Peace Corps/Americorps

thedarknight · #1 11-05-2006, 01:50 AM

Saw the Teach for America thread, figured I start one regarding Peace Corps or Americorps.

I'm thinking about going for a drastic change of lifestyle. I feel like I need to get out of my sort of economic bubble and experience a change of perspective. I think Peace Corps or Americorps would be a very good experience in terms of soul searching, seeing new things, etc.

To anyone who's been involved with these organizations what was your experience like? Would you recommend it? I'm leaning to peace corps, since I feel I would get more out of my experience outside the US. However, 2 years of being stationed is a fairly long time. Thanks for everyone's input.

multious · #2 11-05-2006, 03:36 PM

I'm considering doing this also

steel108 · #3 11-05-2006, 05:54 PM

I don't think you have any clue what your getting yourself into. My frind just got back for his stint in Romania. Can you honestly live like a 3rd world country citizen? It is hard as hell to complete your time in the peace corp and you must have a true passion for helping others.

thedarknight · #4 11-05-2006, 07:17 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I don't think you have any clue what your getting yourself into. My frind just got back for his stint in Romania. Can you honestly live like a 3rd world country citizen? It is hard as hell to complete your time in the peace corp and you must have a true passion for helping others.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes exactly, that's why I posted this thread. Did I claim to be an expert? I wanted to get a better idea. I have ancestry in Asia, and I have visited there many times. I know how poor conditions are like; however, long extended periods of poor conditions maybe something else. After a year of adjustment, another year may not seem that bad.

MyTurn2Raise · #5 11-05-2006, 07:21 PM

I've done neither, but had multiple friends do both

PeaceCorps experiences generally suck for the participants. It is 3rd world nearly all of the time.

AmeriCorps experiences were very good for my friends. The key is good location and you end up being surrounded by like-minded young adults. One of my friends was in Monterrey, California for awhile. I think she got real lucky.

If you want to see the world, but not do the PeaceCorps, do a JETS program or something similar and teach English in foreign schools. I had a few friends live in Japan doing this and they absolutely loved it.

cliff notes

Peace corps sucks
Americorps is very cool, especially with good location
Jets is a good way to see the world

steel108 · #6 11-05-2006, 07:59 PM

When I say 3rd world, there is a chance that you could be stationed in the jungles without fresh running water, sanitation, real bathrooms, etc. You get to list preferences of where you want to stay, but ultimately, they station you where they want. Peace Corp is pretty brutual but rewarding if you complete it. It is insane on a resume.

MyTurn2Raise · #7 11-05-2006, 08:41 PM

yep...I know someone who was stuck in an ugly rain forest in Panama

multious · #8 11-05-2006, 10:25 PM

i lived with 4 people in a hut in India for 3 months without running water or any amenities. Very remote area, were the only white people most of the locals had ever seen. Easily among the best/most rewarding experiences of my life. It was actually an area that was a designated area where no foreigners were allowed to go due to cultural preservation and nearby military training but we were doing important work for a government-backed cultural preservation organization.

thedarknight · #9 11-06-2006, 02:47 AM

[ QUOTE ]
i lived with 4 people in a hut in India for 3 months without running water or any amenities. Very remote area, were the only white people most of the locals had ever seen. Easily among the best/most rewarding experiences of my life. It was actually an area that was a designated area where no foreigners were allowed to go due to cultural preservation and nearby military training but we were doing important work for a government-backed cultural preservation organization.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why would you say it was one of the best/most rewarding experience of your life? Did you have adjustment issues without the typical developed economy's amenities? What kind of tasks did you have to do?

thanks for fielding my questions.

multious · #10 11-06-2006, 02:21 PM

Why would you say it was one of the best/most rewarding experience of your life?
- I've never been a big fan of the constructs of society or of my affluent up-bringing so the opportunity to help a less developed community and to communicate with people beyond barriers of language and culture was very rewarding. Also to be put in a situation where your own abilities are imperative to your survival helps to discover who you really are. I also did some extensive travelling through most of the rest of Northern India after my 3 month stint was over and it was just great to see the pros and cons of their society and broaden my perespectives. While I was there I was mugged(attempted), had to beat off some rapists, was offered alot of money for one of my female companions by a drug lord/local pimp, was stalked by a leopard, practiced transcindental meditation, made many good friends, and basically just had many amazing experiences. I can elaborate on any specifics if you want.

Did you have adjustment issues without the typical developed economy's amenities?
-I had quite a bit of experience with camping and outdoor activities (I grew up in B.C. with a lumberjack/fisher as a father) so I didn't but some of my companions did. The outdoor toilet/ home-made shower was a bit of an issue because it was dangerous for the girls to go alone at any time. We were right near a glacial river in a valley in the foothills of the Himalayas so the sheer natural beauty of the area more or less discounted the loss of amenities. The biggest adjustment issue is definitely the food. The northern hill diet of India consists of rice, cauliflower, random spices, eggs, and the occasional goat. I was the only one who didn't get physically sick at any point but it was definitely a very welcome sight when we found a Domino's Pizza in a town of 20,000 people about an 8 hour drive away on our way back to civilization. They have stores with rip-off brands of chocolate and very strange flavours of potato chips even in the most remote villages so these were our subsistence when we couldn't stomach real food.

What kind of tasks did you have to do?
- The village we stayed in had a population of roughly 250-400 people and housed a massive and ancient temple to a local god (I believe he was an avatara of Vishnu) that was a pilgramage sight for the region. Every year for 2 weeks the village's population would grow to about 3000-5000 people which over-whelmed the village's food supply and often resulted in damage to the village and temple itself. Our task was to build an information centre/house for the care-taker of the temple to live in and to clear a large plateau where we planted an orchard and made space for visitors to camp. The actual work we did included carrying 50kg bags of cement and transporting bricks from the road down to the build-site; clearing foliage, levelling ground, and planting the trees; and laying the bricks and doing the actual building. We had 2 government engineers come in to help with the foundations and building process.

I've got to run to class now but if you want me to expand or have any more questions feel free to ask.