Thoughts about Leaving for the Peace Corps

I have roughly two months before I leave for the Eastern Caribbean, but I shouldnt even be here right now.  I should have been in Africa, in a small country called Lesotho (Lih-soo-too) that most people have never even heard of let alone know anything about.  This sudden change of life plans (though not by choice), has left me with much down time to think about my current situation. 

Although I know the importance of this journey, and the main reasons why I decided to pursue the Peace Corps in the first place, that being, helping those who need my help, is not about where.  Its only about helping and having an impact on those who I encounter, even if it is just one child or one elderly man/woman or one teacher, one mother, one student, or one town official.  

Obviously my help, skills, motivation and drive, determination and inspiration are needed in the Eastern Caribbean, or the US government wouldnt spend millions of tax dollars sending volunteers. I just need to keep reminding myself of this. Obviously this will be a life changing experience.  And I am sure I will love it.  But until I leave, its very difficult to think about all the things I have given up to pursue this dream.

The longer I am here, the worse it is.  I regularly have conversations with my best friend about her wedding, and it absolutely breaks my heart that I will be missing it. Another of my best friends will be getting married, and I will have to miss hers as well.  She barely talks to me about her wedding plans.  It hurts but I understand. Theres also the possibility that I will have to miss my brother's wedding.  Another disappointment. When I return from my 2.5 years of service, my best friend will have ANOTHER baby and a 3.5 year old.  I will have missed the birth of her second child and two thirds of her first child's life. This is going to be difficult since I have been there every step of the way thus far.  Then, I will miss the birth of another very dear friend's baby. 

Then theres the current relationship situation.  Another good thing to end prematurely. There is really no easy way to go about entering the Peace Corps, unless you have no friends, no family and no life whatsoever. but I imagine thats not the case for most people.

But is there really any good time to leave the country, your friends, and your family for 2.5 years to pursue your own dreams?  I suppose no matter when I leave I will miss some monumental time in a friend's or family member's life. But that doesnt make it suck any less. It just sucks that I have to miss it now, and so soon after the start of my service. And if I dont go just because Im waiting around for THEIR dreams, then I will miss out on my own. This will only cause resentment and a feeling of unfulfillment.

Then theres all the things that are going to change that arent immediately apparent right now.  When I get back, I am going to be a completely different person; I will have a new mindset, a new way of approaching things, possibly a new culture, a new family, new friends.  Everything will be different.  Everything will be different back "home" too.  My former friends will have grown and moved on with their lives as well.  New relationships, new marriages, new families, new jobs.

Sure its going to be difficult, but thats why they call Peace Corps Service the "Toughest Job You'll Ever Love".  

Im looking forward to starting this journey and this life changing time in my life.  I just wish it was happening sooner rather than later.

So far, the time between finding out about the cancellation of my program in Lesotho and waiting for another invitation and subsequently the time that my next program leaves has been the most difficult during the entire Peace Corps Process. 

Everything happens for a reason. 

66 Days Until I Leave for St Kitts and Nevis

So with 66 days until I depart for St Kitts and Nevis (well actually St Lucia for a 5 day pre training and possibly Miami or another major US city for Staging) I have begun to prepare.  But first, to clarify the steps of the Peace Corps Experience.  Staging occurs in a major US city, whereby all the volunteers leaving for a particular program meet each other for the first time and take care of the necessary finalities, such as getting the last of the shots (boo!), handing in the last of the paper work, receiving our special government issued passport, etc.  Peace Corps does not send out any information regarding Staging until a month before departure.

When I was leaving for Lesotho, I was Staging in Philadelphia, which was pretty ironic since I had just moved from Philly about a month prior to Staging on November 1st. It would have been weird/nice to be back in Philly for Staging and as the last place I saw before moving abroad for 2.5 years.

