Obviously issues come up when you are in a third-world country that are unavoidable, and the Peace Corps really wants you to be aware of that. Living in remote, secluded areas of a third-world county, one could expect to have health, safety, and security risk come up at anytime as an unavoidable part of the volunteer lifestyle. Some of the security risks include, but are not limited to: road accidents, natural disasters, crime and civil unrest.
One of my friends who is volunteering in Togo, Africa had a couple bacterial stomach infections during training - before he was even formally inducted into the Peace Corps as an official volunteer. So, yes, health and safety issues come up regularly. And, I can understand the Peace Corps wanting people to be aware of that before going into it. But, I would like more information on what you are supposed to do in those citations. If you end up with a bacterial infection - where do you go, who do you talk to? I’m assuming these sort of questions will be answered during training, but it seems that in all the literature they give us to read and re-read, they could have had a little more actual information in them.
I am interested in knowing what to do in the event of natural disasters, crimes and civil unrest, as well. What do we do when there is a hurricane? What do we do when we are robbed or our house is burglarized? If we are sexual harassed, or raped - what are the steps we should take? All the information we receive tells us that these things could occur, but they don’t necessarily tell us what to do in those circumstances.
For the most part, this 3-page paper that the Staging Unit wanted us to be sure and read simply says that living and traveling in an unfamiliar environment, having a limited understanding of the local language and culture, and being perceived as well-off are some of the factors that put a volunteer at risk. So, choices in dress, living arrangements, means of travel, entertainment, and companionship all have a direct impact on how a volunteer is viewed and thus treated by their community! I think this is true for any community - not just for moving into a community in a third-world country. Everyone makes those initial judgments about how someone looks and who they hang out with - even if they say they don’t, they do - we can’t help it. First impressions make the difference.
The Peace Corps says they have instituted a broad and systematic approach to increase volunteers’ capacity to keep themselves safe during their two-year service. This approach is based on the following: building respectful relationships with your community, sharing information, training, site development, incident reporting response, and emergency communication and planning.
Relationships: Volunteers’ daily safety is best assured when they are well integrated into the local community. Volunteers need to learn the local language and integrate into the host community, while building relationships with not only the community members but also other agency representatives and colleagues. This, they say, establishes a presence for the volunteers in their new homes.
Information: Volunteers are given plenty of information regarding potential challenges they may face while serving in their host country. Most of this is about cultural differences we will have to overcome because as Americans we might find behaviors offensive, uncomfortable or threatening. Volunteers are also given a lot of opportunities to back out - but if you are still in it for the long haul, once you get into your country, I guess Peace Corps staff will keep you informed on security issues and provide guidance for maintaining safety and well being appropriately. Volunteers also undergo a lot of training: language, culture, safety, and health. This training is on-going throughout service to raise awareness of the volunteers new environment, and to build their capacity to effectively cope with the many challenges they will face.
Site Development: All sites are selected based on established safety and security criteria that reflect consideration on site history; access to medical, banking, postal, and other essential services; access to communication, transportation, and local markets; availability of adequate housing and living arrangements; and the potential for obtaining and maintaining the acceptance and consent of host country authorities and the population-at-large. Volunteers are periodically visited to re-asses all situations, as well.
I am glad that the Peace Corps really look into access to postal and essential services, but I’m not entirely sure what that means. What are their requirements. Do volunteers have to be within five miles of these services, 10 miles, 15 miles? There is a big difference between five and fifteen. I could make the 10 mile round-trip journey at least once a week to go to the market, pick up mail, ect. But a 30 mile journey on foot every week is asking a little much I think - If I had a bike, though, that wouldn’t be a problem! So, again - more information here would be more helpful, but I’m sure I’ll learn all this during training.
Incident Reporting: Volunteers are expected to report any safety concerns or incidents to the appropriate PC staff member. The staff are prepared to provide appropriate medical, emotional and administrative support as each case warrants. In cases they need it, the PC also maintains a collaborative relationship with the U.S. Embassy. But again - we volunteers are urged to be aware of our environment and to adopt a safe lifestyle and exercise judgment in a manner that reduces our exposure to risk.
Every time they say that, which is often, it makes me cringe just a little bit. It is like the PC is saying that pretty much anything that happens could be avoided if volunteers would have just paid attention to their environment and had good judgment. I’m sure that a lot of situations can be avoided by making sound decisions and paying attention to your lifestyle, but the way they keep repeating that line is like they are going to blame us for anything that happens. I see myself as a person that exercises sound judgment and I think I easily adapt to new, unfamiliar situations, but I’m sure things are going to happen that I’m not comfortable with that I sure as hell didn’t want or ask for, and I won’t appreciate it if they say “well, if you would have just had a safer lifestyle!”
