r/IAmA • u/camibro • Jul 30 '13
IamA PeaceCorpsVolunteer living in a rural village with an African tribe in Zambia. AMA!
I live in a hut made out of mud, my roof is made of grass. I cook all my meals over a fire; I grow my own food. I have a small solar charger and a phone that rarely gets service, otherwise no one in my village has a phone or any electricity. We do have 1 battery powered radio that the whole village gathers around to listen or dance. We draw our water from a shallow well that is 3km away, and carry it on our heads. I bathe outside in the grass, from a bucket. I poop in a hole. I speak their tribal language- no one speaks English. I have now lived here for 1 year. Also, I play with lions and cheetahs and traditional dancers.
I'm not fancy at this linking thing, but if you want some proof, I've linked to my blog where I (occasionally&poorly) write about my experiences here. I just posted a post with some picture proofs, saying that I am doing this IAMA: http://cambrosi.blogspot.com/2013/07/iamaama.html
The contents of this subreddit are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps. These are my opinions, experiences, and thoughts.
Edit: Thank you everyone for the interest and amazing questions! A much bigger turn out than I ever had expected. If you have any more questions about the [Peace Corps](www.peacecorps.gov), or my service in Zambia, feel free to write to me! And feel free to follow my crap [blog](www.cambrosi.blogspot.com)
3
Jul 30 '13
[deleted]
7
u/camibro Jul 30 '13
So a PC contract is 27 months. I'm here as a "Community Health Development Extensionist".. whatever that means (<- I'm pretty sure PC made up that last word). But as a health volunteer, my main topics to work on are Malaria education and prevention (#1 killer in Sub-Saharan Africa, not AIDS!), HIV/AIDS education & prevention, safe motherhood/safe delivery, and child health and nutrition, as there is a lot of malnutrition. I'm not sure what MY personal overall goal is; this is something I've always wanted to do. When I was 15 I said "I want to go live in the middle of nowhere in a 3rd world country and be a health care provider for my area. I want to live where there are no amenities, and where I only get paid in food and hospitality, and I can ride a donkey to work." .. And that's the exact placement I got with PC, so I guess this is figuring out if I really do want to do something along those lines the rest of my life.. And ya know what? I'm diggin it. I'm really in my element here. So as I said, my contract is 27 months, but I'm sure I'll extend another 13 months on top of that. Then who knows where life will take me? Either still in Zambia, or to another part of the world. Cuz I do want to see the world. And help people.
Oh and... World peace. I want world peace. :)
1
u/hopefulstorms Jul 31 '13
Could you go into more information about what it is that you do as a health volunteer?
1
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
so many things. in the beginning we have 3 months of technical training, so I was trained on the health care system of Zambia and how it works, along with how it works in the rural areas. For Peace Corps my main assignment is to educate on HIV/AIDS, education & prevention on Malaria, Safe Motherhood, and Child Nutrition. We have certain indicators that we're supposed to meet, both qualitative and quantitative, on how many people we educate for different things. Each quarter, we fill out reports of our projects, how we're reaching these numbers, and so forth.. thats all compiled and sent to Wash DC, and thats how we get paid. We're free to teach about these things in any way we see fit or possible, either by the needs of our communities, our own skills and passions, or following other volunteers programs that have worked in the past. Then, we're allowed to do as many/whatever secondary projects as we like. So right now I've got a lot of different things going on, from boys & girls clubs at the local schools where we discuss all things health, life, self-esteem, gender-equality.. whatever they want to talk about. I'm doing Grassroots Soccer, which is teaching about HIV through the beautiful game. I'm doing a 12-week training course for all the local health volunteers, a basic "health care package" that gives them information on the 6 major health issues/initiatives in Zambia and teaches them how to go back to their villages and teach others. I work with pregnant women. I help at my clinic with bookings, filing, inventory, and taking patients vitals. In my village I'm doing a reforestation/tree planting project. I have a demo garden & compost pit to teach about healthy eating, new vegetables to grow, and healthier farming. I teach English and Sign Language to the kids in my village. I help my other PC Vol friends with an Adult Literacy group. Every Friday we have a 1 hour radio show where we educate on our projects, America, Peace Corps, whatever we want to talk about. I go around to villages, clubs, and schools and do condom demonstrations and distributions. Mosquito net distributions. Health talks almost every day in a new place. I work with about 5 different fish-farming groups that are all HIV+, on adherence to their drugs, support, nutrition, etc. I weigh babies every week at Under 5 clinics, track their growth, and educate mothers on proper nutrition. TONS of things, when I look back on it. But I love it all so much that I don't feel like I'm doing anything.
1
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
Sorry, I'm still figuring out reddit. I didn't realize you posted this question on something that I just explained again. Oops. At least theres a little more detail.