Anyways, for St. Kitts and Nevis there is a 5 day pre training in St. Lucia.  I am not entirely sure if this is considered Staging as well, or if there is a Staging in addition to the 5 day pre training.  After the pre training in St. Lucia I will go off to my site in St. Kitts and Nevis.  I am assuming that the Eastern Caribbean programs have their own special Staging in addition to the regular Staging in the States since the EC consists of 6 different countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada and Carriacou, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Kitts and Nevis) under one title (EC). As you can see, everything about the Peace Corps is a mystery.  They like to keep me on my toes at ALL times.  Information always seems so last minute..but be that as it may.
 

So in preparation for departure I have begun to organize everything (including my life to some degree). Since I currently (but not for long (gave my resignation on my second day of work haha) more on this later) work at Target, I decided to take advantage of the discount I get and bought all my necessary items such as health care items and other random things like tape and glue, etc. 

I decided that since I am only in the US for another two months and most of that is holidays, that I need all the time I can get to finish and wrap things up.  It occurred to me that in order to see any of my friends, who all have real grown up 9-5 monday-friday jobs, I would need to see them on the weekends.  And working in retail, the only days Target wants me is the weekends.  It just wasnt fitting my life mantra of "I do what I want, when I want". Since I had to work the weekends, coupled with the fact that scheduling sucks and they never gave me two days off in a row, I couldnt go to Philly and visit friends.  Not to mention the horrible night shifts and early sunday mornings.  Ew. So it made the most sense to quit, so I had as much time and flexibility to do everything I needed and wanted to do before I leave. If I wasnt leaving until the end of March (Ukraine, Belize programs) then it would not have been an issue, because I still would have had 2 months after the holiday season to do everything. Additionally, with the holidays coming up, its difficult enough to plan to meet up and do anything with everyones conflicting busy schedules.  I did not need to compound it by having unreliable and unstable work hours.

Back to preparations.  Luckily I got most of what I need for starting a new life in a foreign country from my friends and family at my Farewell Party (THANK YOU SO MUCH!).  I only had a few loose ends to tie up in that regard.  Now, I need to some how figure out how I am going to fit everything in just two large duffel bags that weigh less than a 100lbs total.  Yikes!

In addition to packing I still have a ton of paperwork.  It really never ends. I still need to sort out all my Student Loans. Stupid Private Loans! This just takes alot of time (another reason for quitting Target so soon).  I need to get them all in line, figure out whats what, and calling these places takes for EVER. I need to figure our a plan of communication; getting an unlocked GSM phone, buying one down there, canceling my current plan, etc.

Theres so many things to do, I cant even think of them all now.  Its a bit overwhelming.

Interesting Info

I like to compare different regions of the world and the living standards to gauge how different they in fact are.
Below are some interesting facts about some different regions in the world.  Keep in mind what you generally make here in the US.


Volunteer Allowances*

• Eastern Caribbean-St. Kitts and Nevis=$770.84/month with only 22% of that income being taxable. $601.26 (the highest allowance of ALL countries!-not sure what this means for me exactly?).
• Lesotho=$204.91/month, with 48% of that income being taxable.  So I really only would have had $106.55! (one of the highest tax rates).

Safety and Security**

• Eastern Caribbean=1 incident of sexual assault, 2 aggravated assault, 1 threat, 8 burglary, 3 theft, 
• Lesotho=No incidents of sexual assault or rape, 2 physical assault reports, no reports for threat, 1 robbery, 4 burglary.

All data for 2008 (most current)

*=http://peacecorpswiki.org/Peace_Corps_Wiki

**=http://multimedia.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/policies/volsafety2008.pdf

Health and Safety***

• Eastern Caribbean=5 alcohol related problems, 1 asthma, 2 dengue, 34 dental problems, 2 environmental health concerns, 15 GI, 7 mental health (adjustment issues), no malaria, 5 MEDEVACS (medical evacuations), 16 STDs, 20 gyno, 0 HIV, 3 tuberculosis, 
• Lesotho=1 alcohol related problems, 3 asthma, 1 cardiovascular, 12 dental problems, 6 infectious dermatitis, 22 GI, 12 mental health (adjustment issues), 22 other mental health issues, no malaria, 3 MEDEVACS (medical evacuations), 2 STDs, 9 gyno, 0 HIV, 2 tuberculosis.

