<p>D3 is heading to Peru in September to begin her Peace Corps assignment. After reading the posts above, I guess I should not have been surprised that her preference for West Africa was not met! At least she knows some Spanish.
If anyone has information about Peace Corps in Peru, I’d appreciate any that you would like to share! My biggest concern is personal safety. She’s been told that she will live with a family so that is a plus.</p>
<p>Thumper, thanks so much for your PM, I will ask more specifics when I have the list ready.</p>
<p>As Bookmama alluded, there are two major concerns I have which I would like to have the wise parents of CC opinions.
- The health care risks, I am so petrified of not be able to get to capable doctors from where she might be working.
- Political/Military risks, I have seen on the news Peace Corps members caught in political upheaval or military coup and they lost their lives or being locked up.</p>
<p>I can only speak to my daughter’s health care while in PC. The Peace Corps has its own doctors. The volunteers have their cell phone numbers, and these docs are on call 24/7. My daughter said they were NOT permitted to see local doctors…only the PC doctors. DD said she has NEVER had such good medical care. First, they have a notebook with common ailments and how to deal with them. If they needed the doctors, they called them. Either the doctor came to them or they went to the doctor, if needed. The PC office in my daughter’s country also had a small infirmary.</p>
<p>PC also has evacuation plans in place in the event that someone needs to be medi-evacuated out of a country. Where my daughter was, the first place was Kenya. If that would not meet the medical needs, then South Africa. Or…Washington DC. </p>
<p>If my daughter needed a prescription refill, she called, and it was always ready for her when she arrived at the PC office in the capital. Her country was small…so that is what they did.</p>
<p>They also had their teeth cleaned annually.</p>
<p>Each volunteer had an annual check up…and an exit physical prior to departing for home at the end of the appointment.</p>
<p>DD graduated in 2008 and started the Masters International program. She did one year of grad school, then her Peace Corps tour in Georgia, and finished her last semester of grad school after returning. She started the process in Jan and started school the next Aug after PC approval. </p>
<p>She had no major medical problems, but did have several bad colds. The Peace Corps doctors were excellent with her. </p>
<p>After she finished her master’s, she moved to Turkey and is going to stay at least another year there. </p>
<p>My DD who lives in Costa Rica is friends with several of the PC volunteers there.</p>
<p>You can PM with any questions.</p>
<p>hoosier, it was not Peace Corps, rather a Rotary Gap year. But my D spent a year in Peru with no problems. Living with her family, she was made aware of risks, and knew how to stay safe. </p>
<p>I have not been to Peru myself, but what I have seen of Latin America and family interactions has impressed me. D is still in communication with her host family, and there is a level of loving interaction that is still present and heartwarming. </p>
<p>A friend a little older than me went to Thailand for PC, and on her exit health screen a breast cancer was found. She is thankful for the PC medical staff being so diligent, and wonders if it would have been found so early at home. </p>
<p>I have many, many friends who are ex PC volunteers. They all have been enriched by the experience, and though there may have been tough moments, have heard far more positives than negatives. No disasters.</p>
<p>I hope the health care is as good as Thumper reports! When I served, it was nothing like that. Both times I needed help, our doc, who covered 3 countries, was out of the country. No way of contacting anyone without cell phones or ANY phones. Just have to depend on the kindness of strangers. (If nothing else, PC will give you a lot of stories to tell for the rest of your life. . .)</p>
<p>Mini: I know someone as well that recently did her stint in Lesotho! She loved it so much she went to do a second stint in another country.</p>
<p>I know that my young neighbor was treated by local doctors for two different illnesses. I guess it depends on the country where you serve.</p>
<p>Mixed experience with Peace Corps docs. I have a friend whom we trained in water technology in the Peace Corps in Uganda just last year. She had multiple medical problems, from recurring malaria to brucellosis to schistosomiasis, and the Peace Corps medical people there were absolutely useless. They made her come back to the states, with an agreement that she could go back once cleared. She was never allowed back. </p>
