Hola! My name is Amma Yamada, and I am a 23-year old Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Guatemala! I am from Asheville, North Carolina where I grew up hiking, horseback riding, walking downtown with friends, and spending time with my family. For college, I traveled four hours from home and went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to double major in Chemistry and Global Studies and minor in Hispanic Studies. After college I moved north to Charlottesville, Virginia, and I worked as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) at the University of Virginia Pediatric Emergency Department.
Throughout college and working in the hospital, I developed my love for working with woman and kids, so I decided to join the Peace Corps working as a Child and Maternal Health Volunteer in Guatemala! Peace Corps works with countries all over the world. Volunteers live in a local community for two years, work with local work partners, and usually live with host families to learn about the host-country's local language and culture. Currently I am living in the Quiché region of Guatemala, working at a Centro Atención Permanente (similar to an urgent care). I work with a nutritionist, social worker, psychologist, and other nurses. My main work task is to provide health education to pregnant women, children, adolescents, and mothers. I live with a host family, and they share their local culture, help me improve my Spanish, and teach me the local Mayan language Ixil. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, camping, running, playing basketball, swimming, cooking with my host family, meeting new people in my town, and spending time with the other Peace Corps Volunteers in Guatemala!
I am excited to share my adventures, and learn more about all of you!
Peace Corps Volunteers like me live and work side by side with community members around the world, collaborating on locally prioritized projects, building relationships, exchanging cultures and knowledge, and helping transform lives for generations. Learn more by clicking here.
