The Inefficiency And Indifference of the Peace Corps
Anecdotes I wish I had heard before applying.
Pros and Cons of the Peace Corps
There are many valid criticisms of the Peace Corps — white saviorism, American exceptionalism, and neocolonialism, as members of the grassroots group Decolonizing Peace Corps have noted.
Those are all are more harmful than its bureaucratic hassles, but it is also worth considering that it can be frustratingly callous to those willing to volunteer for two-plus years.
From what I have personally experienced and heard, I wouldn’t endorse applying if you have any history of health issues (physical or mental), even minor ones; think your citizenship might be questioned; practice a religion that might not be as tolerated elsewhere; or would have a lot to lose if the Peace Corps dropped you right before the departure date (e.g. if you plan on ending a lease on your place and would have nowhere to go if abruptly rejected).
The Peace Corps has facilitated countless humanitarian efforts, and many volunteers have had amazing, illuminating experiences. I’m happy for anyone who had the adventures and growth that I hoped to have as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and wanting fewer people to have negative experiences with the organization is why I write this.
Because as someone who put a ridiculous amount of time and money into trying to clear all of its pre-departure hurdles, only to be told two weeks away from leaving that I was rejected for a fairly arbitrary medical reason that had been cleared by my nephrologist, I would caution against putting too much effort into an organization that will not put the same care into valuing and communicating with you.
Still, you know yourself best. If this article makes no difference in your interest in the Peace Corps, I totally understand — I know I had tunnel vision in wanting to join — and wish you luck in your endeavor.
My Experience
My friend, who actually went on to serve in the Peace Corps in Indonesia, and I both declared to each other about nine years ago that we’d join. Service was something I hoped for and worked toward; finding out I was accepted to teach English in Ecuador was one of my proudest moments.
Instead of making the most of my last semester in San Francisco, I spent much of my free time calling and seeing doctors for medical clearance. I have a kidney disease, but it’s never given me trouble and any complications from it won’t surface for at least another decade. My nephrologist affirmed he had no qualms about my going, merely suggesting I avoid bumpy roads if possible.
I also scheduled a small surgery to remove some cysts, which wasn’t ideal, but I knew the chance, albeit slim, of their rupture could be disastrous. And it still seemed like a reasonable sacrifice for two years of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a long-term source of housing and income (albeit meager).
Along the way, there were some frustrations, like my country desk officer telling me that they lost my photos and visa application form, could I please send them again?
Alright, I thought. It’s a hassle, but at least I was told I’ll get reimbursed. Three follow-ups were ignored.
But by far the most callous response occurred a couple weeks before I was scheduled to uproot my life. At this point, my paperwork had still not been fully processed, but I didn’t think I had a reason to worry; I had gotten surgery to appease them, and my nephrologist ended his report with “Overall I believe it is safe for patient to go to Ecuador…and stay there for the term of 2 years with above precautions and recommendations.”
I had (foolishly) based every part of my life around going into the Peace Corps. Reddit threads told me any history of mental health issues could automatically bar you from being accepted, even a brief history of depression, the common cold of mental health issues. Thus, I didn’t seek out therapy when I probably could have benefited from it.
I gave only a cursory look to possible jobs if the Peace Corps fell through; I was busy enough getting everything ready for the job I had already been accepted for.
I closed myself off to anything serious and long-term romantically, thinking I shouldn’t get too close to someone when I’d probably be roughly 4,000 miles away from them in a few months.
But as it turned out, my two-year plan fell through in a curt email, citing worry over bumpy roads. My assigned nurse mentioned other countries I could be medically accepted for and suggested I try contacting Peace Corps ambassadors; none of them responded to my questions. I got an update from my nephrologist again strongly affirming I could go, which I sent to the Peace Corps. Nothing came of it.
After nine years of hoping to join, as well as five months of dedicating time, effort, and money to make this dream happen, I couldn’t even get an email back. I finally gave up trying to make it work, determining this was not an organization that deserved my time anyway.
Others’ Experiences
I should have prioritized my own needs more, but I’m not alone in being abruptly dropped.
Another girl in my cohort was told days after I was rejected that she had been denied service because of citizenship status. It’s safe to assume she didn’t withhold any pertinent information about citizenship to a government organization that thoroughly verifies your background. And compared to something more complex like evaluating a medical issue, checking one’s citizenship is relatively easy. How did it take five months to figure out she wasn’t eligible and inform her?
And my friend who served in Indonesia had plenty of stories about cohort members who ended up not being able to go, notified as late as two days before departure.
Some didn’t get their visas cleared by Indonesia for arbitrary reasons. That clearly isn’t the Peace Corps’ fault, but it’s worth keeping in mind that you can do everything right on paper and still get denied.
A couple other Jewish members were rejected, as the Peace Corps deemed Indonesia an unfriendly environment to Jewish people. Not only does that seem inconsistent, as other Jewish volunteers ended up serving, but also adults should be able to make that decision for themselves.