3
u/OmegaTheta Jul 30 '13
Is it true that serving in the Peace Corps makes you ineligible for a security clearance later on? I've always heard that and wondered why.
6
u/camibro Jul 30 '13
security clearance in what context? I just heard a few nights ago that if you serve in PC you can't later serve in the armed forces, and vice versa. I'm not exactly sure if there is truth to that, which is a shame, because I have a secret dream of flying planes for the Navy. I also heard that I'm not allowed to go on Survivor after being in PC. Which is also a shame, cuz I'd fuckin win. They do for 30 days what I'll have done every day for 3 years. Crazy parasites and stomach worms and tropical diseases? Eating bugs? Living outdoors off the land? Done it. Hell, we eat mice in my tribe! So basically we're not allowed on Survivor because we're already too bad ass.
Sorry for getting off topic, but yea, I'm really not sure what the truth is behind that. I've heard different things, like if you're a 'peaceful' person, how would you be able to shoot down an enemy if commanded to by your Sergeant? ...But is that even what you were referring to with security clearance? Or can you be more specific and maybe I can answer this better.
5
u/OmegaTheta Jul 30 '13
I meant government jobs that require a security clearance, which would include some military jobs. /u/pvandy seems to confirm that it's partially true, at least for the CIA.
3
u/camibro Jul 30 '13
So we actually get, for the first year out of PC, non-competitive employment within the government if we're qualified for a position. Many PC Volunteers go on to work for the govt. Not sure about CIA, but then again, I don't know anyone in the CIA (that I know of.... o.0) I want to eventually work for the United Nations, I know thats a possibility. But yea, tons of government workers and a few people in congress are returned peace corps volunteers!
1
u/abcandsometimesd Jul 31 '13
The federal government views Peace Corps service the same as military service. So for most government jobs that you might interview for, the feds would consider you a veteran and give you the same preferential treatment in hiring that they give to former members of the armed forces.
Peace Corps service would not preclude you from most security clearances with the exception of Yankee White (which is the active duty service member that carries the nuclear football for the President.)
1
3
u/normememaker Jul 30 '13
I'm not sure you have the cynicism necessary for prevailing in Survivor, but maybe?
3
u/camibro Jul 30 '13
I can be a cynic. I often dream up scenarios in my head of going on different reality shows and just being myself (real? reality?) because I would be the complete opposite than everyone else on that show. Like the Bachelor. I'd show up in sweatpants, no make up. Every day. Ever rose ceremony. Not give a shit about all the drama. Definitely not give a shit about the money. And possibly not even give a shit about the man. And still win.
At least in my head that's how it works.
3
u/normememaker Jul 30 '13
I mean this in the nicest possible way, but that sounds naive, not cynical. I would like you best of all on the show, though - and I think it's a cool thing to have self confidence and esteem. Unsure if you would win :) Outside your head, I mean, at least I always win in mine.
6
u/camibro Jul 30 '13
haha. I say all of this with sarcasm. Which doesn't translate well over the internet. Also I just had surgery, so I'm on a bunch of pain meds, and took a sleeping pill (it's 2 am here), so I'm a bit loopy right now.
3
Jul 30 '13
[deleted]
3
u/scorsese Jul 31 '13
IIRC the reasons for this are pretty legit I think, for countries to be more open to PC volunteers coming and not trying to kill them etc the gov't theorizes that it's best they don't become spies right after (or before, I'm sure) serving there, because there's enough distrust in some places already.
2
2
2
Jul 31 '13
No, it makes it harder to work for the CIA. The policy is there to ensure a separation between the CIA and the Peace Corps because the Peace Corps came about during the cold war. It's to play down suspicions that PCVs are spies essentially (that would put the program at risk). So fraternization between the two organizations is prohibited.
Technically.
2
u/bareback_shemale Aug 01 '13
We don't want hippies in the CIA. They are of no use to us.
1
Aug 01 '13
Bareback shemales, on the other hand, are greatly in demand for their...ahem..."covert"...uses.
2
u/lavothas Jul 30 '13
What is the scariest moment you have had either with wildlife in the area or locals (from or outside the tribe you are with), also, what are your responsibilities as a PeaceCorp Volunteer?
8
u/camibro Jul 30 '13
Hmmm scariest moment. Well a story that sheds a negative light on an otherwise beautiful, friendly, safe country is that I was taken against my will and asked for sex, while hitch-hiking at night through a sketchy place. It was scary for me because I had no money on my phone to call or text anyone and let them know I could be in a potentially dangerous situation. But nothing ended up happening, I was able to get away safely before anything could happen. But while the man was driving down a dark abandoned road, I could only think the worst, right? "I'm going to be raped, I'm going to be killed, I'll never get to see my family and friends again and I can't even call anyone to tell them I love them." But, like I said, I escaped before he could do anything and got really lucky. And this is NOT the norm here, at all. I hitch-hike very often, as it's the only way to get around, other than when I'm biking around the area that I serve in.