<p>On the other hand, I have other Peace Corps friends whom we trained who received (and are receiving) excellent medical care in Togo and Peru. </p>
<p>Hoosiermom - my friend is 64 years old, and ran a non-chemical pest removal business for 30 years. She is now working on water systems in the Peruvian highlands (we provided some of the training), and she is loving every minute of it.</p>
<p>I served in Sierra Leone and Kenya even though I spoke Spanish and requested Central America. This was 20 years ago. I loved my experience but I did have a major medical issue (hit by a bus while driving my PC issued motorcycle for work) and I ended up being treated at a rural hospital. Put under general anesthesia to set a broken bone. But after that ordeal I was medi-vacced to DC and received excellent treatment. Even got paid disability while waiting to get sent back. I’m sure the communication is much much better mow and that they are more careful not to let volunteers get treated by local doctors. </p>
<p>Anyway even with my accident I returned and finished my term and it remains one of the best experiences of my life. You just have to be prepared for anything and USE COMMON SENSE.</p>
<p>Oh, and the training prior to leaving was excellent, plus more training in local culture and language once you get in country. So the kids have time to adjust all together before sent to their individual sites. </p>
<p>Maybe they don’t even hand out motorcycles anymore. Plus there is Internet access in large cities and you won’t have to wait months for a letter from your child. It’s definitely a different PC world these days. It will be life-changing. Also, I applied to law school while in Kenya, took the LSAT’s in Nairobi, got into a great school and graduated top of my class and had 12 job offers out of law school. Having peace corps on my r</p>
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<p>If and when they do, be sure to wear your helmet: <a href=“http://files.peacecorps.gov/manuals/manual/500_Administrative_Services/520-529_Vehicles_and_Motorcycles/MS_523/Attachment_C.pdf[/url]”>http://files.peacecorps.gov/manuals/manual/500_Administrative_Services/520-529_Vehicles_and_Motorcycles/MS_523/Attachment_C.pdf</a></p>
<p>Peace corps in my daughters country prohibited driving ANYTHING with a motor…cars, motorcycles…anything. The issued helmets to all volunteers because the taxi service was mototaxis. They also gave the PCVs bicycles, but in hilly Rwanda, it was easier to walk!</p>
<p>PCVs were also not allowed to ride in private cars (not very many people had them so it was not an issue) that were not owned by a livery company.</p>
<p>BFF’s DD spent 2 years in an African country serving with the Peace Corps. She would tell you it was a most meaningful experience. She has since gone on to professional school and is active in her profession. Their standard thought–if BFFDD can live in a hut in Africa with one fork and a dirt floor, speaking a totally new language, the hassles of life in general and the ups/downs of grad school/professional life and are nothing, comparitively speaking. She ran into some road blocks in recent years and was, no doubt, stronger and more mature as a result of her experience in Africa. That whole overcoming adversity piece is really true!</p>
<p>It was hard for her parents to “send her off” to parts unknown, but they were supportive and she (along with the lucky people with which she worked in Africa…) were better off because of her volunteering there. BFF lamented that she had raised DD to be independent and she (the mom) spent the entire 2 years wringing her hands at said independence!! They saved their pennies and went to visit her after a year–a wonderful family trip!</p>
<p>It’s my understanding that medical schools almost expect that their applicants will have done something else for a year or two after undergrad. I read somewhere that the average med school matriculant is about 25 years old.</p>
<p>If I were you, and it’s her heart’s desire, I’d encourage her to apply. (The app process is quite rigorous and lengthy, as has been mentioned.) Lots of others have followed this path and have come home changed–for the better.</p>
<p>the Peace Corps medical people there were absolutely useless. They made her come back to the states, with an agreement that she could go back once cleared. She was never allowed back. </p>
