Joining the Peace Corps has always been on my mind. When I learned that there would be a lecture from two returned service members, I was anxious to go.
The Peace Corps is a well known government agency that trains volunteers to go to countries around that world that ask for assistance. The goal is to send volunteers for a 27 month period, in order to immerse themselves within the culture of the assigned country. Each volunteer endures an application period and when they are accepted either under a specific “program sector”, including: Education, Health, Community Economic Development, Environment, Youth in Development and Agriculture.
Each of the women talked a little about their time in each country. The first was placed in Moldova, a small village in Russia. The other was placed in a small village in South Africa.
Before arriving in Moldova, the first speaker went through 2 months of intense language training (and general training). She had to learn both Russian and Bulgarian, because in Moldova they speak a mix of the two. She stayed with a host family the entire time, who ended up being an elderly woman. Her assignment was in Community Economic Development. The first speaker talked a little about this: “You kind of had to be self-motivated to finish your work and get involved with the public. Once they drop you off, it’s your job to begin your project. But first, I had to convince the community I wasn’t a spy.”
When the second speaker was asked how her integration into the African village went, she said they welcomed her with open arms. They even killed a goat for a dinner for her, which is huge honor because her village is very rural, and very poor.
Another aspect both of the speakers touched on was immersing themselves in the culture. One woman was, in America, openly gay. “When I got to Moldova, I knew it was taboo. I had almost go back into the closet, ya know? But I reminded myself that my job was to immerse myself in their culture, and help them step by step. It wasn’t my job to push my culture on them.” The other talked about being Indian, and going to the small African village. ” They didn’t know what I was. They couldn’t figure out if I was black, or white. So they just came up with the fact that I was a mix. They just had never met anyone like me before, and they don’t have technology or anything to where they could have seen someone like me.”
Something the speakers both talked about was that it was a hard experience. They had to spend 27 months in a foreign country, nearly alone. Maybe with one or two other Americans. However, each worked on development within their villages. The second speaker, who went to Africa talked about one of her projects teaching the villagers to make Shea Butter. Once they made the Shea butter, they taught them how to market and sell it. When each of them talked about their experience, they acknowledged that it was difficult, but so worth it. Both of them stated they would do it again in a heart beat.
It was extremely eye opening to hear two first hand experiences of being in the Peace Corps. It would be a hard experience, but one that could shape a person for the rest of his or her life.