Emergencies: All volunteers are given a copy of their countries Emergency Action Plans (EAP) and are expected to read it and to know their duties in the event of an emergency. Volunteers are also required to tell PC staff of their ware bouts anytime they leave their site, for security purposes - so they can be reached in the case of an emergency!
I just sure hope there isn’t a hurricane, tsunami, earthquake, or any other national disaster while I’m down there - yes, that would be quite the experience, and I could get a good story out of it, but I do want to come home at the end of my two-year service! I think I’m pretty safe on the war front, though. Honduras doesn’t have much in the way of inter-country revolutions. They have it pretty together, and are good at talking things out. Its neighbors, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala on the other hand apparently are not as good at using their words - they prefer the automatic weapons, which they give to children starting at age 10.
This packet the Peace Corps wanted to make sure we read ended with the following: “We rely on volunteers to exercise personal responsibility, demonstrate a keen awareness of the world around them, and a willingness to adjust their behavior in a manner that will enhance their safety and well-being. In the end their efforts will be rewarded with an incredible, unique experience.”
I’m excited for this incredible, unique experience, but again with the basically telling me that anything that happens is going to be my fault. It actually makes me a little bit nervous. I’m not going to know how to act when I get there. Like I said, I consider myself a responsible person that makes good judgments, but now this has me second guessing myself. Am I going to get there and just seem like a complete fool? A typical blond-haired, blue-eyed, overweight American, who thinks she’s better than everyone around her. No - I don’t think I could ever come across like that - I sure hope not anyway.
I have been reading this book, though, “Don’t Be Afraid Gringo - A Honduran Woman Speaks From The Heart” that sort of paints a little bit of a grim picture for me, which is weird because it was on the recommended reading list for the Peace Corps. In this book, Elvia talks about how the Peace Corps is pointless in Honduras. In the book, which is from 1987, Elvia explains the problem with the Peace Corps is that the Volunteers are “here today and gone tomorrow. So the programs they set up fall apart when they leave.” She also explains that from her experience, Peace Corps Volunteers insist on working with individuals instead of groups because the groups have too many problems. She says there are a lot of volunteers who live in communities where the people are organized, and that the volunteers don’t even know the organizations exist - they don’t bother to work with the structure the Hondurans have worked so hard to set up.
At the end of one chapter Elvia says:
“Hondurans don’t want to be beggars. We’re tired of begging from the United States. We want to be equals. And to be equals we need more than charity; we need solidarity. I’d say the best way to show solidarity with us is not by sending food and clothes or dollars. No, show your solidarity by telling your government to get out of our country and leave us alone. And stand by us in our struggle.”
This really struck a cord with me. Here I am going into Honduras with a government organization doing exactly what this women thinks is making it more difficult for the people of her country to be able to take care of themselves.
I just hope that I can go to Honduras and truly be of some help. I will take what Elvia said in this book and use it to be a better volunteer. I will make sure I get to know everyone in my community and the projects and organizations they already have functioning. I will work with them to get these programs and organizations off the ground and working to the best of their ability. I will do what ever I can to assist them. I think I am going to do a good job. I am not going into this with the mentality that I am going to go and change everything for them and make their world a better place. No. I know that anything I do to help these people is going to take a very long time. I am really going to have to work to become accepted into my community and to have the people respect and trust me. I think that is the key. Gain the trust and then I will be able to learn what they really need and what THEY think I could do to help their community.
So far, Elvia’s words have been very inspirational. I know that the book was from some time ago, but I’m guessing that Honduras has not come that far since it was written. Maybe in the last 23 years they have come to appreciate the help of Peace Corps Volunteers more. Ya, that is probably wishful thinking on my part, but one can hope!
So, I need to be prepared to have bacterial infections of the stomach - most likely do to water, I need to be prepared to have men think I’m a sex object because the sex roles in Honduras are very traditional (as in women are for sex and cooking), I need to be prepared for the fact that I will most likely be robbed at one point, and I need to be prepared for the fact that the Peace Corps will attribute any of these things happening to my lack of ability to integrate into my community and to show good judgment. I also need to be prepared to have people not want my help or look at me as just some do-gooder American coming in trying to change everything, and I need to do what ever I can to gain the communities trust and respect.
I have started the countdown - 22 days!
This is a very good book, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in knowing a little bit about Honduras.