And by that logic, people could be denied because of their race. I have heard of different races being highly discriminated against in the Peace Corps, both by locals and Peace Corps officials, but I don’t think I have to explain why barring Asian people, for example, from serving in certain countries is problematic.
Additionally, that concern should have come up sooner; they should have been assigned to another country deemed more tolerant if it really was such an issue, instead of getting chosen for Indonesia and then having the rug pulled out from underneath them.
Compared to some others’ timelines, I was lucky that I had at least two weeks before departure to redirect plans and stop my packing.
Moreover, someone also selected for Ecuador detailed in a Reddit thread how she was denied six days before departure because she attended therapy due to mild anxiety, mentioning how it was a “a solid additive to have in [her] life…but it was not [her] only coping mechanism.”
Attending therapy does not make you crazy or weak; society would benefit if more people had the will and financial means to attend therapy even if not severely mentally debilitated.
Furthermore, doesn’t it make sense to want, or at least accept, people who have learned healthy coping mechanisms and have worked through their issues? If I had ended up going, I would have been better prepared mentally if I had attended therapy.
Instead, I purposely didn’t address mild issues out of fear I would be denied service. And the Peace Corps should provide better mental health resources when volunteers serve; poor access to mental health services, even when a victim of sexual assault, is an aspect of the Peace Corps that is oft-criticized.
Acknowledging Peace Corps’ Liability
I realize the Peace Corps retained some liability for the (merely short-term and manageable, according to my nephrologist) stress a bumpy road might have caused my kidneys.
However, a medical professional did officially sign off on my departure twice, and at the very least, the Peace Corps should have worked with me to find another option, as I was told a country with flat roads would be acceptable.
Obviously, mental and physical health clearances are necessary. 27 months of a tough job in a foreign country could prove demanding even for those with good mental health. And some assigned areas don’t have sufficient facilities for regularly treating some health complications.
Still, the blanket bans on people who have even manageable mental illnesses or symptomless physical health problems, for example, cause people to hide pertinent information (like my friend) or not address existing issues (like me). That seems just as risky as admitting people with mild problems.
The Peace Corps has accomplished a lot of good. Still, it does have the inefficient red-tape of any government organization and the dedication toward protecting its own interests at any cost.
While I think the Peace Corps goes overboard in its attempts to avoid blame, I do understand their motivations.
But to cavalierly dismiss admitted volunteers’ sacrifices by not providing timely updates or even responding to messages is insulting. If employees need more time to process information, the application and interviewing process should be moved up earlier. The Peace Corps has been around since 1961; you’d assume they would have figured out a workable timeline by now.
At the very least, the Peace Corps should treat the people wanting to devote over two years of their lives to their organization with respect — before, during, and after their service.
Lesson Learned
I realize now I shouldn’t have put so much trust in an organization that would dismiss me so carelessly. That isn’t a particular jab at the Peace Corps; most employers practice similar behaviors to accomplish their goals and maximize profits.
Still, I was a “useless” liberal arts major growing closer and closer to graduation, scared of living at home indefinitely with no real job (ironic, given my situation now). And the more time and money I put into it, the less I wanted to give up with nothing to show for it.
I was lucky enough to be able to move back home and start job-hunting like many other post-grads, but many quit their job, break up with their significant others, delay grad school, and enact other life-changing decisions in anticipation for service that might not be guaranteed.
Future of the Peace Corps
On a broader scale, I think the Peace Corps has to evaluate what its real goals are; if volunteers have been in a country for decades, what does that say about its aims to make countries self-sufficient?
But in the short-term, it needs to evaluate some of its policies, responsibly manage its resources, and streamline its clearance process out of respect to the people willing to drop everything for the Peace Corps.
One example of their outdated policies is seen in their approach to mental health. Younger people are far less reserved about seeking therapy and addressing their mental health. For an organization that is mostly comprised of younger women, a demographic that is also the most likely to seek out therapy, barring people from serving who are increasingly viewing therapy as a “form of self-improvement and personal growth, not unlike yoga [or] meditation” is unsustainable.
And it’s a waste of government resources to dismiss those who are qualified for another country and willing to work for you for over two years for minimal wages, instead starting the process all over again with another person who also might not work out. I was originally open to leaving for another country when told Ecuador wouldn’t be feasible, but no one would even answer my questions.
Admittedly — clearly — I’m not the biggest Peace Corps fan and have my own biases. But I wouldn’t write this if it were just a me problem. Given how many others have been in similar needless situations, I think addressing how arduous and discouraging the clearance process can be useful, especially for prospective volunteers, but perhaps also for people who only ever hear of the positive attributes of the Peace Corps.
I believe the Peace Corps has the power to be more of a positive force than it already is for both volunteers and participating countries. Whether it should continue to be a huge organization that lasts indefinitely is another topic.
