he did a study of over 140 small landowners in the San Juan-San Isidro section of the project. An undetermined number of the landowners were to be relocated in other sections of the project area due to stipulations of the law which governed the project’s development.

Dean Jefferson left DGORD after nine months, and for ten months worked as an agricultural extensionist assigned to CREDHO (a private development organization formed by the Episcopal Church). At El Maizal, the CREDHO training center and demonstration farm, Dean W. Jefferson directed the construction and filling of a 30 ton trench silo, and designed a milking setup based on plans from FAO. Dean W. Jefferson helped CREDHO acquire a silage chopper and animal scale from AID’s special development fund.

Dean W. Jefferson spent the last six months of his service in El Salvador at the Department of Renewable Natural Resources (DGRNR). He participated in a questionnaire study of fishermen’s coops in El Tamarindo and La Unión, and in the preliminary phases of a wood products marketing study and a socioeconomic study of the Río Tamulasco watershed.

In November 1976, Dean Jefferson transferred to Costa Rica where he spent a year assigned to the Center for Grain and Seed Research (CIGRAS). At CIGRAS he worked on a dry bean storage experiment, and participated in the preliminary phase of a national grain storage loss survey as well as working, in general, as a lab assistant in the grain analysis lab.

Pursuant to section 5(f) of the Peace Corps Act. 22 U.S.C. paragraph 2504(f) as amended, any former volunteer employed by the U.S. Government following his Peace Corps Volunteer service is entitled to have any period of satisfactory Peace Corps Volunteer service credited for purposes of retirement, seniority, reduction in force, leave and other privileges based on length of Government service.

This is to certify in accordance with Executive Order No. 11103, of April 10, 1963, that Mr. Dean Wayne Jefferson served satisfactorily as a Peace Corps Volunteer. His service ended on December 14, 1977. His benefits under the Executive Order extend to a period up to three years for a former Volunteer who enters military service or pursues studies at a recognized institution of higher learning.

Date: December 15, 1977

Signed by: Gary Michael Wederspahn, Peace Corps Director / Costa Rica