All data for 2007 (most current)

***=http://www.peacecorpswiki.org/FOIAdocs/HOV2007.pdf


In summary, I want to show people that there are many misconceptions. I want to help eradicate these misconceptions through this blog and by my sharing my experiences and the new things I learn. Many people probably think that Africa is very dangerous, but in fact there is more crime in the EC.


Statistics about the Peace Corps

Out of 100 Applicants:
77 receive an Interview
65 receive a Nomination
42 receive an Invitation
33 Become Trainees
30 Swear iIn after the 3 month In-Country Training
25 Reach the 1-Year Mark
22 Close of Service (complete the full 2 years of service)


Out of 100 Trainees:
90 Swear In
75 Reach the 1-Year Mark
68 Close of Service


Average Length of Application (days)       Total/Running Total   My Total/Running 
Application to Nomination:                                      62/62                       50/50
Nomination to Medical Info being Submitted to OMS: 87/149                    76/126
Medical Info Received to Medical Qualification/Clearance: 54/203             77/203
Medical Qualification to Invitation:                          38/241                     133/336
Invitation to Acceptance:                                        9/250                        5/341
Acceptance to Enter on Duty:                                 85/335                       63/404
Lesotho Program Canceled: Wait for new Invitation: ~5                         28/432
Invitation to NEW Acceptance:                                   9                          9/441
Acceptance to Enter on Duty:                                    85                         73/514

Early Termination Report (January - December 2004)
Evaluation of the Volunteer Delivery System April 2003  [Printed copy]
FY 2006 Quantitative Early Termination Report
Program Evaluation Report: Peace Corps’ Medical Clearance System (March 2008)

Make-up of Volunteers

• Eastern Caribbean: 6 Business Advising, 2 Information Technology, 13 NGO Development, 32 Community Development, 17 Youth Development (5.4% of total volunteers are YD), 2 Special Education Teacher Training. Total Volunteers=72, 1% of total volunteers.
• Lesotho: 4 Applied Agriculture Science, 2 Business Advising, 2 NGO Development, 4 Health Degreed, 13 Health Extension, 13 Community Development, 17 Primary Education Teacher Training, 13 Secondary Education English Teaching, 2 Secondary Education Math Teaching (1.8% of total volunteers are Math teachers),11 Secondary Education Science Teaching. total Volunteers=81, 1.1% of total Volunteers.

FOIA Request # 10-129
"current breakdown by assignment area within each country of volunteers currently serving"
Final Response: July 21, 2010
Original File

Motivation and Inspiration

It just occurred to me that I have not once mentioned why I decided to pursue the Peace Corps.


Well...Im not entirely sure what clicked and made me decide to pursue Peace Corps exactly.   I think doing the various Alternative Spring Breaks (ASB) throughout Drexel precipitated the decision. ASB are an alternative to that traditional college spring break of going to some exotic beach.  The trips are organized by different student organizations and offer to volunteer time and labor during spring break to help with NGOs and non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, etc.  While on one ASB trip to Galveston Texas to help with Hurricane Ike relief efforts, we worked extensively with AmeriCorps Volunteers.  It was here that I learned alot of the different volunteer organizations.  


AmerICorps was also an option that I pursued.  There are plenty of Americans that can use assistance.  So why not just do AmeriCorps, you may ask?  Well AmeriCorps is only a 10 month commitment and although there is alot of diversity in our country, it was not enough for me.  And while I have absolutely no problem helping our country, I feel as though I will be able to do that for the rest of my life through numerous volunteer opportunities.  However, Peace Corps, a 27 month commitment, would be a once in a life time experience.  The older I get, the less likely it would be for me to pursue the Peace Corps, with the financial obligations and the like that go with having a real job and life.  Now was the time. 


