~*~The Peace Corps?

Question

Hello,
I am extremely interested in joing the Peace Corps. when im able to, and i was wondering if there was anyone who was/or is in the Peace Corps and could tell me about it and give me some advice on what education ill need and everything? thanks so much!! :)

Answer 1

I was an animal health Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala. There are many different programs offered today, and each requires something a little different. I would be happy to go into more detail about my experience and help you decide what your focus should be, based on what you enjoy. You can check out the web site, but be sure to actually connect with as many volunteers as you can find. Each one of us had a very unique experience, and will have different advice to give you. My e-mail is [e-mail].

There were very good aspects, very bad aspects, and a lot that is hard to describe in a forum such as this. Some will tell you it is dangerous, some hold a romantic view, and some will actually tell you the truth lies somewhere in-between.

Answer 2

I came back from my 27 months in Peace Corps this past December. I was very much welcomed for my teaching, and I made friends that I will never forget -- both among my fellow volunteers, and among the people of Tanzania.

What Peace Corps requires is that you have a skill you can use in volunteering. What have you done with your life so far? Do you know anything about health? Anything about agriculture, carpentry, or another skill with your hands? Do you have experience in teaching, or a degree in science or math?

It is most definitely an experience worth having! It gave me two years' experience in teaching, with ESL experience that helped me to get a job teaching at a good private school. Beyond the gain back at home, I was able to show some of my family the country (a visit from home) and I was able to make a difference in the lives of many students and a large number of friends from every country in the world. If you have the freedom to spend two years away from the States, you should definitely volunteer!

The Peace Corps is for US citizens only and is therefore more careful with its volunteers than many organizations. As a fellow volunteer stated, the organization is perfect for someone who has never left the country before. There are many weeks of training, and the volunteers are assigned "homestay families" who are also coached in the safety and teaching of their volunteer. Some of our volunteers who had experience outside the country found their extra care tiresome, but it does mean that the volunteers are safe.

Peace Corps does not have an active program in any country that is volitile, and if an area becomes volitile they will evacuate the volunteers. There are drills and plans to follow for each volunteer so that they know their role in such a situation.

That said, you may also want to check in the VSO or Volunteer Services Organization. If you join Peace Corps, you may choose a region of the world -- such as South America or Sub-Saharan Africa.

With the Peace Corps, there are contacts in every town and the people in your village have all necessary contact information with headquarters should they be needed. They also provide free medical care at the headquarters. If there is any danger by terrorists or civil unrest, they will bring you to headquarters and, if necessary, help you all to evacuate.

The "food allowance" is about the same as your "Host Country National" counterparts, housing is provided, and they give you language training and a "counterpart" or helpful local resident to help orient you. The "food allowance" depends on the country you are assigned to, but it is usually about $150 - $300 a month -- more than enough to buy your food in a country where basic groceries cost about $50 a month!

You really should look into it and see if you would like to join; it is most definitely an experience worth having. You can contact me also, if you have questions. You have plenty of time to research it.

And yes, the volunteers made a tangible difference in their communities and the ones nearby. There are environmental volunteers (digging wells, teaching agriculture, teaching sanitation), health volunteers (teaching both in schools and in communities, including HIV/AIDS education), and education volunteers (teaching primarily in schools, science and math subjects).

There are also NGO's (Non-Governmental Organizations) in many countries, which can give you a long-term or even a permanent position. They work with more specific issues, such as AIDS education, literacy in general, or religious education.

Try looking into things! You have Americorps, Peace Corps, VSO, Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Caretakers of the Environment, and NGO's. Most of these will give a (small) food allowance for your help.

If you have other questions, let me know! If you have experience with the Spanish language, there is a very good chance that they would accept you for the Western Hemisphere assignments, and there are many more environmental needs there. Depending on what your abilities are with other areas, fluency in Spanish alone can be a useful qualification. Fluency in French can be a benefit in gaining an assignment in Western Africa. Just FYI!

Answer 3

You can join the Peace Corps online! Then you will need go through their training program at one of their local sites and make a 27 month commitment. Good luck and thank you for volunteering! There will be plenty of companies willing to hire you when you get done...:)

Answer 4

Be careful - my friend did the Peace Corps in Bolivia for 3 years. She knew of 6 girls that were raped and 1 guy who disappeared and was never found in South America. She says they covered it all up.

Answer 5

Don't join. i know some peace corps and they are not very smart.