Every day was an adventure and I have to tell you it was one of the most interesting experiences
I've ever had.
We can go that last mile where other organizations might
not be able to.
We all have a responsibility to each other and I think we all have a part to play in creating the world that we want to have.
And it doesn't seem to matter young or old the age difference, people have sort
of this common bond by being in the service with the Peace Corps.
Peace Corps Response recruits U.S. citizens who are returned Peace Corps Volunteers or
professionals with at least 10 years of experience for short-term, high impact volunteer assignments.
I had been in the U.S. for about three or four years and after my first Peace Corps
experience in Ghana and I wanted to work in international development, so I was looking
for an opportunity to work abroad in a much more specialized setting, and Peace Corps
Response fit that niche. It gave me the opportunity to go abroad for a short period of time.
Peace Corps Response is much more technical and much more specific and it's
really like working as a professional in another country.
I felt this program was a really great match for folks that are at a later point in their
career who this provided an opportunity to channel that expertise and experience into
a specific job in another country. I'm a licensed clinical social worker I have been practicing
in the profession for over 25 years.
I decided to apply for Peace Corps Response because after I finished graduate school I
wanted to have more practical experience with development, especially with public health
and I also wanted to get more experience specifically
in Africa and I wanted to be Southern Africa.
Peace Corps Response assignments areas are in health and HIV/AIDS, education, disaster
preparedness and response, youth , NGO development, agriculture and environment. In addition,
Peace Corps Response recruits doctors, nurses and other trained health professionals. Our
Volunteers are highly skilled and possess the flexibility and passion for service needed
to excel in their assignments.
My responsibilities involve the goat herd here and developing a milk processing
system. So I'm working with the staff and the children on some capacity building teaching
them basic animal husbandry skills along with how to pasteurize milk.
My main responsibility was to come in and do an assessment of the youth group that they
have here which would consist of us meeting on a weekly basis, making some positive out
of school activities for the kids and broadening their horizons a bit.
Well, I was initially assigned to work with the County Education Director. It's all be
associated with education in one way or another which is my background.
The major activities was working with a teacher education training workshop for bush teachers.
About 150 teachers were currently teaching in the bush but were currently uncertified.
One of my main responsibilities as District HIV and AIDS Technical Advisor is helping
to coordinate the district response to HIV and AIDS in Malawi. There's is a national
AIDS framework and then all of the districts are responsible for creating development
plans to go along with that framework, but then also to look at the reality of the situation
in their district.
Peace Corps Response applicants can apply to speciﬁc positions in a country of their
choice. The online application generally takes less than ½ hour to complete. Once accepted,
Volunteers can expect to be in their country of service within 3-6 months.
I had actually been interested in the Peace Corps for some time and there was actually
a presentation by someone from Peace Corps and they were doing just general recruiting
but when he was there he also mentioned that Peace Corps was in the development of this
new program for older folks that had more technical expertise and that they anticipated
launching it at some point in the future.
The Peace Corps response application seemed a lot more like a normal job application.
The specific job description is right there on-line and you apply directly to that position.
When I found myself looking for something to do next, I contacted Washington and I said
what do I have to do to apply for Peace Corps Response? And we started the process, and
I'm here now. It happened faster than I thought.
Peace Corps Response offers many benefits while you are volunteering to make certain
your living and health care needs are covered, and we also help with your transition home.
For a complete listing of benefits and available positions, visit our website at:
www.peacecorps.gov/response.
Before I entered the Peace Corps, I didn't really have any set career goals ahead of
me. Given my experience now with both the PCV and the PCRV with the Millennium Challenge
Corporation, the Peace Corps has actually helped me define my career objectives and
shown me the path that I want to take in my life.
I wanted to do Peace Corps also to have another experience and also realize it's a reputable
organization and to have this on my resume. I have had six months experience living and
working overseas can help me in the future.
I didn't get involved in Peace Corps Response until a former volunteer and a recent Peace
Corps Response person told me about it. I'm telling all of my friends that are former
volunteers to look at it more than just going away for three or six months. It's a chance
to return to something we enjoyed,
and it's a chance to gain more insight into yourself and other cultures.
Make a difference. Apply now!