About

I'm curious if any RPCVs have continued to serve their community after they've COS'd and I wanted to get feedback on my plans to do so for my community.

I served in Ghana in Ag from 2016-2018. I was the first volunteer in my community (~2,500 people) and despite my best efforts, I was not initially replaced (although there was a post-COVID placement that lasted only a couple of months and there may be another volunteer there now). As a volunteer, I was very careful not to have any projects in my community that required large amounts of capital and focused on capacity building through trainings and school clubs instead. I had amazing counterparts that I trust explicitly.

One of the gaps I identified during my service that I didn't address while I was there was the lack of funding for secondary school for kids in my community. The Junior High School system was pretty good and while I was there, the federal government transitioned Senior High School to be publicly funded, so that was improving. But in order to be a teacher, nurse, or banker (not to mention better jobs in the cities), you still have to pay for secondary school. And that was a barrier for some in my community. I was hoping to setup a scholarship to address this problem.

I'm going back to my community to visit in a couple of months and plan to meet with my counterparts and the leaders at the high school. My plan would be to work with them to setup a system to accept applications from students and make sure any funds would be used for education only. I'll start small, contribute the initial funds myself, work out the logistics in the first year, and then fundraise in the U.S. if it scales.

Has anyone else tried something like this? I realize it's probably riddled with development pitfalls and risks, but I hope the narrow focus and relationships I cultivated will help avoid them. Is this naive?

Please use this thread as a catch-all for questions about:

• Considering Peace Corps / Is PC right for me?
• General application process
• Medical/legal clearance
• Denial/appeals
• Application timelines

While some questions may be unique or complex and may merit their own posts, many application questions are repetitive and can be answered by searching the sub, checking out the Wiki/FAQ, or reading peacecorps.gov.

Hi friends! For some context I’m an EE volunteer, working with three different partners in a largish school, that has a lot of understaffing issues. I’ve been having issues getting my partners to lesson plan with me pretty much from the beginning of the school year (they were super apprehensive about it even during the first info session with partners during PST). From what I’ve observed, they usually don’t plan for lessons at all (each grade has a pretty good text book and the government provides them with long term plans for each of them). They pretty much just go through the text book each class, it’s not great but it mostly works. Teaching together basically consists of a very brief discussion of which textbook activities I should do and which they should do like 2 minutes before class starts. I’ve gotten great at improvising and try looking at the lessons before by myself to incorporate some activities on the spot, but it’s really not ideal. We’re at a place at the moment where there is literally no lesson planning happening at all, and every time I try to make it happen they either are so tired/ busy with work that they refuse, or it turns into a tea break. I fully understand that they are super over worked, but it’s pretty stressful not know exactly what we’ll be doing each class. I think it’s partially my fault, because I’ve just gotten tired of pushing them to plan with me each week, and feel overwhelmed as is with my schedule. Wondering if others have had a similar experience, and to what extent it’s worth it to keep pushing. I think part of the problem is that I’m working with too many partners- super hard to try and get all three of them to plan with me.I’m apprehensive to discuss with my PM, as I’m concerned they may make the situation more difficult, and result in a conflict with my partners. How common is it for partners to just not plan at all?

Those evacuated during COVID- what do you think of that whole debacle, 4 years later? I still feel a twinge of failure and regret, even though I had no control over it and it was a whole lifetime ago. It was so sudden I feel like part of my soul got frozen in Africa

I’m due to depart for Panama on February 17, 2025. Due to obstacles like not being insured, I’m concerned about my clearance timeline not aligning with departure. I already let them know I’d be open to volunteering at a different country, especially Tonga as a Climate Resilience Facilitator.

I’m doing my best to line all of my ducks up but want to be prepared for whatever may come. Has anyone been in this situation? What was your outcomes?

Thanks for all your help in my process so far :)

Was just curious if anyone in Ecuador could tell me what their pay/stipend/allowance is

Hi all, I would love some advice specifically from any PCVs who have then moved into careers at NGOs or the UN.

For context, I currently work at a UN agency, but I’m fairly early in my career. I’ve noticed people further along in their careers than me either have graduate degrees, served as PCVs, or both. I have done neither, and I worry that lacking those experiences will hinder me in the long run.

I’m torn between staying in my career field and trying to work my way up, or joining PC with the goal of eventually doing Coverdell or another graduate degree scholarship/fellowship option. Also, even though I get a bit of field experience in my job, it’s something I want more of.

Any and all thoughts are welcome. Thank you!

