FAQs: Peace Corps Malawi

I wrote letters back and forth between a few classes back in the States and they asked me some pretty common questions so I've decided to answer them for the 7 people who read my blog, too.  Just in case you were wondering...

 

Did the Peace Corps ask you to study Malawi before you left?

No and I wish they asked me to do research before I left.  I assumed they would have history lessons during training and I wanted to learn about Malawi from people firsthand, not from the internet.  However, training did not go deep enough into the history and culture of Malawi, in my opinion, and so I learned most of what I know from what I researched before I left (which was very little) and what I am learning daily in my village.

How is it working for the Peace Corps?

Working for Peace Corps has been really great.  I’ve learned a great deal about international work and I’ve truly enjoyed living with my community for two years.  It’s not a high-paying job, but it is a rewarding job.  I learned a lot about Malawian culture and a lot about myself.  I’ve changed so much from this experience so far.  I also feel better prepared for my future career.

What Peace Corps mission are you doing?

I am working in the health sector and I am assigned to a small rural hospital. 

What do you do?

I work within the community on development projects.  What does this mean, exactly?  With the help of the community, I find ways to make improvements. I work with several counterparts on different projects.  My main counterparts are Jembe, Steven and Ethel.

 More specifically, this is my job:

1. I work with a women’s group who has a Village Savings and Loan program where business women save their money in an actual safe in the village and borrow money with a 10% interest rate when they need it.  Currently these women have their own individual businesses but we want to make them more money by coming up with a business where they can all share the profits.
2. I work with seven HIV support groups in my area with Steven.  I give health talks to these groups, encouraging them to take their ARVs (medication for HIV patients), maintain healthy lifestyles, choose healthier food options, etc.  This includes numerous trainings that I have created, like making peanut butter, working with natural medicine, cooking demonstrations, etc.  The natural medicine garden has gained a lot of popularity.  Many patients are too sick to walk 20 kilometers to the hospital and having access to remedies in their back yard has been a positive addition to their lives.  We started a demonstration garden at the hospital and Steven and I have been educating the community on its benefits.
3. I teach Life Skills (a health and life-planning class) at the secondary school.  This includes HIV/AIDS education, decision-making, career-planning, business planning/entrepreneurship, etc.  It is a fun class to teach and extremely relevant.
4. I work with a girls club with Ethel where we talk about women’s health, goal-setting, HIV/AIDS and we are currently working on a business plan.  The girls are very driven and work exceptionally well together.
5. Jembe and I are putting in 66 pit latrines in the part of the community where many of the outdoor toilets have washed away continually.  We wrote a grant for about $4,000 and have the community working together to dig holes and build bricks – everyone has come together, it’s been an exceptional experience.  This community has been really hard-working and devoted to this project since we started it one year ago.
6. I work with girls’ camps all over Malawi.  These camps are for girls in high school and the goal is to encourage them to stay in school (many girls drop out to start a family or feel that education is not worthwhile) while emphasizing healthy lifestyles and career choices.

As you can see, Peace Corps has allowed me to work on a variety of projects during my time here and I’ve gained insight from all these experiences that will surely help me in the future.

Do you get paid?

I receive a living allowance of about $200 a month that covers basic travel, food and any necessities.  After my Peace Corps service, I will receive a readjustment allowance of about $6000 that can be used to help me get situated when I return to the U.S.

After you finish with Peace Corps, do you think you will continue work in Malawi?

When my service is completed I plan on returning to the U.S. to see my family and friends.  It has been a long time since I have seen them and after two years I feel homesick.  I would love to come back to Malawi in the future.  It would be interesting to visit my village after I have been away for a few years.  I know that I would like to continue international work (maybe visit other parts of Africa, Asia, South America – anywhere and everywhere!) and right now my plan is to go back to school for a degree in nursing and a master’s degree in International Health.

How old do you have to be to be in the Peace Corps?

You have to be at least 18 years old to join the Peace Corps but it is also required that you either have a college degree or 3-5 years of related work experience.  This is very important because you will essentially be creating your own job and having experience and knowledge will make your job easier.

How does someone get involved with the Peace Corps and what kinds of jobs do they do?

The whole process takes about one year.  You must fill out an application for the Peace Corps and go through an interview process.  Next you complete a medical and dental review and a background check.  There is a lot of waiting involved with the process as many people are applying to join Peace Corps and certain countries that meet your qualifications open up at different times of the year.  Jobs in the Peace Corps vary from country to country.  In Malawi, we have volunteers who teach a variety of subjects, volunteers who work in the environment with forestry offices and volunteers who work with hospitals and health centers.  In other countries, they need volunteers for fish farming, business development, computer technology, HIV/AIDS work and a variety of other positions.  It depends on your interests and background as to where you will be placed.

Is there a high AIDS infection rate in your area? If so, is the Peace Corps trying to help?

Yes.  Malawi has a very high rate of HIV/AIDS (11%) and the lakeshore has an especially high rate due to the fact it is very transient – fishermen come into fishing towns to celebrate big catches with risky behaviors and there is a high prostitution in tourist areas, as well.  Peace Corps is trying to help decrease the HIV/AIDS pandemic through many efforts (as this is one of our biggest issues).  Many volunteers distribute condoms, educate the youth and adults on HIV transmission (as there are many myths out there regarding the spread of HIV), meet with HIV support groups, plant natural medicine gardens, encourage HIV patients to live positively and to take their HIV/AIDS drugs that promote longevity of life, and encouraging community members to get tested.  It takes a lot of effort, but Peace Corps works hard on promoting healthy lifestyles and decreasing the spread of HIV.