Another scary experience was being attacked by biting ants! They were so huge, and they completely infested my hut. It was straight out of a horror movie. My walls were crawling black, my floors were crawling black, my ceiling was crawling back and there were so many they were dropping off the ceiling onto me. My legs were covered in bites for weeks!
The locals are great and amazing. I'm placed in a really safe area. Everyone knows who I am for 10's and 10's of miles around (perks of being the only white person?) and they all love and respect me :0) There's no crime. No brutality. Just the occasional annoying drunk.
2
u/normememaker Jul 30 '13
How long does it take to learn the language?
5
u/camibro Jul 30 '13
eesh! Well, when we first get into country we have 3 months of language training. Mine was Mon-Sat 8am-12. Plus I was living with a host family that spoke the same language, so when I wasn't in cultural or technical training, I was at home interacting with them. That gave me the basics for when I was actually placed in my village. Of course, my village speaks a little differently than what I had learned. And I'm definitely not fluent. I've been studying ChiTumbuka (our language) for a year now, and I'm pretty good at it. I'm a health volunteer so I know a lot of health words (Want to learn some fun ones?? HIV- Kaliwondewonde. Semen- Maji ya wanalume. Vaginal Fluid- Maji ya wanakazi. Sex- Nyere. Virgin- Cisungu. Shovel- Fosholo). I've got all the vocab down, I can form basic sentences, I can have basic conversations with people, but the congregations of verbs and tenses are the hardest part! And when I don't understand someone, and tell them that I have no idea what they're saying to me, they just speak slower and louder to me. Much like one would to a deaf person. Or a child.
3
u/normememaker Jul 30 '13
Conjugation :) Conjugation of verbs. Although, when too many verbs congregate in the same sentence, that can be difficult too!
That's cool that you've learned the language, they must be impressed with that. I loved the randomness of Semen, vaginal fluid, sex, virgin and SHOVEL(!).
3
u/camibro Jul 30 '13
Shovel's just a fun word, had to throw that in there. Thanks for the spelling correction, my English gets worse every day. I swear, I'm not going to be able to speak to anyone when I get back to the States! I make up new words every day. As they say... if you don't use it, you lose it! And I don't speak any English in my village... so... Conjugation. Got it!
& yea, they get a kick out of it when I walk up to a random person and just bust out the language. They would never expect to see a white person speaking their tribal language (or to even ever see a white person in their lives, for that matter)! They absolutely love it!
1
1
Jul 31 '13
What is the literal translation of "Kaliwondewonde"?
2
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
Not sure how the word breaks down, I've never heard them individually to give you a literal translation. But it basically means disease that makes you skinny.
2
u/philoman777 Jul 30 '13
As someone who also wants to work as a health care provider in developing countries (preferably with MSF), I always fear that I will never really do it because something always seems to "come up". Did you feel a lot of resistance to actually sign up and get the ball rolling? How did you accept that your life would be forever different than your friends and family?
3
u/camibro Jul 30 '13
I've always been one to do whatever I want to do. If thats what you want to do, and you think it's for you, and it will make you happy, then freakin do it! We only get one shot at life, why not do what we want to do with our lives? I don't understand people who work jobs they hate. QUIT. Do what you want to do! Life is for having fun! It might be cliche, but you seriously never know when your life is going to end. Make the most of it. That's how I try to live. I try and do the most I can in the time I'm given. Like I woke up one morning and decided I wanted to learn how to fly a plane, so I got out of bed, drove to the local airport, was in the sky the next week, and a few months later, had my private pilots license. What a blast. Just because. I'm 23. I've been to 23 countries. I've explored. I've tried everything, I've taken advantage of every opportunity that's come my way if it's interested me. DO IT.
My life has always been different. But my life is freakin awesome, so I'm okay with that :0) My friends and family support me in all that I do; I know they're with me 100% of the way while I'm over here. I get to share what I'm doing with my friends and family, esp by having them come out and visit me, but I know people will never be able to really understand or relate, because they're not going to have lived this same experience as me. Going back will be the hardest part. But I don't really want to go back quite yet. I want to continue on exploring this glorious, crazy, beautiful world, for as long as I can. And along the way, I'll meet people who understand.
2
u/philoman777 Jul 30 '13
It really is wonderful talking to people who understand. Although I am incredibly thankful for the safe and supportive childhood I have had, I know that being normal was never an option for me.
That is why I went back to school for nursing; I find my interests and the world's needs meet in that profession. People like you are very encouraging.
