Questions and Answers

Dear Anonymous:

You left a comment on a recent entry, asking some questions.  While you didn’t seem to expect a response and I’m not ordinarily big on having a conversation with “anonymous”, I gave them some thought and here they are.  Please note, as with everything in this blog, this is purely my perspective.  Right or wrong, it’s how I see things, as filtered through my life experiences.

Has your experience thus far with Peace Corp Samoa been what you expected before you left the States?

Pretty much.  There are more amenities than I expected.  Cell phones are everywhere.  I haven’t seen a house yet that doesn’t have electricity and all I’ve seen have running water, although it may not be in the house.  Many families have cars. Most homes I’ve seen don’t have any indoor cooking facilities, which is more in line with what I expected.

The reception in my village is not what I expected.  I’m not sure if it’s the size of the village (much larger than average), the presence of a resort, which means locals are used to seeing foreigners, or what, but people have not been overly friendly.  I talked recently to a Samoan, born and raised overseas.  Her perspective is that adults want to talk to me but are reluctant because they’re embarrassed by their English.  The fact that I’m older, makes it even harder for them to approach me.  I’m hoping as I begin teaching and work on my language skills continue, folks will realize I’m living here and want to get to know people.

Also, it’s sinking in that this is two years.  You could give birth to two babies in the time I’ll be gone.  Friends will die.  Annoyances that I could ignore for a few weeks are things I need to get used to for two years, or drive myself crazy.  Yeah, hard to really anticipate two years.

What is the attraction of serving with Peace Corp Samoa or why do volunteers give up the comforts of America to serve with Peace Corp Samoa?

Like other applicants, I was attracted to serve in the Peace Corps, not Peace Corps Samoa.  Applicants to PC are given an opportunity to express preferences for specific regions or countries but are discouraged from doing so.  By being willing to serve anywhere, PC has more flexibility in assigning volunteers.  I applied to serve in any country served by Peace Corps. 

There are a lot of reasons I volunteered.  One is that I’ve been blessed in my life.  I’ve had family, education and opportunities.  I want to pay it forward.   Because I’ve always been passionate about travel and learning about other cultures, Peace Corps provides me an opportunity to share with others while learning a new culture.

I was also willing to give up the considerable creature comforts I had at home to learn more about myself and learn more about how others live.  Bottom line, at sixty I was not ready to stay in a comfortable rut.  I wanted to stretch myself and hopefully, help someone else at the same time.

Peace Corp Samoa is a tough gig; the diet, climate, language, lifestyle, and lack of amenities. Should Peace Corp train and send nationals living in America to serve in the countries (of their or their parents' birth) rather than sending true blue Americans who have to go through the senses jarring process of adjusting to the local cultures?

First, the Peace Corps is a program of the U.S. government.  You must be a U. S. citizen to join. 

That aside, the easy answer is in the numbers.  Imagine trying to find 20 Americans of Samoan descent, familiar with the diet, language and lifestyle of Samoa.  Who also have all the requirements (physical, mental, education, etc.) to meet the Peace Corps criteria.  Who wish to serve, without pay, for two years in Samoa.  Now, amplify that – we’re the smallest post in Peace Corps.  Imagine finding 450 Americans of Ukrainian descent who meet all the criteria and for whom living in the Ukraine would not be jarring. 

There are three basic goals of Peace Corps.  One is to share knowledge/experience of the volunteers with a country with needs.  Another is to help people in another country have a better understanding of America by getting to know an American first hand.  Third is for Americans to gain a better understanding of another country by having an American who’s lived there share their experiences back home in America.

A basic premise of Peace Corps, and one I wholeheartedly share, is that peace comes from knowledge.  Knowledge gained from knowing and understanding other cultures and people.  I believe there’s a value to be gained in having people unfamiliar with a culture living there.  Yes, it can be jarring.  No, not every aspect of a new culture will be well received or appreciated.  But even as a “true blue American”  with not a drop of Samoan blood, after two years, I think I’ll be able to tell folks back home what it’s like in Samoa.

Is Peace Corp Samoa still relevant; are there better avenues for the American government to assist developing countries like Samoa?

A question being asked by a lot of people, especially Republicans in Congress.   First, PC has a very small budget, as government agencies go.  Let’s start with ”is it still relevant.”  No, not nearly as relevant as it was years ago. 

When PC started fifty years ago, there wasn’t internet, cell phones and other technology that has turned our world into a global village.  Talking to someone who’d served two years in a foreign country most Americans had never heard of was pretty much the only way to find out what it was really like in another country.  Those volunteers could come back and fight stereotypes and give honest, accurate information about life in a different country.  They could also let others find out that Americans are caring, smart, funny and individuals with strengths and limitations, just like people everywhere.

Even though we now have the ability to know more about other places and people, most Americans don’t.  I was first saddened, then horrified, when telling people I was going to be a PCV in Samoa.  One woman didn’t know where the Pacific Ocean was.  You know, like the ocean that touches California??  Many didn’t know there was a difference between Samoa and Somalia.  Even after explaining the difference, people asked if there were elephants on the island.  And, no, Samoa is not a small country in Central America, so I won’t be coming home once a month.  That was another common misconception.

So returning volunteers now have an opportunity to be proactive about spreading the word about the countries where we serve.  For example, I’m part of a program that links serving volunteers with schools in the U. S.  I’m going to be a pen pal with a 7^th grade class in a school near Atlanta.  Hopefully, that experience will spark some curiosity in at least one of those kids – who will then go on to learn more about the world.

Are there more effective ways to provide aid to foreign countries?  Probably.   I just wrote and erased a long answer to this.  I realized I don’t have the answer.  It’s a complex question about economics, anthropology, politics and more.  So my answer is just that:  probably. 

One question you didn’t ask directly, but seems to be implied is “Should I be here?”  I’ve been asked why I didn’t stay in the United States since there are huge needs there.  I’ve been asked if I think I can make any real difference.  I’ve been asked if I’m wasting my time, when I should be continuing work as a management consultant to build up my retirement fund.

I don’t know the answers to all those questions, either.  I can’t speak for anyone else.  I just know that when I applied to Peace Corps, it felt like the right thing, at the right time.  It still feels that way and I plan to be here until I feel otherwise.  I’m planning on that being at least two years out.  While I’m here, I hope I take advantage of the time, to learn, grow, have some fun and maybe change one person’s views.

Have you tried the breadfruit pulu?

Leai. But, I’m looking forward to trying it soon.  My brother and I used to chew on pieces of freshly poured road tar when we were kids so ulu pulu should be better.  Much better name, for sure.