A little bit about me...

Hi my name is Raechelle, and I lived in the secular Muslim country of Azerbaijan as a Youth Development Volunteer for the Peace Corps for three years and three months. I am now the Administrator of the official Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Friends of Azerbaijan group. As such, I am working to promote Peace Corps third goal of helping promote a better understanding of Azerbaijani people to Americans.

I created this blog as a way for future Peace Corps Volunteers, my friends and family, and Americans in general to understand what life as a Peace Corps Volunteer is like. As part of the pilot program for Youth Development in Azerbaijan, my work in Azerbaijan was diverse to say the least. I took on a role as youth educator, mentor and promoter. I helped with academic advising, established informal youth service clubs, encouraged youth to be proactive in their communities, promoted volunteer-ism and making a positive contribution to their communities.

I served as an extended volunteer, meaning that I served a third year instead of the traditional two year and three month service. During that time, I got married to my community counterpart and embraced many parts of the Azerbaijani culture. It is my hope to provide you a sense of understanding of life as a Peace Corps volunteer, life in Azerbaijan, and a bit about Azerbaijani culture through my experiences. Please feel free to comment or email me if you have any questions or suggestions for topics you'd like to hear more about.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

"World's Oldest Woman" Lives In Azerbaijan

The world’s oldest woman, a 127-year-old living in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, attributes her longevity to a clean and pure environment and the warmth of her family life, Azerbaijani news agency APA has reported.

Bayaz Xalilova has five children, 28 grandchildren and 47 great-grandchildren. Her oldest child is 80, and the youngest is 60. Xalilova has always lived in her native Gadabay District, nearly 400 km west of the capital Baku.

"In my region, the air and water are like cures for illnesses. Had I lived in Baku, or other cities, I would not have not lasted so long," she said in an interview with the agency. Xalilova is also happy with Azerbaijan’s current government. "We had a very difficult life in Soviet times. Today’s government is nice. It cares about the people," she said.

Editor’s Note: Source: Azerbaijani news agency APA, Baku, in Azeri 1201 gmt 26 Sep 07
Reposted from: http://www.eurasianet.org/posts/092707.shtml
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