<p>This was actually what happened to d’s friend. She was sent back to the U.S., leaving a good majority of her possessions in Georgia with her home stay family on a 45 day leave. Once medically cleared to return, the Peace Corps refused to send her back or have her possessions… mostly clothes and books… returned to her. She was told by the medical officers in D.C. that once there is a health issue of any kind, the decision is made by the regional representative. If they won’t sign off on you… you are done… you can re-apply for future placement.</p>
<p>From her perspective, the training both here and initially upon arrival in Tbilisi, Georgia was good… but once you are sent to the village where you will be based, you pretty much were on your own. That was someone similar to our next-door neighbor’s son who was based in Africa, either Nigeria or Kenya… other than losing 20 lbs and he was thin to begin with, he had an outstanding experience and it did prompt him to go to grad school for international education. He has since lived in India, worked for Unicef and Sesame Street International.</p>
<p>My son is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia. His blog is very insightful (Fishing in Zambia). He had a minor medical issue a few months ago and I was impressed how Peace Corps Zambia handled the situation.</p>
<p>I guess it depends on location of service, PC’s health care quality may vary. Its a hit and miss situation, if you hit the good spot, you’ve got adequate health care, otherwise, you will have a problem.</p>
<p>I have not hear any one talk about the political risk, I guess the risk is pretty low, the risk is probably lower than drive on American highways.</p>
<p>PC has shut down programs if political unrest becomes a danger. It just depends on the time and place one is serving and what is going on in the region.
When I served, it was still during the time of Apartheid in S. Africa (our neighboring country).
There was some related terrorist activity going on in Botswana–several car bombs, etc.
Our PC doc had one across the street–human body parts in his yard. There was one in my village which killed at least 4 people. My parents actually clipped an article from their local US paper and mailed it to me. (Just Googled “car bomb” plus name of village and found the article!) I told them I was perfectly safe–that bomb was on the other side of the village!
I was routinely ordered off buses and searched by armed soldiers–for being white. (Didn’t make sense because these terrorists were all Africans.) Seems almost surreal now, but it was just an ordinary thing.<br>
Hitch-hiking was common. Seems pretty darn dangerous to me now and I definitely wouldn’t want my D doing that.</p>
<p>Last year, the Peace Corps entirely pulled out of Honduras, it is said for safety reasons. There are none in Burundi (where they are really needed) and a ton in Rwanda, where, because of the hundreds of mission groups tripping all over each other, they probably aren’t.</p>
<p>I’m a supporter of the Peace Corps, but I never forget that they are also an instrument of foreign policy.</p>
<p>Actually, my daughter says that there is plenty of need in Rwanda for PC volunteers. They are changing their entire educational system, and the educational volunteers are a good addition to the missionary folks. And yes, she knows many of the missionary folks are doing educational work too.</p>
<p>The PC has an excellent evacuation system in the event of political unrest. Just before my DD began her service, ALL of the volunteers for Madagascar were evacuated. They were taken to other countries nearby. Most didn’t even know the cause of the evacuation, it happened that quickly. </p>
<p>DD also knew PCVs who had to stay in the states after being taken there for one reason or another. In ALL cases, the PC shipped all of their personal belongings back to them. Other PCVs in the region helped pack the goods.</p>
<p>If you are sharing PC stories from 10 or 20 years ago, my DD says times have changed. Just having cell phone connectivity has made the PC offices more quickly and easily accessible in most countries. </p>
<p>And the PC is NOT shy about shuttering countries where they don’t feel their volunteers will be safe for one reason or another.</p>
<p>“The PC has an excellent evacuation system in the event of political unrest.”</p>
<p>They also make it up, for political reasons, when it suits them, as in Bolivia. (But, after all, it is the State Department.) (They are in Rwanda, and not Burundi, for political reasons as well, as Rwanda is the lynchpin in the Congolese mess. Certainly, there is no question that Rwanda is not any safer than Burundi. But it is much, much richer.)</p>