Thinking About Joining the Peace Corps

[Earthshine]

Next year I should be done with school and I am considering volunteering in the Peace Corps. Has anyone on this forum gone through the Peace Corps Tour? Where did you go and what did you do?

[Windswept Cloak]

What do they do? Sorry, I've never heard of them before, but that's probably because I live in Taiwan.

[Earthshine]

Peace Corps is a volunteer organization funded by the US Government and its purpose is to send American volunteers to places of need all across the globe to address their most pressing needs while building friendships and a better understanding of who Americans are and visa-verse.

Typically a volunteer is someone with a bachelor's degree or higher (not always though) and in good enough condition to possibly labor. Some of the places they might send someone could be; hostile (both environmentally and socially), destitute or any number of things.

Some of the things a volunteer might do could be; dealing with rural towns in water purification or teaching them how to irrigate their land to build better crops, teaching how to prevent disease proliferation and how to treat it with the resources at hand, building windmills or watermills to generate power, modernization or even medical aid at a hospital.

There are lots of things a volunteer might do depending on their own degree and skills level and what the trainers train you to do. It just depends on where you go (you do have a say in that, if you don't want to go to a place that's really hostile they won't send you there, it's not the military so they can't force you) and what that area's most pressing need is that is able to be addressed.

[Juanita]

I think that's a great idea! It's always good to be able to help those in need
Just be careful!

[Earthshine]

I know. The training program is three months long and they never drop you in a place that's too dangerous, and they will pull you out if things get too nasty.

I just haven't made up my mind yet as to if I want to go.

I'm 26 now and I feel like I have a small window of time open for me to do something like this before it's too late (before I land a career, get married or whatever). I just want to make myself useful and make a difference.

If I join the Corps I will be gone for 27 months, that's also a long time to be away from home. Not sure if I'm mentally up for that yet.

[Juanita]

I think it's ok to wait a bit and think about it. You don't want to jump into something too fast only to regret it. You'll still have plenty of time to do everything you want so I wouldn't worry to much about that

[jeffbert]

You could just start a career, & send $$ support. At 26, if you have not already started on a career path, you will be struggling to save enough for a decent retirement.

[AprilSeven]

Oh what a wonderful idea, Earthshine!! I know a number of people who were in the Peace Corps and they are all profoundly moved by the experience!

It's something I believe you need to feel a "calling" for, because it's NOT "easy" and although it's supposed to be not too dangerous, there is an element of risk (much more so than, say, deciding to take an office job in a modernized foreign country) - you're helping to build infrastructure and teach and guide people who are eager to learn. And it's an experience that these Peace Corps alumni say continues to serve and motivate them every day of their life.

It's also - IMHO - a VERY thing to do!!

I work at a Cooperative Extension office, and one of our 4-H Educators regularly spends time (like a week) helping to build things like houses in Mexico and/or Central America - so you might also want to "try it" first - I'll ask her what organization she works with.