A few excerpts from the Peace Corps Web site:
"The Peace Corps traces its roots and mission to 1960, when then Senator John F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. From that inspiration grew an agency of the federal government devoted to world peace and friendship.
Since that time, more than 182,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have been invited by host countries to work on issues ranging from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation."
Put simply, the idea is to go to developing countries and help out at a grassroots level, aiding the citizens but also empowering them to make positive changes within their countries. Another goal is to forge healthy relationships between citizens of the U.S. and other countries.
A lot of people have asked me why I chose to join the Peace Corps. I have been thinking about joining since my freshman year of college. It is something I feel called to do and something that I think will help me learn more about myself and the world outside North Carolina.
The Peace Corps, however, is not a free vacation or independent cultural study. I won't be making more than what I need to live, won't be able to save money and will be living in a developing country in the same conditions as its citizens, who have a much lower living standard than we do in the U.S. (meaning frequent community power outages and possibly no running water inside my house). But that is the less glorified part of the experience- the true beauty is that I am blessed with the opportunity to help other people and hopefully make an impact. I can't wait to see what happens!
Fast facts:
Where? Dominican Republic
What? Youth Development Volunteer
When? Miami: August 19 - 21, then to the DR
How long? 27 months (2 years of service + 3 months pre-service training)... I'll be back October 29, 2010!
No comments:
Post a Comment