It just made sense.  Yes I have a masters in Materials Science and Engineering and I "could have a great job" but to me, it didnt seem to matter.  The difference I would make by volunteering my time to help the less fortunate in a foreign and developing country would significantly outweigh what I could offer here to our country and people by getting a typical job.  Education is extremely important, not just for me and you, but for everyone.  

• If I can teach one child that math is important and they can do more than what is at their fingertips then I have achieved my goals. 
• If I can show a child or a community their true potential and/or be a resource to them in achieving their true potential then I have accomplished my goals.
• If I can come back to the States after my service and explain to you X,Y and Z that I learned that you did not know, or that you thought was completely out of the question, then I have fulfilled a dream.
• If I can go to a foreign and developing country and show them that we are not all rich and famous, and we have problems to, etc etc. then I have succeeded in my purpose.

Peace Corps would be a challenge; something that I love. I love pushing myself. If I am not stressed and over whelmed, then I am not happy. For me, Peace Corps was the total package.  

• I want to experience new cultures.
• I want to try to eradicate prejudice, misconceptions, etc. both about Americans and about the culture in which I will be living for 2 years. 
• Obviously, help others that are less fortunate.  But I dont want to just go there and say this is how it is done.  Rather, I want to work with the people in the community in which I will be living.  Work along side them, and guide them in community owned projects.  I want to be able to leave and know that I have helped them help themselves. Essentially, it must be a sustainable exchange.
• I want to inspire and encourage the people I work along side.  I want to help them realize their potential.  Only this way can change be ever lasting and sustainable.
• I want to use skills I gained while obtaining my engineering degree.
• In addition to helping and inspiring, I would gain new skills, new-found characteristics about myself that could only be realized when challenged and put in totally unfamiliar situations.  I will learn a new culture, new language, new food, new way of living.  Everything about "new life" is inspiring for me.

I think that about sums it up.


It has been brought to my attention, that "we just cant understand why you are so devastated by not going to Lesotho."


Well, I think that I would feel this way about any country, especially if I had mentally prepared myself for going there, and then with no warning, was told TWO WEEKS before departure that I was no longer going, as was the case about Lesotho.  But why Africa? Why Lesotho?


To me, Lesotho and the program I was invited to (Education, but more specifically, Secondary Math Education) was a perfect fit for me.  I had been tutoring math for a year in a low-income under-priveleged elementary school in West Philly. I know MATH. I like math. I love teaching.  It was a perfect match for my skills and strengths.

• Lesotho was also a great match.  It is an entirely different country and culture.  A culture that is not well understood by Americans, in a region of the world that is often forgotten about.  I wanted to go there and come back with so many amazing stories that would make you think differently about Africa.
• Lesotho is in another hemisphere.  It would be cool to have Christmas during Summer. And my birthday (January) in summer; I have always wanted a summer birthday.
• Lesotho is in a different time zone.
• Lesotho is basically on the complete opposite side of the planet.
• Lesotho is the Kingdom in the Sky. It is very mountainous terrain. I was looking forward to having to HIKE everywhere I went, or possibly riding a donkey to get around.
• I was looking forward to the challenges that living in a severely under developed country would bring:
• No electricity: No computer.
• No running water: Taking a (cold) bath out of a bucket.
• No flushing toilets: Using a hole in the ground.

It didnt matter to me that I was going to a country that had the third highest rate (~30% of the population) of HIV/AIDS. That was just another challenge. There is just a certain stigma about Africa, both good and bad.  I wanted to enhance that "good" image, and hopefully reduce the "not so good" image.

In the end, it doesnt matter where I go, just that I am helping someone.  I will learn from the people, no matter who they are or where they are.  Because ultimately, their life experiences are wholly different from mine. 

Who knows, I still may end up in Africa at some point in my life.

