Entering the
second year of Peace Corps service
has stimulated a need for important reflection. At this point, I feel I have learned
a lot and simultaneously I still have many unanswered
questions. Within the context of this post I hope to provide some words of advice
and perspective to future and newly minted volunteers. However, with a year
left in Nicaragua, I recognize that I still have additional knowledge
to acquire and synthesize, a process which will continue long after the completion
of my 27 months in the Peace Corps.
As a volunteer,
you are thrown into the life and rhythm of a site that has been functioning
long before you arrived. The
principle job is to find a way to fit into this cadence of activity. Many hope
that their presence can influence the course of their community's movement, yet
it is unproductive to concentrate heavily on this goal, as its outcome is often immeasurable.
The primary focus of the two-year commitment involves soaking up the necessary
knowledge to help shape your individual experience.
There is no forthright
path in the Peace Corps that leads to success.
It is best to eliminate the idea of dichotomies and absolutes when approaching
your service. The notion of a “good” or “bad” volunteer is a fallacy.
Volunteers are complex individuals and each has their own coping mechanisms and
working styles. It is best not to waste time comparing yourself to other
volunteers or judging their behaviors. Remember that YOU are the expert when it
comes to living and working in your site. As a volunteer you will spend more
time with your community than anyone else in the Peace Corps, and while others
can perhaps give recommendations or advice, no one in the administration nor
another volunteer has any significant influence to direct your service. Most of
your decisions regarding site work evolve from the subjective nature of your
environment. Trust your gut and analytical skills, because while you have a
designated program leader, the reality is that he/she spends most of their time
in an office while you are immersed in the daily conduct of your community. Refrain
from engaging in certain activities because it’s what you think Peace Corps
expects. What works in one site may not be relevant in another.
In November I
wrote a post on the debate of whether the Peace Corps is a development
organization. I have realized that the structure in which a volunteer works may
act as a model for the development process. Activities in development are relative
to the needs and cultural context of a community, as the work of a volunteer is
stimulated by these crucial factors. The Peace Corps is a development
organization in a sea of many diverse institutions. Each of these
establishments approaches the development question in a different manner, as
there is no universal solution to development issues. In a similar practice, volunteers exercise various strategies to
achieve the desired results within their sites.
All volunteers endure
difficult periods and moments of triumph. Our behaviors in the midst of failure
and victory can only be defined as natural human responses to these occurrences.
At times you might spend longer intervals than normal in your house or room
immobilized by disillusionment, thoughts of defeat as well as physical and
emotional exhaustion. While this conduct
might be construed as a detriment, the temporary hiatus is necessary. Although you may not be tangibly
achieving something in this situation, it allows you to regain the desire to
move forward. The creative process involves moments of isolation and social interaction. Before you can take concrete steps to meet
your goals, part of the process requires reflection and planning on how to wind
your way through the tangled web of potential work that exists. Hopefully as
the ruminations brew in your mind, this intellectual
energy will propel you to exit your residence and engage with the community once again. These events are cyclical throughout service and
should be recognized to maintain a psychological
equilibrium. Most importantly, it is an active mind
and the desire to learn that are most needed to ensure success as a volunteer.