In communities throughout the world, Peace Corps Volunteers live and work. They participate in citizen diplomacy and people-to-people public service projects in agriculture, community economic development, education, the environment, health, and youth development.
Before going to their locations, volunteers are expected to spend their pre-service training period living with host families. This is a crucial component of cultural immersion, aiding in developing linguistic abilities and the adaption process.
To interact with local communities, schools, small companies, and entrepreneurs, Peace Corps volunteers frequently reside in urban areas. They aid in creating bonds and relationships between individuals from various origins and cultures.
Volunteers have access to facilities like power, running water, and restrooms in a city and can choose to reside with a host family or on their own. They will frequently have access to cell phone coverage depending on the nation.
For instance, Samantha Druckman spent three years volunteering for youth development in the small Moroccan city of Bejaad. There she worked on a gender equality initiative, taught English, and assisted young people in developing life skills.
In addition to working in cities, Peace Corps Volunteers also serve in rural areas, fostering community links and assisting with health and education initiatives. Also, they participate in environmental projects that support sustainable agriculture and resource conservation.
Peace Corps volunteers typically live in isolated village houses with few to no modern facilities in rural areas. They rely on communal wells for water and solar panels for energy. As many of these communities lack mobile phone service, Volunteers are provided with satellite phones for use in an emergency.
Volunteers in remote communities might have to use a primitive wood-burning stove or an open fire for cooking their meals. Different foods are prepared and consumed depending on the place and season, and access to fresh produce may take work.
Volunteers frequently add vegetables like okra, eggplant, tomatoes, fish and other shellfish, pork, cheese, and beans to their diets to augment the rice and maize “pate” and different leaf and peanut sauces. Local fruits and nuts are often incorporated to add taste and diversity to meals.
The social life of volunteers varies depending on the place, although some go to their neighbours’ fields or cattle stations, while others go to larger towns for festivals, competitions, or weddings. Mainly men frequent the neighbourhood taverns to drink.
Volunteers in the Peace Corps can live in urban or rural areas. The decision is based on the project and the nation. For their full 27-month service, Volunteers may reside in shared housing with a host family when in towns. This allows children to learn the language, taste the culture, and connect strongly with the family.
Most volunteers in Togo reside within family compounds, where they have two or three-room homes and a communal kitchen/bathroom space. Living in a collaborative setting allows volunteers to meet local families in a secure environment and is a significant aspect of Togolese culture.
Volunteers rely on public transportation (bush taxis) to get to their destinations because some settlements are situated along dirt roads that might be challenging to reach by car. Depending on the distance, volunteers may be given a bicycle or a mountain bike to aid with short-distance transportation.
Volunteers reside in the villages’ modest brick homes with thatched or tin roofs. Residents frequently lack running water or power, so they must obtain their drinking water from a nearby pump. Also, they use an outside pit latrine for waste disposal.
Many Peace Corps Volunteers opt to work in self-sufficient eco-villages that work to protect the environment. These villages use solar energy to produce electricity and cultivate food without pesticides, both beneficial to the environment. Villages provide a range of leisure pursuits, such as hiking and birdwatching. These are beautiful places to socialize and breathe in the fresh air.
After moving into their neighbourhood, Volunteers spend many months deliberately getting to know and integrating into their communities. They build connections with community members through cooperative participation activities and collaborate with their counterparts to identify community needs and development objectives.
Robert Goetschkes 