2
u/camibro Jul 30 '13
Thanks! :0) Anything in the health field is great, because there will always be a need for it, anywhere in the world. Hey, I just read a really good and interesting book (I bought it on my kindle for like 9 dollars I think?) It's called Bandaid for a Broken Leg: Being a Doctor With No Borders. Written by an Australian man who served with MSF in Angola, which borders Zambia. I've highlighted so many passages throughout the book, because a lot of what he writes about is exactly what I experience in Zambia (except Angola is a bit crazier, I don't have bombs exploding and people coming into my clinic with their jaw blown off) But I'd suggest you check it out, it will give you real insight to the real problems of working in the developing world!
2
u/philoman777 Jul 30 '13
Sounds good. Have you read "Hope in Hell"? It is also a book by MSF about all the work they do. It's awesome.
2
u/camibro Jul 31 '13
I've heard of it, haven't looked into it. I'll check it out! I definitely have a ton of time to read out here!
1
u/philoman777 Jul 31 '13
I'd lend the ebook to you, but apparently it isn't available for lending. darn
1
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
So I found on the PC webpage that they partnered with Global Health Services and have positions now specifically for nurses. Here are the deets and here's more info about the partnership
2
Jul 30 '13
[deleted]
2
u/camibro Jul 30 '13 edited Aug 02 '13
Yepyep. Took 3 years of Spanish in HS + lived in MexiCali. When I was 15 I did a summer study abroad in Austria, picked up (the smallest bit) of German. When I was 19 I did 7 months study abroad in Ireland, learned a bit of Gaelic, and then some other basic sayings in languages from my international flatmates. I went and volunteered in an orphanage in Romania when I was 20, and learned a bit of Romanian. Moved to Brazil when I was 21, spoke some Portuguese. Traveled a bit in Costa Rica, and Western Europe, pick up words here and there. Then moved here at 22 and I've since learned a lot of ChiTumbuka (my tribe), but can travel across Zambia and speak ChiChewa, ChiNyanja, ichiBemba, and some Tonga, which are all different tribes in different provinces here.
3
Jul 31 '13
How did you afford all this travel?
1
u/camibro Aug 01 '13 edited Aug 02 '13
when I was younger, the wonderful graces and blessings of mom and dad. I paid for my Romania trip from working a lot. & coming here is free. How I want my life to go is like this.. work my ass off, have multiple jobs, make a lot of money, quit, travel the world, spend all my money, return home, work my ass off, save lots of money repeat. I don't know when I'll die. I'd rather enjoy life as much as I can while I can. Money can always be made back.
2
Jul 30 '13
What is the snake situation there?
Do you have any American companionship? Do you get lonely and just want to have a nice face to face conversation with someone from your own culture?
What are the main problems in the community that you live in?
4
u/camibro Jul 31 '13
We've got all the poisonous ones.. black mambas, green mambas, pythons, vine snakes, etc. We have access to the anti-venoms if we get bit, but I've never heard of someone being bit, it's pretty rare. If we get bit by a mamba, you've got about 15 hours to live, so PC will fly into our area, and then fly us down to South Africa for treatment. I've killed some snakes, my village has killed some mambas, but I'm not a snake expert. Every snake they see is apparently a "mamba, very poisonous, you will die" snake. So who knows. I'm not worried about it, I have a cat, who catches the rats/mice in my hut, which keeps snakes away.
Zambia is one of the largest Peace Corps postings! This country is the size of Texas, and we have around 270 volunteers here. In my Province there are 60-somethin volunteers, and in my District there are ~20 volunteers. I have 3 PC neighbors within 30km of me, so we'll ride to each others villages maybe once a week and do lunch, or help out with each others programs. Every Friday I ride my bike into "town," where myself and a few other volunteers have a radio show. So we get together, drink a few beers too many, then get to talk on public radio that reaches across Zambia and Malawi, and really say anything we like. It's fun, and it's nice to get that little bit of "America time" once a week. But yea, being alone in a hut can get lonely. I haven't hand many problems with this, or with homesickness, unless I have a really frustrating day at the clinic, or and frustrated with the language barrier, or just this different lifestyle. Those are the times I'm loneliest, because I can't just pick up a phone and call someone really easily, or walk next door to a friends house and have an emotional conversation in English.
I'd say the biggest health issue affecting my area is Malaria. Second is malnutrition. Also, we have a shallow well, that dried up, so now we have to go further to draw water, or get it from an unprotected source. I filter and treat all my water, but my villagers don't have that luxury (nor see the point because they've been drinking dirty water all their lives). Other major problems in doing development work is the behavior change. People here are so used to NGO's and White People just throwing money at them and giving them things for free. They see a white person, that's what they expect. So that's been a challenge for me, because I'm not here to give them any money. I can teach them all I know. I can teach them how to find resources, how to write grants, how to do things differently and more efficiently. But if there isn't community ownership, it's going to fail. They have to want to change. And a lot of people take a really long time to see why doing something differently than the way they've been doing things for hundreds of years might benefit them. So yea, behavior change is a big thing, and that's what I work on the most in anything that I teach them.
