FAQ
5 questions people ask me about Peace Corps Colombia (& the questions I ask myself)
1. Isn’t Colombia dangerous?
Yes and no. I don’t pretend to be an expert on Colombia. The country’s 50+ years of civil conflict are rooted in intricately intertwined political, social, economic, and cultural histories. Drugs, paramilitaries, and the FARC explain a portion of the violence, but it still takes a lot of research and reading to even begin to understand why this conflict persists, as well as what caused it in the first place.
I recommend starting here, here, and here.
The biggest safety risk volunteers face in Colombia is petty theft. I won’t focus on explaining the conflict or peace agreements in this blog because, aside from its implications for Colombia’s development on a grand scale, the conflict will have little to do with my daily work as a Peace Corps Volunteer (see Q5.) Colombians, like Americans (ahem) don’t deserve to be characterized by their politics or trauma. So I won’t.
2. Where will you live?
Peace Corps volunteers work exclusively in the Caribbean Coast region of Colombia. On July 10, our training class will arrive in Barranquilla, a coastal city where Peace Corps headquarters is located. Among other things, Baranquilla is known for blessing us with Shakira and one of Latin America’s best Carnaval celebrations.
During 3 months of pre-service training, we will live with Colombian host families outside of Baraquilla. When our permanent sites are revealed at the end of training, we will ship off to to towns across the region. Volunteers live with host families for the entire 2 years of service in towns of 3,000 to 100,000 people. All will be revealed in due time.
3. How long is your service?
Peace Corps service consists of 3 months of pre-service training (or PST — see my post on Peace Corps acronyms.) During this time, we’ll learn safety and security protocols, shore up our Spanish language skills, and receive training to work with women, youth, teachers, and small business owners in our communities. At the end of 3 months, we will swear in as Peace Corps Volunteers.
Volunteers live on site for 2 years of service, with some vacation and interim training time built in. Some volunteers extend their service for a third year to do more advanced work.
4. What kind of work will you be doing?
My official title is Business Advising Volunteer. There are about 25 volunteers in my cohort doing the same work, in addition to several cohorts of business advising volunteers already serving in the country. Depending on our communities’ individual needs, we will work on projects in entrepreneurship and financial literacy education, as well as with community members to identify and strengthen the value of economic resources already available (small businesses, local craftsmanship, natural resources, etc.)
The crux of successful Peace Corps service, it seems, is a humble spirit. I don’t expect to know everything at the end of training, nor do I expect to bring unparalleled expertise in economic development to my community. I do intend to listen and learn from the wealth of knowledge that already exists there.
5. Can I contact you?
Yes! I’ll have access to Facebook messenger and Whatsapp most of the time. WiFi may be spotty, but I’ll be online often. Expect updates!
The views expressed here are mine and not of the Peace Corps or US Government.
