Peace Corps service begins with two days of staging, or 48-hours of icebreakers and policy.
It’s actually not that bad, after spending the entire application period on a need to know basis. Staging for our group is in Miami, where the humidity right now is like breathing underwater. My group is B43. We’re on the smaller side, 17 total in agricultural business, community tourism, and micro-enterprise development. Most of the group is right out of college, five of us have been out of school for 1-5 years, and two are late thirties +. Everyone’s pretty young and motivated with interesting backgrounds. Think TCG, but with big ass backpacks.
In terms of safety and health the Peace Corps is NOT kidding. You should see the medical kits they gave us. It’s been said you will never be in as good health as during your service, which is interesting, because you’re also expected to be projectile vomiting/shitting within your first month in country. They’ve even managed to one up my mother on safety. We have a curfew while in training, stay with a host family during training and service, and have to clear any leave from project site with the main office in Cochabamba. Violation of these or any of 5 million other policies and you’re sent home ("administrative separation"). A lot of this is because of Walter Poirier, who has been missing since 2001 and was serving in Bolivia at the time. In the history of the Peace Corps, a lot of volunteers have been hurt or killed, but Wally is the only one to have gone MIA completely. It’s still under investigation and now Peace Corps isn’t taking any chances. If you so much as get caught riding your bike without a helmet, you’re out (seriously).
This will be week –12. Assuming I keep my helmet on and don’t chew coca leaves my two years officially starts when B43 is sworn in, three months of training away.
It’s actually not that bad, after spending the entire application period on a need to know basis. Staging for our group is in Miami, where the humidity right now is like breathing underwater. My group is B43. We’re on the smaller side, 17 total in agricultural business, community tourism, and micro-enterprise development. Most of the group is right out of college, five of us have been out of school for 1-5 years, and two are late thirties +. Everyone’s pretty young and motivated with interesting backgrounds. Think TCG, but with big ass backpacks.
In terms of safety and health the Peace Corps is NOT kidding. You should see the medical kits they gave us. It’s been said you will never be in as good health as during your service, which is interesting, because you’re also expected to be projectile vomiting/shitting within your first month in country. They’ve even managed to one up my mother on safety. We have a curfew while in training, stay with a host family during training and service, and have to clear any leave from project site with the main office in Cochabamba. Violation of these or any of 5 million other policies and you’re sent home ("administrative separation"). A lot of this is because of Walter Poirier, who has been missing since 2001 and was serving in Bolivia at the time. In the history of the Peace Corps, a lot of volunteers have been hurt or killed, but Wally is the only one to have gone MIA completely. It’s still under investigation and now Peace Corps isn’t taking any chances. If you so much as get caught riding your bike without a helmet, you’re out (seriously).
This will be week –12. Assuming I keep my helmet on and don’t chew coca leaves my two years officially starts when B43 is sworn in, three months of training away.
FUN FACT/QUOTE OF THE DAY: During training, volunteers get room/board and a living stipend the equivalent of $16 USD per week. Yes!
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