I apologize in advance because this won’t be my most
interesting entry. I’m still in Hell’s Kitchen, New York. While I still have
reliable Internet, I’ll answer some frequently asked questions that I’ve gotten
in the 14 months since I applied to Peace Corps.
FAQ on
Rachel’s Senegalese Peace Corps Marathon
Where
is Senegal?
See map, its North of Ghana, South of Morocco, borders Mali.
What
will you be doing in Senegal?
Unknown!
I will be a health educator/facilitator on preventable
diseases, and I’ll work on other health issues like malnutrition and
sanitation.
Where
will you be living in Senegal?
Unknown!
What
language do they speak in Senegal?
Supposedly French in the bigger cities, Wolof, Pulaar. There
are half a dozen other languages spoken by other groups, predominately in the
South.
Another good question is, why
I am going to West Africa for two years during my roaring 20’s? Good
question! Have you ever considered joining Peace Corps? Almost everyone I’ve
talked to about Peace Corps over the past year has told me that they’ve
considered it. When I was 12 my dentist suggested that I join the Peace Corps.
Since my all-knowing dentist said this, dozens of people have told me to join.
As if this 27-month commitment is no big deal, anyone can do it. I headed the
advice of my dentist 10 years later,
and I applied at Christmas during my senior year of college. Although I
haven’t shipped out yet, I think you have to insane to do something like this.
This volunteer job means giving up everyone that you love for a couple of years
for a completely unpredictable experience. Plus it’s unclear whether or not you
will be successful in your new job. Lastly, Peace Corps is over 50 years old
and has attracted a large amount of criticism.
I’m choosing to work for this
organization because I volunteered in a 500-person village in Panamá with
Amigos de las Americas, a group founded by two former PC volunteers. I met a PC
volunteer in Panamá who lived one village away from me. Her environemental
classes were almost identical to mine. This volunteer experience inspired me to
study international relations instead of psychology, and prompted me to later
work at an orphanage in Argentina. That summer in Central America also showed
me that I could hack it with Peace Corps, if I wanted to.
I requested Africa as my
geographical region when I applied. When my welcome packet arrived and I saw
that I got Senegal, I screamed and jumped around my aunt’s apartment for about
10 minutes before calling my parents. Senegal was one of the top five countries
in Africa where I wanted to live. There were many times in college that I
thought my African Studies minor would be pointless, but oh no!
If you do want to know more about Senegal, visit our friends
at the CIA:
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