I’m awaiting my placement and job.  I’ve been nominated for Water Sanitation in the Caribbean and Central America.  I was wondering if there were any current volunteers or returned volunteers in the department that could help me out with some questions.

What were some of the methods you used to cope with the numerous cultural pressures and other challenges as well as not being in communication with friends and family?  What’s it like serving in the Peace Corps?

Thanks a lot!!

Andy

Well folks, they said the application process was extensive. I didn’t know it would be excruciatingly slow. However, I cannot lay all the blame on the Peace Corps. The first hold up was caused by me. My curiosity first began to grow about a year ago; yes, a year. I browsed the site, read some blogs, did my research and finally began the application process in July of 2007. The bulk of the application, the part asking about everything from what’s your name to what kind of gynecological problems have you had in the past 5 years, was complete within a week.

After spending hours typing logistical information into little rectangular boxes and putting check after check into tinny little squares, the essays lie before me. For nearly 6 months I was daunted by the task of writing two fate deciding essays, one meant to convey my cultural-competence, and the other being a typical ‘why do you want to join the Peace Corps’ essay. For the former I reviewed essays online, most flaunting their extravagant life changing experiences. One guy did a year long internship in Morocco where he became enlightened on such social justice issues as religious expression and freedom, economic oppression, philosophies on health, and cultural differences in regards to racism, classism, heterosexism, ageism, and sexism. I read about how the essays need to draw on one experience I had that demonstrates my ability to adapt in another culture. I didn’t have a Moroccan experience. All I could see is the series of small but significant events throughout my life that molded my values into that of a Social Worker.

As for the latter essay… my thoughts… “What the fuck are they looking for here?” I know I can’t give a cliché answer like, ‘I want to help others.’ My response has to communicate my passion in a unique way. It wasn’t until November that I completed my essays. It took me another two months to hit the submit button. I had mole over all the worries and concerns I had about joining. In the end, I had to decide that my reasons for wanting to join were greater than any of my concerns.

Time goes by

A month+ later, I was scheduled for a 3 hour long interview. The interviewer was typing my response. If interviews make you nervous, imagine what it might be like to have someone staring you in the eyes and typing fiercely as you answer questions. You pause, she pauses; you start, click click click. At the end of the interview she asks me what my top three regions are. I tell her that Africa and Central America tie for first. She tells me that Latin America isn’t an option for me since I don’t know Spanish. She tells me that it looks like I will be going to Africa. She tells me I will get a call soon.

Time goes by

Weeks later I get a call from the Peace Corps. They are calling to inform me that I have been nominated for At-Risk Youth Development Programs in Southern Central America, scheduled to depart in August. She states that I can wait until January if I want Africa. I tell her that I will take Central America. I am very excited about this because of the opportunity to become fluent in Spanish.

Time goes by

I get my medical packet in the mail along with a call from the Peace Corps. The representative tells me that it is imperative that I get everything back to her in a timely fashion. She states that I am in a time crunch to leave for August. She tells me, they got my medical clearance deadline moved back to June 2^nd. I got on the phone right then with doctors. I received the packet end of March and it wouldn’t be until May that I could get it all complete. I needed updated immunizations, complete head to toe extended physical, dental exams, etc, etc. Since the Peace Corps only pays for a fraction of these exams, a total of $75 to be exact, I scheduled my appointments through the VA. The VA provides complimentary service to Peace Corps volunteers. However, the VA is a hugely overworked, understaffed bureaucracy and this slowed down the process. So, after my 8 tubes of blood were drawn and analyzed and my body was examined, down to every last scar and tattoo, my forms were signed and mailed off. I prayed that I didn’t forget anything on the 10 sections of medical paperwork.

Time goes by

Dental clearance comes in

Time goes by

5 days before my June 2^nd deadline, I call the Peace Corps wondering why my clearance is delayed. Medical tells me that the nurse knows of the time crunch, hasn’t reviewed my forms yet and will get back with me tomorrow. I get a call the next day from the nurse who reviewed my forms only after receiving my call. The nurse needs another blood test. SHIT! How did the VA take 8 tubes of blood and not test for everything needed? Now I know I am going to miss my deadline.

I take my labs to my doctor who informs me the blood test was administered and shows me where the results are on the lab report. I clear this up with the Peace Corps and ask them about my deadline. They push it back to mid-July and say that now I might be going to the Caribbean. I think this is fantastic, but I am not getting my hopes up. I have learned that things can change at any moment.

I still have a hold on my medical clearance, which should be cleared up in the next couple of days. Now, I also wait for my placement decision. It has been a true test of patience and flexibility.

 Christian & Alysia

Feel free to add your own pages. (More information below.)

Dear RPCV,

For the first time in its almost fifty year history, the volunteers themselves are happy to announce the creation of a wiki based website dedicated to collaborative work.

http://www.PeaceCorpsWiki.com/

An institutional memory of this complex organization is being built day by day creating a bridge to an exciting future. This is an effort, lead by recently returned volunteers, to positivity develop the concept called Peace Corps – the history of Peace Corps and the projects that volunteers have done in over 139 countries around the world, ever since Kennedy announced ‘And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.’

There are now a handful of administrators volunteering their time to the project and regular users (both registered and anonymous) have added almost a 1,000 pages of contributions.

However, we still need your help!

The ultimate goal is to have everything cross referenced, searchable, and freely available to anyone interested in the Peace Corps; countries, cities, sectors, volunteers – all relating to the Peace Corps service and its history for the past 47 years. We’re hoping that eventually volunteers would be able to read what progress has been made in Tamali, Ghana (for example) in the past 40 years. Which volunteers were stationed there? What did the Education volunteers have to do differently in The Gambia then Education volunteers in Senegal, Guinea or Mauritania? What projects did volunteers in Malawi work on 10 years ago, were any in Mzuzu?

You are even encouraged to create a page about yourself! What country did you serve in? What projects did you work on? What was in like serving in Venezuela in 1962, or being one of the 21 total volunteers who served in Bosnia-Herzegovina from 2000-2002? We even made it easy for you – on the main page is a ‘Add Volunteer’ box – just type in your name and the hard part is done for you!

Served in Farafenni, The Gambia or Gyumri, Armenia? Want to make a page about your town or village? Please do. Think the page for your country of service needs a few pictures? Welcome to upload them and post them. (As of now we’re using roughly the same standards as Wikipedia) The page for Ukraine has pictures of what the electrical outlets look like!

You can’t break PeaceCorpsWiki – anything can be fixed or improved later. Don’t be afraid to edit – anyone can edit almost any page, and we encourage you to be bold! You do not need to register as a user to contribute; anonymous legitimate edits/suggestions are welcome.

More than 190,000 people have answered the call to serve, and the PeaceCorpsWiki site provides the tool necessary to capture and disseminate this valued knowledge. You are welcome to join us and contribute your first-hand knowledge to this collective public information exchange.

Thank you,

-Mike Sheppard RPCV / The Gambia (‘03-’05) http://www.PeaceCorpsJournals.com/ http://www.PeaceCorpsWiki.com/