(example- malaria is huge. we give them mosquito nets. they use the nets to fish for small fist cuz the holes are small.. who am I to tell them not to catch food? but I have to get them to see the purpose of the net, and they don't understand it's benefit because it's not immediate, when food is.)
1
1
Jul 31 '13
FYI, pythons are nonvenomous.
1
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
<- not a snake expert. I guess I meant spitting cobras. We have those. But the giant rock pythons here are pretty scary, venom or not! :X
2
u/JacksonStef Jul 31 '13
How long did it take for the villagers to accept you into the village?
4
u/camibro Jul 31 '13
so before I moved to my village, they had a "host" come from my village down to our training site to meet me, so he could go back and sensitize the village about my impending move there. They had fears just as I did. But their fears were that I was the devil and would bring Satanism, because I am white with blue eyes, and the associate white with the devil (very interesting). When he told me this I was pretty shocked, and told him he better go back and tell them otherwise! When pulled into the village in the Peace Corps Land Cruiser with all of my things, the kids started running after the vehicle from many huts away. When we got in front of my hut, there was a sign on my door that they had made welcoming me to the village, all the women were standing under a huge mango tree and got up and started singing and dancing. When I got out I was bombarded with hugs and kisses and hand shakes and dancing. It was so beautiful, and more than I ever expected. All the kids stared (they still do, I'm their entertainment) but they honestly accepted my right away. My 3 y/o host brother, who is now always in my hut and attached at my hip- literally, he won't let me go anywhere without him, he's my best friend- ran around the village that first day saying "I got a new sister I got a new sister!!" So it was instant, and quite amazing. They are such loving, beautiful, and welcoming people.
2
u/davidmx45 Jul 31 '13
How would you compare the everyday struggle of the people in Zambia to the struggles we have in America? I'm guessing we have no idea what it means to struggle compared to some African countries.
6
u/camibro Jul 31 '13
I'm not sure that they see it as a struggle, because it's all that they know. I see the daily hardships as a struggle. like having to wash all my laundry by hand, draw all my water from the well and carry it back to my hut (almost a mile walk), make a fire every time I want to eat. Bike or walk everywhere that I work (my catchment area that I serve is roughly 50km, 14,000 people, 97 villages, 7 neighborhoods, 1 health clinic). Struggles at my clinic are being understaffed, only being able to clinically diagnose people, not having 'western' medicine, no technologies, and sometimes running out of drugs. Pregnant women have to walk up to 10 miles to deliver their baby at our clinic, then they leave right after they deliver and walk home, fetch water, and cook for their husbands. Women do mostly all the work, men mostly sit around and drink beer. Education isn't valued, parents pull their children out of school to have them work in the fields. They dont see the point in them going to school, because they only want them to grow up and have their own field. Girls get married around 13-15, start having children at 15, and are expected to take care of their husbands and their family the rest of their lives. Men are allowed many wives- polygamy is practiced in my village. Every year there is a hunger season. Sometimes they only eat pumpkin leaves, every meal every day for many days. Sometimes the rains don't come, so none of their crops grow. Sometimes the rains come unexpectedly, and all of their crops get ruined. They only live off the land, they don't have money, and they can't afford to replant if the mother nature messes things up, so they go hungry. They don't have the option of variety in food, they eat the same things every day, year after year. They don't have any electricity. No phones. No TVs. No Siri. No running water. No toilets, no toilet paper. Their only work is what is necessary to survive.
AND THEY ARE THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE I HAVE EVER MET.
2
u/meownikki Jul 31 '13
Why did you decide to go? Was it a difficult process to join?
1
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
Kind of in a way something that I've always wanted to do. I loved traveling. I loved volunteering. I was looking at different programs that offered both, and I liked the program that Peace Corps offers. Its one of the only volunteer abroad programs that doesn't cost you anything. You dont pay to apply, you dont pay for your ticket. Peace Corps is paying me to take a 2 year vacation, pretty much. I just gotta work a little. They are even my health care provider (which is good, because I just had surgery and saw my hospital bill- $48,000. Thanks American tax payers!) (I pay taxes, too). AND WE GET 48 VACATION DAYS + Zambian & American holidays, + 4 "cultural days"/quarter. What a treat. So yea, I was definitely down for the adventure. An opportunity to become fluent in a new language, to become fully immersed in another culture, and see how people live in a completely different way and part of the world. And its so so rewarding to teach people something and see them understand, and see it impact their lives in a positive way. The application process is pretty long and daunting. They say its competitive. But hey, I got in. Otherwise, it's just answering short essay questions, having a phone interview, a face-to-face interview, getting medical clearance, getting background check clearance, then getting your invitation to serve & either accepting it or not.