Hope this clarifies my motivation and inspiration a little bit.  Understanding is all I ask for.

Preliminary Info about St. Kitts and Nevis

Some basic info about St. Kitts and Nevis.

1. Just because its an island in the caribbean, does not mean I'll be on vacation for 2 years.
2. Geography:
1. St. Kitts and Nevis looks like an exclamation point, or a baseball (Nevis) and bat (St. Kitts).
2. Its about 1/3 of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago.
3. St Kitts: 64 sq miles Nevis: 36 sq miles. Roughly 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC.
4. Tropical Climate, rainy season from May to November.
5. Volcanic with mountainous interiors. Highest elevation: Mount Liamuiga: 1156 m.
6. Natural resources include: arable land.
7. Prone to Natural Disasters (Hurricanes).
3. People:
1. Total population: 50,000.
1. mostly age 15-65.
2. median age: 31.5 (practically the life expectancy of Lesotho in 2005, but has since increased to 50.67 in 2010)
3. life expectancy: 74 years
4. Ethnicity: predominately black, but some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese.
2. Religions: Anglican, Protestant, RC.
3. Language: English
4. Literacy Rate: 97% (Lesotho had 95% and was the highest for all of Africa)
4. Transportation:
1. 2 Airports.  Luckily both are paved (26 in Lesotho but only 3 are paved and they dont have the longest runways).
2. Roads: 237 miles. 101 miles paved, 136 miles unpaved.
5. Economy:
1. Dependent on tourism, which replaced sugar (officially closed in 2005).
2. GDP: Agriculture: 3.5%; Industry: 25.8%; Services: 70.7%
3. GDP per capita: $14,700.
4. Unemployment rate: 4.5%.
5. Public debt: 185% of GDP. this is the third highest in the world.
6. Agriculture products: sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas, fish.
7. Industries: tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages.
8. Oil Consumption: 1000 bbl/day. (19 million bbl/day for the US).
9. Exports: Machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco.  Primarily to US, Canada, and Azerbaijan.
10. Imports: machinery, manufactures, food, fuels. Primarily from US, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy.
6. Government:
1. Achieved Independence from UK in  Sept. 19,1983.  Nevis wants to be separate from St. Kitts.
2. Parliamentary Democracy and a Commonwealth realm.
3. Capital: Basseterre
4. Time zone: 1 hour ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time.
7. Transnational Issues:
1. Illicit Drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined for US and Europe.  Money Laundering activities.

Finally a Concrete Answer

Just as I had given up, and my frustration with the government reached an all new high, the UPS finally came with a rather large packet from the Peace Corps. Its like they do this to you on purpose to see what you are made of; to see if you can handle the pressure, the uncertainty, the anticipation; to determine if you are flexible, strong willed and fit, etc for service.  This is a test not advertised on the medical packet.


In it, my new assignment: St. Kitts and Nevis.  Leaving January 27th 2011. 


Right now, Im not really sure how I feel about this.  Although the average temperate is between 79 and 89 F all year long.  I could get used to that.


Instead of being excited and relieved, now Im just annoyed I have to go through all the same paperwork again, but for a different country.


It might seem as though I am ungrateful, unhappy, etc, but believe me I am not. I am perfectly happy going anywhere on this planet and helping where ever I can be of assistance.  As Lauren has said to me, its not where I go that matters, just that I am going to help.  I definitely agree.


I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. There was a definite reason why I was not meant to go to Lesotho. Im ready to figure out what that reason is now.


:-)

Of Course This Would Happen to Me

Well, the mail has come. Empty. Nothing from Peace Corps. I should have known not to get my hopes up.


Is this some kind of cruel test?  If I dont have patience, an absurd amount of patience mind you, I am not going to be able to become a Peace Corps Volunteer?

And to top it off, while I should be in Lesotho (its summer time there), there is 3 inches of snowy, sloshy, sleety mess outside right now.  It sucks!

Tomorrow is a new day, I suppose.