A Shout Out

When people talk about the Peace Corps, they rarely mention its finest assets: the local people that devote themselves to its cause. The drivers, the trainers, the assistant country directors, the nurses, the host families, the local volunteers and staff members alike. Though the Peace Corps is intended as both a development organization and a cultural exchange, it seems as though the public tends to forget about the latter. Or if they remember, they only remember one side of this exchange. I’d like to take the time today to remind us about the other side of this exchange.

I’ve been in this country for less than a week, and I’ve already benefitted so much from the dedication of these people that it baffles me that people think of Peace Corps service as a selfless or sacrificial activity. Yes, it is difficult, and yes, sometimes it even feels like a sacrifice. But these sacrifices are not made by volunteers alone. And we are benefitting from the experience as much as (or likely more than) the citizens of the country we’re serving in. In fact, we are benefitting as much or more from the service of Togolese citizens than they are from our service.

When our bus got stuck in the mud, a crowd of concerned citizens immediately formed around us to try to help free the wheels, and it took only a few minutes to find drivers to take us the rest of the way. Our medical officers are nearly all Togolese, and they not only deal with our every poop-related phone call, but they also take the time to teach us everything we need to know about staying healthy here. [Also: Fun Fact. One of our medical officers was dealing with ebola before he joined Peace Corps Togo.] Our language trainers (formateurs as they’re fondly known), are all Togolese, and with their tireless work and compassion, they’ve given us a safe yet challenging environment to learn in. (My language skills have improved more in a week than they did in 8 years of traditional schooling.) Then there are the host families who spend more money than they receive to take care of volunteers who often struggle to communicate with them. They take us in and treat us like family though they receive little in return.

We owe so much to these people and more, and it’s about time they got some recognition outside of the Peace Corps community.

Quote of the Day: "This isn't posh corps or beach corps. This is PEACE CORPS."

#Togo #PeaceCorps #PST #Togolesecounterparts #culturalexchange #gratitude