Jodie Bargeron is already making a difference in the west African nation of Mali. With help from folks back home in Clarkston, she could do even more.
The 1999 Clarkston High School graduate left for training in August 2003, and will complete a two-year term of service this November. Before she leaves, however, she would like to see the completion of a birthing center to help the residents of Guelelenkoro, Mali.
Guelelenkoro is a commune capital which already has a small health clinic to serve basic needs. The five-bed clinic cannot adequately provide for the sick, injured or women giving birth, however.
In 1994, the village began construction on a birthing center, but did not have funds to finish it. Today, an empty shell sits, filled with grass and snakes, only yards from the overcrowded health clinic.
Bargeron went to Mali with a specific mission to help with health education, focusing on nutrition and HIV. The community approached her and specifically asked for help in seeing the birthing center completed. She facilitated meetings between community leaders and builders, and a builder has been selected.
The men of the village will provide the labor and about one-third of the money needed for materials. An experienced midwife is already available in the village.
That left a need for $10,465 in donations from Peace Corps ‘Partners? in the United States. Bargeron helped develop a project proposal, and the Peace Corps is coordinating the collection of donations.
‘We are so proud of her,? said Jan Bargeron, Jodie’s mother. ‘I never thought of any of my children doing something like this.?
As a proud mom, Jan Bargeron was one of the first to make a financial donation to the project via the Peace Corps Web site (www.peacecorps.gov/contribute). Hit the link for ‘volunteer projects? and look for the link for Mali’s Guelelenkoro Birthing Center.
‘It’s really easy to follow,? Jan Bargeron said, and the Web site shows only about $4,000 to reach the goal.
Checks may also be made payable to Peace Corps Partnership Program (with project number 688-162 on the subject line) and mailed to 1111 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20526.
Jodie Bargeron hopes the donations will be complete sometime in March so the work can be complete before she comes home in November.
In addition to being proud, Jan Bargeron is grateful.
‘She’s doing really well,? she said. ‘She has stayed healthy and safe. That’s been my two biggest concerns.?
In a 2003 interview with The Clarkston News, Jodie Bargeron said she looked forward to ‘an awesome adventure.? While she hopes to earn a master’s degree in social work upon her return to the United States, she does not discount the possibility of going back.
‘I can see myself doing this after retirement,? she said. ‘They take people in their 60s and 70s.?