So this is the last video in this series and I wanted to touch on what I liked the most and the least about Peace Corps.
Best: Unique Experience
I joined Peace Corps to do something wildly different than my friends and to help people. What happened?
I ended up in a small village in the mountains of Guinea where I had to learn different languages to barter over mBoodi in the markets and ask for directions to hidden waterfalls all while avoiding mambas and runaway taxis.
I taught students older than me high school math who ditched class on Bob Marley's birthday and argued that the US had 52 states.
I helped show villagers the benefits of mosquito nets while the hairiest caterpillars rained on me from a tree above.
I encouraged acceptance of LGBTQ people who could never take a photo with me.
I argued with Guinean teachers about what was rape and consent and got angry when those same teachers raped without consent.
I loved meeting so many great people in the oddest of places like these French girls in my village for Thanksgiving or these Aussies at a cafe.
I hated losing kids and finding out they were already buried before I even knew they were sick.
I built a huge garden with sunflower plants all around the edges, and would eat seeds in the morning while I watched the sun come up.
I didn't join the Oopsy Poopsy club but laughed every time I heard about it.
And I also almost died, more times than anyone by the age of 23 should.
To you, those are all just simple statements. But there's a story behind each line that I'll always cherish. That unique experience is completely mine and I love that.
The worst has nothing to do with the bad stories or with the problems of funding or oversight that plague Peace Corps. It's its messaging when Peace Corps Volunteers die.
Peace Corps produces a generic press release for whenever a Peace Corps volunteer dies that seems completely robotic. It's wrong in my opinion because it just shows a lack of effort for someone who literally gave up their life to make a positive impact.
It bothered me as a volunteer because it played into my thoughts that Peace Corps didn't care about me. There were times where I felt like I could place a bet on what Peace Corps would write when a volunteer died and that I would win that bet.
I hope Peace Corps changes their press releases to something more respectful and diverse.
So that's the best and worst for me. Please share any comments or questions you have and stay in touch. Thanks so much for watching! I hope I helped any prospective volunteers make a life changing decision.
Негізгі бет I was a Peace Corps Volunteer: Best and Worst
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