| Peace Corp. Experiences |
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Experiences in the Peace Corp impacted me
greatly, and people may relate to it. Each has a title, but the impact speaks to the soul instead of the mind. Life gives the test first, than you learn the lessons |
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How I got there in the first place was partially selfish, I wanted to do something significant with my life after finishing college. Perhaps some had a grandiose idea of changing the world. Also break away from the ordinary way I had been living. Anyway the idea grabbed me. There was the image of adventure, excitement and chance to make a difference.
mood. Singing peace songs and excited. Afterwe landed and the ambassador spoke to us. we were exhilarated.
struck!. This is not a game. We have the illusion of moral superioritybut soon seen these people had the same goals and dreams as any of us. They loved their family, took care of children, help friends and tried their best to raise enough food. They fell in love, got married, cared for their parents. There is a commonality in humans nature. |
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There is an incredible amount of loneliness,
even in a crowd when away from the familiar environment. I was stressed out to say the least. Well I met a native girl and we fell in love. Just having one person to understand you is not everything, but it is enough. |
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When sent to a village, we are alone. There
is no one to provide direction or guidance, or even a goal. You are completely on your own. For a while this lack of structure disturbed me. Eventually I realized that I was the only one responsible for my life. This trait remains with me to today. |
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For a long time after reaching my site, thepeople were still suspicious. After all they had been lied to before. Eventually,possibly out of desperation a few people came to me for help.With listening and examining the situations, we generally came to somesolution. Word spread, more people came. After being accepted I feltat home. The people called me "Mr. Walter" and there were always people aroundmy house. |
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Where I was, there is no hospital, only a medicine store in the next town. People came to me with medical problems.Well I knew a little about it because I majored in biology and had severalbooks on tropical diseases. In those cases where I knew what it was,I went to the medical store, bought medicine and provided treatment asbest as I could. Pretty soon I was giving injections and stitching up wounds.The alternative would have been far worse. |
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One of my neighbors, Teacher Rose, said therewas something wrong with her daughter. .I though it was a cold or something.A few weeks later I stopped at Teacher Rose's house. Her daughter wasdead and the embalmer was putting her blood and guts in a plastic container.Later I found she had died if collier. I knew the treatment for that. Eventhought I did not have anything to do with it, I felt I had lether down. |
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While on a project to rebuild diesel irrigation pumps in MALI there was woman outside her house caring for a baby who had all the signs of kwashiorkor (Protein malnutrition). The next day I bought some sardines, a protein source and gave it to her for her baby. She communicated to me that it was too late. The baby was dead. |
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From time to time the people came to borrow rice or other food. One occasion, I had no money and no food. and had not eaten in three days. It would be 9 days before the next living allowance check. As it happened, a neighbor came to borrow food. Toll him I had no food and have not eaten myself in three days. Within an hour, the word had spread. Dozens of people came over with pots of food. |
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While building a road in Liberia, we all stayed several days in the peoples homes. The people in this village are very poor. After a few days I wanted to get stuff from the country store, a 3 mile walk. Almost as an after thought, I'd bought the "Old Ma" a lappa (a one by 2 meter piece of cloth) because she had cooked for me. When I gave it to her, she hugged me, was very happy, tears of joy filled her eyes. |
THEIR BEST UNDER THE CONDITIONS:
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Massive starvation required us to rebuild diesel irrigation pumps in the field. It is the custom for the elders to greet newcomers. Visiting a village in Mali, we were greeted by a single elder. The progerie (Boat Driver) asked why there was only one elder greeting us. The elder said "He was the last one left, the others starved to death." |
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While on mount Nichiloo, Webbo Liberia, working on the electrification of Webbo High School I stayed in the principal's house. I was dead tired after working on rebuilding the diesel generator and needed sleep badly. . As some times happens, driver (army) ants attacked the house. Awakened by many stinging bites, I lit a candle and seen columns of drivers all over the room. Now any ants are repelled by petroleum products and I had diesel fuel, having worked on the engine. Made a perimeter of diesel fuel around me using a tooth past tube as a brush. Sat on a small 3 leg stool, cleared the ants out of my safe space. Kept refreshing the perimeter with more diesel fuel. While the drivers were eating other insect alive, they ran into my perimeter with drivers on their backs. I kicked them out. Before the candle burned out, it was daylight. About two hours later the drivers left. |
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In building roads we need diesel fuel to operate the cats, graders etc. The only way to get it is to send a tanker to Monrovia, the capital city about 460 miles away over poorly paved roads. The road engineer allowed me to hitch a ride (to see my girl friend), so I was there but not part of it. This is the rainy season and bridge over a stream was washed out cutting the road off. What happened next was really a lesson in cooperation. Previously small trucks transferred their loads and passengers to vehicles on the other side of the stream. Out truck was way bigger. What started as blaming everyone and explaining why they could nothing. At some time, it clicked. No single person them selves could build a bridge, but the combined effort of all could. The village cut long trees and had them fall on the road. Our tanker, with a borrowed chain, dragged them to the stream edge. Small trucks on the other side pulled them across. Men on the ground dug them into the ground and staked them down. The spaces between the logs were filled with twigs and mud. About six hours later the bridge was built. |
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Working on Webbo High School's electrical system, I was pressed into teaching. Started with some basic physics, the students had that, than chemistry and all my main subjects. Started on biology. Finally got to reproduction. The class came alive, they truly did not know anything about it. This is something they really can use in their lives. Went on to human sexuality, which was of, course a big hit. The curriculum in the school did very little to deal with real life issues. |
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After working on irrigation pumps for two months, UNSAID declared the project finished. As a kind of reward, they set us up in to the Comasant hotel in Timbuktu (Like "Nicks Cafe in Casablanca). Mike an, other volunteer, and I were going to the grand marche and got into a conversation with some kids who were curious about America. Most of the people generally liked us. Offering tea is a common sign of friendship. Anyway went with them for tea. Mike could speak French, I could not, so he was translating. We generally told them that anyone could succeed if they worked at it. There were about twelve kids from four to twelve, and no adults. We asked them where their parents were. They said they were dead. Said: So you all take care of the rest of the family. They said all our parents are dead and we are all from different families. |
| Some of the things said about the Peace Corp.
Our job is to work our selves out of a job. Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.
The toughest job you'll ever love. |
| LIBERIAN PEOPLE |
