I would NOT recommend the peace corps. But I never served, I'm just a relative of someone who is serving now.

I have a family member serving on the other side of the globe right now and there are safety issues that I do not feel are being adequately addressed. They just kind of throw these kids out there without adequate instruction and with out any idea on how to stay safe.

My family member may disagree, but the stories they tell me are worrisome. I pray for them every day.

Rose

The Peace Corp is not all it is advertised to be. I had a relative who served after college and it was so bad she would not even talk about it when she got home when asked. Her story eventually came out bit by bit.

Since she was bilingual and spoke Spanish, she wanted to serve in South or Central America. They told her she had NO CHOICE in where she was to be sent, and sent her to Africa and dumper her off in a small village to be a teacher. (She since found out that this was wrong and she could have insisted where she was to be stationed.) She did not speak their native language and the language spoke in the nearest city was French. She had no school supplies to teach with. NONE. She was was told to go into the city to approach businesses there and beg for pencils and paper which was difficult not knowing the language. Her parents kept trying to mail her school supplies and things she needed for herself like shampoo, but since the postal system there is so corrupt every single box would arrive EMPTY except for the local newspapers they mailed her to read.

She said the water was so bad that you could not see your fingers on the other side of a glass when you held it in your hands. She got the Guinea Worm THREE TIMES! Guinea Worm is one of the worst parasites in the world. The worms hatch in your body and then crawl through your skin attempting to exit near the feet, creating blistering sores as they crawl. It is very painful. You have to walk around with worms hanging out of open sores on your body until they exit. She kept asking to go home and they would not come and get her.

She also implied that she had been brutally raped. They would not come to get her and bring her home.

She claims she has life long health problems from the experience - intestinal parasites and other things. I hope it is not AIDS. The Peace Corp offers what they call affordable health insurance, for up to 18 months following service, then you are on your own.

There is more to her tale of woe, but I won't write it all here.

Also, I one time dated a man who mentioned he was one the board of directors or some other high position, with the Peace Corp. The way he talked made me ill. He laughed and chuckled how they got (this is a quote) "All these dumb kids to work for free". Meanwhile these guys spent money like crazy on themselves for "fundraising efforts" and managing the whole Peace Corp scheme. He told me that the Peace Corp was a real money maker for him personally. He could write off all his gourmet lunches and dinners and even vacations and nice office supplies or just fund it out of the Peace Corp budget.

Socks, I am really curious about your experience. You seem happy with it, happy enough to recommend it to others. Where did you serve? What era? I understand if you do not want to give out details of your life, but you obviously had a very different experience than my relative did.

-------------------------

Read below about the Guinea Worm. Horrible:

Here is a link that might be useful: Guinea Worm

I had a fabulous experience, as have thousands of others. I was in Niger, Africa, then and now one of the most poverty-stricken countries in the world, in the 60's. There are returned PC groups across the country, and I know most if not all of them had wonderful, enriching experiences.

The PC certainly does not throw you out there with no training. People who are not comfortable roughing it a bit and taking precautions to stay healthy in Third World countries would not be good candidates.

A friend is now serving in Paraguay and is very happy.

Dilly Dally, there are idiots in all walks of life, and the guy you were dating is proof! LOL! Hope you didn't marry him!

Dilly Dally, I tried to send you an email but it was returned to me. Send me an email to rosethornton@cox.net?

Rose

A friend of mine is about to finish his tour in China. He's having a great time and making lifelong friends. He's happy as a clam, but ready to be back in the states.

Everyone I have ever known who was in the Peace Corps loved it. My boyfriend was in The Gambia, in Western Africa. My good friend's sister was in Thailand, and even signed on for an extra year of service. She met her current husband in Thailand, and now they are living here in Seattle and have opened two stores that sell Thai goods and one Thai restaurant.