My grandparents spent two years in Jamaica with the Peace Corps trying to teach teachers how to teach in 1984-1985. Hah. They got some long-lasting friends out of it (mostly other volunteers), but they figured out you really can't change entire cultures. At least not just two people, or just a handful of other volunteers.
They weren't and aren't vegetarians, so there would be little to learn from them in that aspect.
Q: How many poets does it take to change a light bulb? A: 1001...one to change the bulb, 1000 to say it's already been done.