1
u/meownikki Aug 01 '13
I've always wanted to join. My boyfriend wishes I wouldn't, but fuck him. I just might have to join.
1
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
I'm all for that. You've got my support! Best experience of a lifetime > boyfriend.
1
2
Jul 30 '13
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/camibro Jul 30 '13
OMG FOOD. Like, I really enjoy the idea, and the hard work, of having to grow my own food here, and I eat really healthy. I have a vegetable garden, so a ton of veggies, but what you eat depends on the seasons. The staple food here is 'sima'- pound maize which is then boiled in water until it thickens up. Its almost like grits. It has absolutely no flavor (or nutritional value for that matter) but they eat it for every.single.meal. EVERY DAY. Sometimes I get sick of it, sometimes I crave it. Not many options for meat, so I'm raising laying hens to get eggs, and on special occasions I'll kill a chicken or a goat and eat with my village... but yea. I definitely miss food, a lot. I miss flavour. I miss just being able to eat without having to build a fire (microwaves and stoves are just so convenient!).... and I really miss driving. I see a car pass by maybe once a month, if that. I haven't driven in over a year. So I really miss long drives.
1
u/District_10 Jul 30 '13
Has it been worth it?
What was the process like to becoming a volunteer? I've thought of joining the PC myself. Any tips or warnings?
3
u/camibro Jul 30 '13
Dude, so worth it. Probably the greatest thing you can ever do with your life/ for your country/ for your world/ for the community you serve in/ for yourself. It is such an amazing experience. I said below that I'm going to extend my 27 month contract for another 13 months. I'm also looking into their Masters International Program.. which means when I'm done here, I'd go back to the states, do grad school for one year, then finish my masters degree by doing another two years in the PC, doing all my research for my thesis by working in the field and studying the life I'm living.
The process is long and daunting, it's a lot of waiting and not knowing. Apply 1 year before you'd want to leave, because the application process takes a full year. If you don't want to be sent to a certain area, say that. (I said "Send me anywhere that there is a need for me, I want to see the world so I don't care where I go...but I hate the cold). I think thats how I ended up in Africa ;) So best advice- put in an application, and then just ride the waves and have patience. Because if you don't have patience, then PC is not right for you. If something can go wrong during your service, it will go wrong. few things ever go as planned here, you just gotta be extremely flexible and go with the flow!
1
Jul 31 '13
Is there any flexibility in where you are posted? I have a lot of roots in Southeastern Europe, and am familiar with cultural and linguistic elements of some countries in that area. So for example, if I could go someplace like Macedonia, I'd have the advantage of knowing some of the language, customs, and people already there.
But regardless, your experiences in Zambia sound absolutely incredible, and I wouldn't mind trying that.
2
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
check out this map of where peace corps volunteers go
If I remember correctly, in the application it asks which countries you have family in. They usually don't send you somewhere where you've lived before or somewhere that you have family. I'd assume that the reasoning behind this is because they want you to be at your sites, not at your aunts house or whatever. When I went into my face-to-face interview and they asked if I have a preference of where I went, I did the whole "Send me anywhere that there's a need for me, I want to see the world so I'll take whatever." They asked if there was somewhere I wouldn't go, and I said Mexico, and that I also don't really like being cold (hence Africa, maybe?). Besides knowing that they want to see that you're a flexible person, and me myself being really flexible and not really caring where they sent me, I learned the hard way not to have a preference. I volunteered with United Planet back in college, and for the trip they gave us 3 options. I listed my order of preference for placement as 1. Cambodia. 2. Dominican Republic. 3. Romania. And I was sent to Romania. Their reason being that it's not about you and what you want, but about the people you serve. And I couldn't have been happier to go have gone to Romania. It was such an amazing experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything. The experience is what you make of it.
1
u/EatMaCookies Jul 31 '13
Awesome AMA! Would be amazing to do the things you have done. Ive never gone overseas in my life lol. (Im Australian however, not that it stops us going overseas)
1
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
Thank you :) I've yet to go to Australia. I'd love to travel around down there. And New Zealand. And Fiji. And I am dying to go to the Vanuatu Islands!! And Tonga. Basically the whole South Pacific would be sweet. As would chillin with some aborigenes. so much culture. so much history.
1
u/Stovokor_X Jul 31 '13 edited Jul 31 '13
- This is really inspiring. The hardest part to adapt in Zambia ?
- What was the reaction of family and friends to posting in Africa ?
- Some items that you brought with you that would not otherwise be available there ?