Does anyone else in a loosely structured position struggle with feelings around productivity? Especially in the rainy season. I know that it’s temporary but it really stresses me out feeling like i’m not doing a lot. Anyone have any tips for feeling productive when there’s simply not a lot to do?

So I’ve heard thru the grapevine that the peace corps can cover anywhere from 25-100% of your masters after serving… is this accurate? Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I recently applied for a PCV position. It’s been just under two weeks so I’m still waiting to hear back. I filled out the medical forms right away and indicated that I have not smoked weed.

I tried smoking for the first time this week and fainted and hit my head. Nothing extreme like bleeding or nausea, but my friends got us an Uber to the ER to do tests anyway. My friend told the nurses that I’d been smoking. Tests came back good and I was sent home. No diagnosed concussion.

Any ideas how this could affect my application? How likely are they to find out? Should I be proactive and reach out to a recruiter to explain? Also, I’ll just add that I have zero intention of smoking during service/anywhere in general where it is illegal.

Thanks so much.

Hello Everyone,

I am applying to the Peace Corps this year, and have written my motivation statement. Could I have some feedback on this please?

Being born in Nepal and moving to the United States at five years old, my parents never let me forget our culture, heritage, or motherland. Since I was young, my parents taught me that helping others and giving back as much as possible is the best way to live your life; a message that resonates with me to this day. Yo Maan Ta Mero Nepali Ho, six words which mean “My heart is Nepali,” describes my love for Nepal. Since I was young, I always had a deep desire to move back and create an impact in some way. I am applying to be a Digital Learning Trainer because I want to make a positive impact on the youth and reconnect to my motherland, Nepal.

When my parents and I moved to North Carolina in 2005, we integrated into a vibrant and immersive Nepali community, the Nepal Center of North Carolina (NCNC). Within NCNC, I met a gentleman who volunteered through the Peace Corps in Nepal during the 1980s. Intrigued, I listened to stories about his time in Nepal. I did not understand how much of a need there was for Digital Learning teachers or English teachers back then, but I do now. While growing up, I thought about how I would be able to contribute to teaching on a global scale, but I had forgotten about the Peace Corps until I started looking into this again.

In 2015, NCNC started a Nepali school, allowing kids to learn Nepali. The community leaders asked me to come and teach because I can speak Nepali, but unfortunately, I have forgotten how to read and write in Nepali, so I was not able to become a teacher. Instead, they asked me to take on a technological role, and I accepted. Prior to this, I never had any experience in teaching kids or interacting with them in a major way. Over the two years I volunteered, the Nepali school allowed me to get my first sense of how much of an impact the right teacher can have on kids. I knew then that I wanted to return to Nepal and empower the youth through teaching. I started looking into organizations that would allow me to go back to Nepal and create the greatest impact on the youth, and I found the Peace Corps again.

Visiting family in Nepal versus serving for Peace Corps will be two different experiences. While visiting family, if any challenges arise, they help me deal with them. The Peace Corps will present me with challenges that I have not faced before. One challenge that I am anticipating is integrating into the community and getting them to trust me. Just because I am Nepali and speak Nepali does not mean the local community will easily accept me, as every community has their own culture, traditions, and norms. I must keep an open mind and remember that I am not there to fix the community; I am there to help the community.

I’m wrapping up my position in a week and feeling extremely sad and hopeless about leaving, especially when I don’t know if/when I’ll return. My life abroad has been everything for the past 2 years and I just can’t imagine returning to the US and leaving this life behind. I really love my lifestyle here and knowing how hard I worked to get myself here. The families and friends I’ve met are the absolute best and it’s hard knowing that I’ll be leaving them so soon.

Any strategies or tips to make the most of my last week and/or thoughtful things to do for the people I care about here?

I am departing for service in 2 months. I just bought a used car about 4 months ago after my previous one got totalled. I took out an auto loan. I can't cancel my auto insurance because then the auto loan company would force placed insurance. My auto insurance does not even have "planned non-operation" option. I don't want to be stuck paying for car/insurance while I am in country. Do I have any options?

My dentist sent me my X-rays this morning but they aren’t labeled even though I told them it needed to be. Does labeling have to be on the actual image? Could I get away with labeling it myself or should I just reach out again and ask for them to send it labeled? It took longer than I would have liked to get them to send me the X-rays so I could rather just add it myself if I can.

The new Agribusiness, Health, and Education openings are now live:

https://www.peacecorps.gov/ways-to-serve/service-assignments/browse-opportunities/peace-corps-volunteer/?search_text=Uganda

There are lots of great reasons to serve in the Pearl of Africa, and these spots are part of the pilot program with DOUBLE the readjustment allowance!

