Vegetarians in the Peace Corp
August 1st, 2006 by manutd.I am a life-long vegetarian, and having read some of the posts here and around the net, I get the sense that recruiters are heavily opposed to them. I understand the cultural implications of eating meat in several regions of the world and I know that there isn’t any location in the Peace Corp that is purely vegetarian. But i’m curios, are are any volunteers out there, either currently serving of returned, that have managed to stay vegetarian? Where did you serve and what sorta work did you do? I would really appreciate the responses as this is the last obstacle that I face in deciding whether or not to join the Peace Corp.
August 1st, 2006 at 9:27 am
I also am a vegetarian interested in the Peace Corps. However, I guess, I’m a little bit more flexible, but yes I would love to be able to stay vegetarian during my service. I have heard of people being able to stay vegetarian, but I think it just takes flexibility. I mean, I am sure that meat is going to be expensive anyway, so probably the only time it is a problem is when your hosts offer you meat.
August 1st, 2006 at 11:34 am
I don’t think recruiters are opposed to vegetarianism in and of itself - rather, PC is opposed to a vegetarian being completely inflexible regarding their diet, whatever your diet choices may be. Maintaining vegetarianism while in PC can be easy, difficult or just straight up impossible depending on your country, city/village size, and regional cultural norms. Not eating meat could simply make you a sillly fascination or cultural oddity, or it could completely cut you off socially from the people around you and make your work and settling in that much more difficult. It really just depends.
What PC wants to hear during the process is that, if necessary, you’re willing to be flexible, reevaluate your dietary lifestyle, and adapt if necessary for your cultural assimilation, effectiveness and/or safety/health while in country. If you say “I’m a vegetarian and I absolutely refuse to even entertain the idea of eating meat while abroad,” you’re not likely to go any further in the application process. If, however, you say “I’m a vegetarian and would prefer to stay that way, BUT also understand that this may be impossible and am willing to adapt my diet as necessary,” you’ll be in much better shape.
Personally, I was a vegetarian while in Peace Corps in Eastern Europe and maintained my diet throughout my entire two years. But even so I had to make adaptations. I was often served soup at social occasions and instructed to just “dig out the biggest pieces of meat and you’ll be fine!” So I did. I was occasionally assured that what I was eating was free of meat, only to find obvious pieces of flesh in it, but rather than make a scene and offend my host(s) I pushed what meat I could aside and ate all that I could without grossing out. It’s was a fine line to walk on many occasions, but it was a necessary one. A vegetarian diet was also very bland, especially in the winter. I overcompensated with starches and carbs (potatoes every night, anyone?) for lack of other options. And I was grateful when March/April rolled around each year b/c stores would stock some soy substitutes for the Orthodox observing lent by refraining from meat products for 40 days. Those were good weeks for me!
So if you do decide to apply, don’t only be ready to tell PC that you’re willing to be flexible b/c that’s what they want to hear - but believe it yourself. I was as vegetarian as possible during service and lucked out that it was about 98% possible most days. Others aren’t so lucky. But it was all totally worth it in the end.
August 1st, 2006 at 2:37 pm
Thanks guys, I appreciate the advice. Amanda, you’re right I can’t say I’m gonna be flexible if I don’t believe it, and, as a matter of principle and honesty, I know that under any circumstance, I would never be able to convince myselfy that it’s ok to eat meat. That’s what I intend to tell the recruiter/interviewer and if that leads to me being in-elligible, so be it. Once again, thanks for shedding some light on this for me.