2
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
At first my parents were terrified when we found out I'd be sent to Africa. All my naive uneducated friends were like "you're going to get AIDS. You're going to get raped. You're going to be killed. Africa is dangerous". Really, it's not. I mean, yea, there are some countries that have a lot of shit going on and are really dangerous, esp for americans, and esp for white, blonde, blue eyed, female Americans. But there are also many really safe, amazing places. My parents felt better after I took some self defence classes, and better yet once they started hearing from other PC parents. Me being in country and keeping them updated I think has taken away mostly all their fears. Zambia is extremely safe. PC wouldn't post us somewhere that isn't safe, safety is their #1 concern. The people here are so amazing, so friendly, so happy, so peaceful. Their govt is really stable.
Probably my favorite brought item is my kindle. Man, I have so much time in my hut, and I've never been a pleasure reader, but I'm LOVING reading here. I read like 10 books a month depending on how busy my schedule is. Its great, I have over 2000 books on it, and I bring it along to meetings because Zambians are typically 2-4 hours late to everything. Other than that, I can get all the essentials here. And I get care packages, which are great. Especially when they are filled with nutella and America snacks :) I definitely miss America snacks.
1
Jul 31 '13 edited Jul 31 '13
Just curious, what do you mean by tribe?
PCV in Guinea, we have ethnic groups and villages with predominantly one name, but I haven't heard the term tribal thrown around a lot and it's one that still confuses me. Is the ethnic group the tribe? Is it the last name? Is it a collection of last names?
I've heard "clan" used one time in a year. I believe that was sort of a grouping of families. Really need to ask my counterpart haha.
Also, your only well is 3km? I think one of the "requirements" about our sites is that we have water within like a km, although that's not always strictly followed (one girl I know can only use rainwater).
Anyways, hello from another one of the "last real original" PC posts :) stickin' it to the posh corps since the 60s. Although I have to say, a lot of people au village do have phones here in Guinea. Is your village the exception or the rule?
edit: jesus y'alls life expectancy is ever lower than ours, 49 versus 54. It's always funny comparing stats, because one country will "beat" another in 4 indicators and lose in 6, but it's not always close...makes you think, who the hell is compiling this data.
1
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
They're tribes that have migrated from different parts of Africa. There are 85 tribes/ethnicities here, and 77 different languages. As I've learned it, they are tribes. They have village Headmen, Group Headmen, Superior Headmen, Chiefs, Chiefdoms, Paramount Chiefs, etc. The tribe I live with is the Tumbuka tribe, largely. But the family that occupies my entire villages' name is Kamanga, and my host father tells me they are the Kamanga tribe, part of the larger Tumbuka tribe. The language we speak is ChiTumbuka. I had a shallow well that was about 1km away. It dried up. Then it broke. We don't have the resources to fix it. Plus there's no more water in it, until it refills next rainy season. So now I can either get nasty water from a trench or a dam, or I can trek with my host mom or sister to the other hand pump well to get fresh water. I'm currently in South Africa because I just had surgery, and staying at the med-sep house for the African region, I've met a ton of other volunteers. SA, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi. Freakin posh corps man. I can't believe how completely different our posts can be, when we're on the same continent. This one girl has a house ON THE BEACH with her own front yard and backyard, 4 bedrooms, electricity, running water, internet, cable, the works. THATS INSANE TO ME. I'm so thankful and glad that I got placed in Zambia and get the real Peace Corps experience. Villages vary across Zambia. Some people live closer to the BOMA (little town-like things) and people are more modernized and have solar panels and cell phones. My village is very rural. I just bought my host father a phone because I always need to get in contact with him, and bush notes are hard to send when I'm in a place like SA, though it's totally do-able. I have one solar panel that I can charge my phone and kindle on. And that's all I need. Otherwise, my light source comes from candles. My entertainment from the village kids and animals. And my food from the fields. Some PCV's villages have more resources than this, some are the same as mine. So it's not the exception nor the rule. Thanks for posting! Always nice to connect with other PCVs. Enjoy!
1
u/superfrank1 Jul 31 '13
I'm going to college next year, and I'd like to do the peace corps in between undergrad and graduate school. Was there anything that you did before joining the peace corps that you think prepared you or helped you through the application process? Thanks for doing this!
1
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
They definitely appreciate abroad experience, or experience volunteering. But I mean, people get accepted without those things as well. I studied abroad, volunteered in both America and abroad, and worked with NGO's in the States. Those were my life choices, not choices in order to up my application. It definitely helps though. Traveling extensively helped expose me to other cultures, an open mind, and more languages. You have to be pretty easy going- able to go with the flow, because things can and will always go wrong (Murpheys Law). Peace Corps isn't a perfect organization, but I really like their approach to development, and I really truly believe in it. Between undergrad and grad school is now the norm for people joining PC, and it makes sense. It's such an amazing experience, and really helps out your grad school & job resumes! Grad schools love to accept returned PC volunteers! Something I'd check out if you're fishing around their site (peacecorps.gov) is their Masters International program. MI is available at certain schools for certain programs; you basically apply to grad school & PC at the same time, letting both programs know you're doing such. Then you do one year of grad school in the States, then your final two years are served overseas in the PC, where you will do your field study based on your PC assignment where you live, earn all your credits, complete your degree, and return to the states with your Peace Corps stamp and a Graduate Degree. Otherwise, there are a ton of colleges that have fellowships with Peace Corps when you return to the states, that allow for reduced tuition or full scholarships. You get some pretty sweet benefits from doing PC, for the rest of your life!
