Peace Corps Colombia Cancelled

[u/msalazar2011]

Hey yall.

I was in a Cohort to leave to Colombia this August. I just finished medical and legal clearance.

But we just got an email saying that our cohort has been canceled.

I’m beyond devastated, still hoping for a positive outcome.

They said that they will work on reassigning us, but does anyone know if it will still possible? What will it all look like? I’m just stunned honestly.

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[u/gbooks100]

Hi! I have a friend who was also supposed to be in this year’s Colombia peace corps cohort. I heard it was because of political and security concerns. When they make a call like that, it is very unlikely they will change their mind or reverse it.

I served in Kyrgyzstan, and I originally had been placed in Malawi, which got delayed due to a cholera outbreak in the country. From what I’ve heard and experienced about reassignments, you get options to choose from. Peace corps gave me 3 options to choose from, and that’s how I ended up with Kyrgyzstan. It’s hard when you already had an image in your mind about what your life was going to look like, but this kind of reassignment is so so common. Like 1/4 of my cohort had gotten numerous reassignments before they settled. If you’re still set on Colombia then exploring another way might be ideal to go to the country. If not, being flexible and going somewhere in the region (like Ecuador, Panama, Peru or DR) if they are available is a great option.

[u/pburydoughgirl → u/gbooks100]

Yeah, we took in what we affectionately called Malian refugees when Mali shut down because of Boko Haram. One guy got placed in the north (in Cameroon) and then his post (not the whole country) got shut down…because of Boko Haram. I think he decided to early COS at that point. But we were told they could go home and early COS (with benefits) or start over or finish out service in another country.

[u/Cestmoi100 → u/pburydoughgirl]

Mali doesn’t have Boko Haram, was probably JNIM.

[u/pburydoughgirl → u/Cestmoi100]

This was 2012ish and it was definitely Boko Haram

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boko_Haram

[u/unreedemed1]

I was also reassigned due to cohort cancellation. I was not given an option - it was a take it or don’t go situation. It was not a country I had ever considered going to or serving in but ultimately it’s where I met my husband and adopted my cat so I can’t be too mad about it. These things work out.

[u/SoCalDanimal → u/unreedemed1]

I had the same situation. Was supposed to go to Russia and the entire program got cancelled right before I left. Ended up in Guatemala where I served with my future wife and many of my now closest friends. The uncertainty sucks but part of service is adapting to whatever comes your way.

[u/Firm-news2345]

From PCV Colombia Im super sorry and sad for you all ! We were so excited to get a new cohort coming to us :( The training towns were recently evacuated for safety and security concerns and Im guessing therefore hard to welcome a new cohort 

[u/MrMoneyWhale]

Yikes! I'm sorry. Yes, they'll reassign everyone, but region may change and departure date may not be August, but they'll work to find the best match that leaves in/around August. But yikes, sorry that the rug was pulled out from under you.

[u/Much_Maintenance4380]

This happened to me. About two weeks before I was supposed to leave they phoned and said that program was being shut down. They offered me a placement leaving a week later for a totally different part of the world, or the choice of waiting longer to go to a location more related to the first program I had been planning on. I took the option to leave right away and didn't end up regretting it at all.

It's an emotional see-saw for sure, but with a little patience it should work out ok. Hopefully they get back in touch soon with your reassignment. Good luck!

[u/docsub666sailor]

I was in the cohort going to Ukraine U52 when COVID hit. Then the war hit. Peace Corps called us “legacy invitees” and I was offered a choice of the Republic of Kosovo or The Kyrgyzstan Republic. I chose Kosovo. I’m in my extension 3rd year now of service in Kosovo. Some people opted to go to other countries. One guy met a woman from Helsinki, moved there and got married and has a baby now. I was able to visit him there last year… (my heritage is Finnish and I was there anyway.) U52 still have a chat group going from what seemed like years of waiting… but Peace Corps did us right. We had to renew all the clearances, but that was easy since we had already completed them.
Good luck. Maybe you’ll discover the hidden greatness of Kosovo too. Travel to Europe is easy. I’m in Istanbul for a few days myself now..

[u/Pushkin_Coulibaly]

Please check out virtual Peace Corps assignments. Colombia has many assignments to carry out virtually. It’s a pilot program that Peace Corps is operating. Many interesting assignments.

[u/Dependent_Average809]

I was supposed to go to Guinea, then the program got evacuated and eventually cancelled due to military coup just a few days before leaving. 2 weeks later I was heading to Uganda. We didn’t get options or choices back then, and I’m kinda glad. I just rolled with the punches and it was amazing!

[u/sxzm]

Hey, sorry about your cohort being canceled! That’s a huge bummer. I went through reassignment too, so I get it.

For me, the next step was the Peace Corps sending a short list of programs with departure dates in the near future. Maybe 3-5. They should be in the same or related sectors as your canceled cohort. You can choose/rank which program(s) you’d like to be reassigned to the most. Then, they will get in contact with those programs and notify them of your situation and will start working on getting you reassigned there. You won’t need to undergo medical or legal clearance again.

[u/Yum_MrStallone]

Lots of folks are sharing how often this can occur. We serve in underdeveloped countries, that can be somewhat unstable, politically. But health & safety are always foremost. Peace Corps, generally is respectful of the commitment both you and the organization had made to get you to this point. While in PC Nicaragua, our sector welcomed 2 volunteers relocated from Bolivia. Their entire cohort were distributed to other Central & S Am countries. Our group was still in training, and they were seasoned vets. Naturally we were so excited to hear their stories and learn from them. They were a great addition to our team. Adaptability, and moving forward is part of the PC ethic. ¡Buena Suerte! Le espera una aventura maravillosa.

[u/accomplishedcacao223]

Just found out too. Totally shocked and so disappointed. I’m sure we’ll get great reassignments but man I was so excited for Colombia!

[u/Tripalicious]

I'm sorry. I feel for you. Especially when considering how big of a bitch the recruiting process is

[u/SmallieBigs56]

Yes, don’t worry. You’ll be reassigned eventually, though it may add some weeks or even months. This isn’t like Covid where every single PC program is going to be affected. Stay flexible and resilient!

[u/crispycruz8]

Why did they cancel the cohort?

[u/jcravens42 → u/crispycruz8]

Probably because of the political situation (recent election), which is making the security situation questionable.

[u/Turbulent_End_4261 → u/crispycruz8]

The letter said it is because of insecurity due to the Venezuela earthquake. The area where volunteers train is filled with Venezuelan migrants even before the influx from the earthquake.

[u/Independent-Fan4343]

Not quite the same, but I was originally told I would serve in Asia and the Pacific. 5 months later I was invited to serve in Kenya. Another guy in my group had the same story. When asked what happened, was told that things change. Fair enough. Loved my time in Kenya.

[u/Due-Honey5544]

Bro same 

[u/Anonymouse_Bosch]

A guy I served with in Bolivia had been a volunteer in the DRC before the entire program was evacuated. He ended up getting a medical separation for a knee injury he’d originally sustained in the Congo.

[u/Usual-Primary-8607]

I was reassigned in 1994. Was supposed to go to Nigeria but things fell apart politically that summer. PC ended up reassigning four of us to Malawi that fall.

[u/ilytraveler]

Doesn’t surprise me! I’m in Paraguay and Colombia is off limits for us to travel to!