Join us for a meet and greet with returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Ruby Moss!
Ruby Moss is a returned Youth and Families Development Volunteer with Peace Corps Ecuador (2023-2025) and currently an MSW candidate in the UMich School of Social Work. Her role was within the cantonal government of Cuenca, Azuay and its surrounding 21 rural parishes. Throughout her service she had 6 primary projects. “Coopera Mujer” reaches more than 200 rural women across the Cuenca canton and focuses on uplifting victims of gender-based and financial violence to gain financial independence and agency. “Cultivando el Futuro” focused on mitigating the impact of climate change on rural farming communities by utilizing greenhouses and water conservation techniques. “Plan de Vida” was a series of workshops that incorporated a grassroots soccer curriculum covering topics such as life skills, job readiness, mental health, nutrition, teamwork, goal-setting, and gender equality. “Mamá 360°” focused on garnering support for the mothers of premature babies and facilitating lecture series to better the knowledge of medical students and medical professionals on neonatology, prematurity, and at-risk pregnancy management. “Escuela Para Padres” was a free, bi-monthly parenting workshop in 2 rural villages in the agricultural parish of Sayausí. Workshops covered complex topics like managing difficult conversations, handling parental burnout, how trauma can impact childhood development, decreasing adolescent pregnancy, and decreasing drug/alcohol abuse. Her last main project was a suicide prevention campaign in one of the local technical colleges. The curriculum focuses on suicide prevention, peer support, general psychology, life skills, goal setting, stress management and understanding emotions. She is excited to share more and answer any and all questions related to Peace Corps Service and life in the beautiful country of Ecuador!
