How long is Peace Corps?
I'll be gone for roughly 27 months. Peace Corps service is a 2-year commitment, plus a 9-12 week training program before service begins.
Training? What is that like?
Training occurs in your country of service. In most countries, Peace Corps Trainees (PCTs) live with a host family and spend about 8 hours a day at a training site. The biggest portion of training involves language learning, but there is also safety and security, health, and technical training.
What will you be doing?
I've been invited to serve as an English teacher in either a high school or a university. That's all I know so far!
Where will you be living for two years? What will your living conditions be?
I don't know! I'll find those things out mid-training. I'll meet with the Peace Corps staff and discuss my skills and how I'll be most comfortable living in Guinea. That being said, most volunteers do not have running water or electricity. Farewell, creature comforts!
No electricity? How will you check your email (or better yet, update your blog)?
For most volunteers, they travel to their regional capital once a month to stock up on supplies and stop in the internet cafe.
Will you have a phone?
Cell phone technology is surprisingly popular in Africa. I recently heard a statistic that in 2 years, 100% of Africans will have cell phones. Nuts! I will definitely be getting a cell phone when I'm there, though I don't know if I'll have service at site yet. If I don't, I'll probably be able to bike somewhere every now and then to make calls. (Yes, I will have a mountain bike, yahoo!)
What language do they speak in Guinea?
Lucky for me, the national language is French. I'll also learn the local language based on the region I'm placed; either Susu, Pulaar, or Malinke. This is one of the aspects of PC that I am most excited about!
How many people are in your training group?
I think around 30. We have a facebook group and everyone seems lovely. I'll meet them on July 1st for staging, a 24-hour super speedy orientation in Philadelphia. Then we all fly to Guinea together!
Will you come back to the U.S. at all during those 27 months?
Maybe. I get 48 days of vacation, but flights are pretty pricey. We'll see.
Will you come back to the U.S. at all during those 27 months?
Maybe. I get 48 days of vacation, but flights are pretty pricey. We'll see.
How can we keep in touch?
SNAIL MAIL ME! I will post my address soon. Seriously, I will need some morale boosters from time to time.
This sounds crazy. Why are you doing it?
This requires a bit of a longer answer.
I have wanted to serve in the Peace Corps since 2007. I distinctly remember when I realized how amazing it is. That summer, after my junior year in high school, I traveled to Malawi with an HIV/AIDS education program through Putney Student Travel. One of my leaders was a recent RPCV from Malawi. His deep knowledge of the country, along with his incredible patience and language skills, blew me away. I returned to Africa twice more after that summer: to Ghana in 2009 to volunteer in a school, and to Mali for my semester abroad. Both times, I ran into and got to know several PCVs. Again, I was so impressed by how well trained they were, primarily in language and cultural understanding. I wanted that! At the end of my 4 months in Mali, I finally felt like I was getting used to living there, and it was heartbreaking to be torn away. The thought spending a full 27 months in a country, really getting to know it and living "like a local," is such an amazing opportunity. I will build relationships with both host country nationals and fellow PCVs that are unmatched. It is almost impossible for me to put into words how I've felt about my time in Africa, but I am itching to go back.
In short: I'm 22 years old. When else am I going to have this opportunity?
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