Looking for feedback on your essay? Have a newbie question you'd like to ask? Something on your mind you'd like to get out? This is the place for it.

I just wan’t see the demographic breakdown of the sub!

View Poll

Share with us any photo from your country of service! Please note that pictures of minors are not permitted.

Have any volunteers successfully created a partnership between their host country university (HCU) and a university in the states?

With online learning and all of the lectures being recorded and posted online anyway, it should be easy for a course in the USA to be taken by anyone, anywhere in the world and then discussion groups, homework, and exams administered by the HCU.

My hope would be that a graduate from this program would receive a 'dually accredited degree' which will completely change the graduations employability in the eyes of western company's.

I know that Harvard and some other university's have posted intro courses online, but there has to be a more formalized way to democratize information to people.

Where should I start with this? I have a contact at a HCU, but they may not be interested (it may put some local professors out of a job). Also, there is no incentive for a university in the states to do this (besides it is the right thing to do), it will 'water down' the value of their degree, cost the university a small amount of money, and is giving the bird to all of their students who pay 50k+ to attend.

Thanks.

Hi everyone! I’ve been conditionally invited to serve in East Caribbean 2025 and I’m currently doing my beginning tasks for the health summary etc. its a weird question as I’m currently living in NZ (so im ahead Washington by 18 hours) and the due date is for 11/28–is it due at 11:59pm 11/28 or when it turns midnight 11/28? I know it’s an odd question but any help or knowledge would be much appreciated 🥲😅 thanks !

this weird fungal infection under my toenails that keeps coming back years later

Currently on medevac but have heard that because my injury requires more rehab, I may need to med sep and continue rehab at home. This all just happened so fast, didn’t expect it to happen, and suddenly I had to pack up my stuff in case I couldn’t go back to country.

Right now I feel in limbo, they said there’s a slim chance I can go back to country if the resources are available but now I’m just stuck. Wasn’t having a great time at site, work wasn’t sooo good, but now I’m maybe having to go back home and live with parents which wasn’t really part of my plans.

They also say once I improve I can re-apply for reinstatement which sounds like a lot.

Anyone on medevac or experienced something similar?

With the new Department of Government Efficiency in the works, how likely is it that the Peace Corps would get defunded?

Hello PC Reddit!

I recently received a heartwarming email that I am conditionally accepted as an English teacher for primary school in the Eastern Caribbean for June 2025, and was curious if anyone else is in the same boat.

I'd love to make some connections.

Cheers!!!

Selam RPCV Ethiopia community.

My family and I are moving to Addis and would love to get any digital resources you all might have : language guides, cookbooks, and ideally the intro/packing guide. A cultural guide would be best if there is one. We had some this for Kazakhstan, where we live currently, and found it very helpful. Thanks!

Hello. I'm wondering how your Peace Corps service prepared you for you current job, past job, or desired job. What knowledge, skills, or abilities did you develop as a volunteer that helped you succeed back in the US?

I was looking through the individual responses from the Annual Volunteer Survey and kept seeing Viet Nam as the county with the lowest average scores on a bunch of big questions:

• How would you rate your overall satisfaction with your Peace Corps experience?
• How personally rewarding do you find your overall Peace Corps service?
• Today, would you still make the same decision to serve with the Peace Corps?
• Would you recommend Service to others?

I was just curious if it’s because you’re all in a mid-service crisis or if there’s actually something going on over there…

Use this thread to vent your frustrations. We're all here to lend an ear.

I'm curious how being exposed to different political systems and cultures in service has affected where people stand on certain issues...if at all?

I was invited for a June 2025 departure a few months ago and have had some mixed feelings. I have been mostly excited but the past few weeks I have become really nervous that I am making a huge mistake. It started around the time of the election and has just gotten worse.

I am worried that instead of helping my career, service will throw it off. I am also worried that I won't be able to handle service, will have to ET, and it won't have been worth it, etc.

Anyone else have similar concerns? Or any suggestions about when it's time to reconsider or how I can go about clearing up my worries?

edit: I made this post at 2am while I was in a deep anxiety spiral. I think I highlighted more of the anxiety and less of the positive feelings that I have always had. Most of the time I am very excited about the experience of service and all of the personal growth and opportunities that come with it. I've just been dooming about the new admin and as someone who wants a career in public health I am starting to become anxious I won't have many opportunities left by the time I'm back. Not sure if this makes sense or not. Thanks to anyone who has answered so far!