OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — It was everything she thought it would be and more! Two and a half years ago, reporter Molly Hudson told you about Jennifer Ecklund, a Creighton grad, who was getting ready to head out with the Peace Corps, one of the first to return since the COVID pandemic. She's now back in Omaha so they met to talk about her experience.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"It's a beautiful, beautiful part of our world and you know beautiful people, beautiful countries and yeah, I am so eager to hopefully go back one day," said Jennifer Ecklund, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from Omaha.
Back in Omaha, Ecklund reflects on her time in southern Africa as an economic volunteer.
"I was placed in Namibia, which is in southern Africa, in a small mining town of Karibib, is what it was called, it was a desert climate with a population of about 15,000," Ecklund said.
Much of her 27 months away from home was spent working in a local economic development office as a small business consultant, teaching people like street vendors how to run a small business.
"Within that, I met with a lot of clients and we worked on writing business plans, financial plans, creating marketing strategies, trying to just kind of grow the business and the local economy there," Ecklund said.
And hearing the success of those she worked with was one of the best parts.
"It is just such a rewarding feeling in knowing that, you know, being away from your family for so long is worth it and it's making an impact however small that impact may be," Ecklund said.
She is one of the first to return after COVID. She and her group of 16 colleagues had to navigate a re-opening world.
"We liked to call ourselves like the guinea pig group and so that was a lot of adjusting and it took a lot of getting used to," Ecklund said.
Molly: Is it everything you thought it would be?
Jennifer: "Oh, everything and more, I frequently say it's probably the best decision I could have made for myself and my future, I learned so much and I sort of figured out my next steps through it and so I would do it again in a heartbeat."
It's a competitive process to become a Peace Corps volunteer but if you're interested you can learn more here.