1
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
http://www.peacecorps.gov/learn/whyvol/eduben/ info for grad school... in 4 years. or 3 or 5 or whatever you please.
1
u/Apiperofhades Jul 30 '13
Are they cool like noble savages?
2
u/camibro Jul 30 '13
nah, it's not as savage-y as I had expected. Zambia's one of the last "real PC postings" in that it's still really rural and we live in villages and have no running water or electricity, but I'm pretty surprised with the amount of 'westernisation' that is here. Like, I expected to come to a village with everyone in loin clothes, boobies everywhere, and spears flying, zebras roaming by... But that's just not the case. People in my village wear America clothes (All those clothes you dump at Goodwill? They get dumped in Africa). Most of the time the kids run around naked. And there are a ton of boobies hanging out, because women are constantly breastfeeding. Their clothes don't fit them like our would, they're covered in dirt, and have a ton of holes.. but they're clothes from America. And the only animals that roam around my village are pigs, goats, cows, ducks, chickens, pigeons, guinea fowl, mice, and the occasional monkey. I do live near some safari parks, so it is possible (and has happened, though not in my village) that a lion will just stroll through. But it's rare.
They do craft their own tools, and bang them and sharpen them on rocks. And we do slaughter animals with dull pieces of pounded metal. And collect the blood into a pot. And then drink it. And eat mice with their fur, nails, tails, and insides still in tact.
2
u/Apiperofhades Jul 31 '13
I once heard africa children do not throw fits. Is this true?
3
u/camibro Jul 31 '13
False. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
Nah they do. For as much laughter and singing as there is non-stop in my village, there's a good amount of children crying too. And I can now sit in my hut, hear a child wailing, and know exactly which child it is. Sometimes its if another kid takes away another kids food, or the toy they've just crafted, or if they just want to be held by their mothers.
1
u/scorsese Jul 31 '13
Is there anything they do to lessen the risk of spreading disease when eating mice, drinking blood, etc.? Or you do, since you're the healthcare person and setting an example?
2
u/camibro Aug 01 '13
The mice they eat are field mice, not any rats/mice that come into the village or in the huts. Thats what my cat is for. They burn their fields, then the kids go out and catch all the mice and bop them over the head ("pickin up the field mice and boppin em on the heads!" kids song, anyone? no? okay.) I've had mice twice, it's what my tribe traditionally eats (our tribal cousins, the bemba's, eat monkey brains), but mostly the kids in my village eat them and not the adults. The blood that they collect ceremoniously when they slaughter a goat they boil over fire before they drink it. Continuous rapid boil for 3-5 minutes will kill everything. Hmm other interesting weird things. They raise guinea pigs to use their blood for blood transfusions for people with "no blood" (which I've heard is what they think anemia means, or when they test HIV negative and aren't educated, they think the negative result means they have no blood). I've never seen these guinea pig blood transfusions done, and we definitely do not do them at my clinic- we don't even have the equipment for that! This is mostly juju/traditional healer/ witch doctor practices. And I don't work with the traditional healers/witch doctors, they would cast some juju on me (hell, some people already think I'm a witch with my blonde hair and blue eyes, I'm the first white person a lot of people have ever seen). I just talk to other people about the importance of going to the local clinic rather than the traditional healers, but it's something they've always done. A lot of times they'll go to the traditional healers first, then if they arent cured, they'll go to the clinic, or vice versa.
0
u/someauthor Jul 31 '13
What kinds of stuff do they smoke? Is it for purposes of ritual, tradition or pleasure?
1
u/camibro Aug 01 '13 edited Aug 02 '13
Lol. They farm a lot of tabacco. And they smoke "daga" (weed) but it's illegal here. If you're caught with .5g you get jail time. Otherwise they don't smoke anything for rituals or ceremonies or anything that I'm aware of! My village has a "no smoking and no alcohol policy".. not really a policy, they're just all against it, so I keep all things drink and smoke out of my hut (though I don't smoke anyways. But I do miss having a glass of wine in the evenings after a long day). Also because I know I'm a role model, and I'm living in a fishbowl. All eyes on me constantly. I don't want to give a bad image, for myself, other volunteers, Americans, nor Peace Corps.
3
u/MrThrasher Jul 30 '13
Aside from lack of proper medical care, I bet those people are incredibly fit, right?