For those of you who don't know my name is Trey. I have recently been accepted into the Peace Corps Ethiopia program. I will be heading over in early February and will be working on the Environmental/Agriculture branch of the Ethiopia program. It has been a long journey to get to this point, and I still have a long and exciting time ahead of me.
A lot of you have just heard in passing the details of me getting this opportunity so I am going to start out by explaining a little about the process up until this point.
A lot of people have asked my why I chose Peace Corps to volunteer. After all it is a very long program, twenty-seven months, and difficult to get into. Well the answer is multifaceted, the first reason was money. I know that sounds bad, but I just graduated Dec 2012. As is expected I have a fair amount of debt from school, and my current job doesn't pay well enough for me to do much about it. To make things worse, I had been looking at volunteer abroad programs for a while, and they are all EXPENSIVE. I was routinely seeing $7,000 for a couple month programs, and on top of that you still have to pay for the plane ticket. There was just no way I could afford that! Secondly, the opportunity and experience. There is no denying the help having Peace Corps (PC) on your resume does for you. Now I don't want you to think I am just in this for me. Like I said I had been looking at volunteer abroad programs for years. I really wanted to get out there and make a difference. I believe that the most important thing we can do on this earth is to leave it a better place. As many of you know I am Environmental Studies graduate, and my highest desire is that when I get back I can find a job in conservation (preferably marine conservation). And I can't think of a better way at this point in my life to make a difference than from volunteering with PC. So when late 2012 a returned PC volunteer came and spoke in my class and explained what PC stands for and how I could volunteer, I decided that this was exactly what I had been looking for; an opportunity to go abroad, help entire communities, get practical experience, a getting a restart allowance when I get back to restart my life! I just couldn't beat that, so I applied.
I first sent in my application for Peace Corps in September of 2012 and heard back relatively quickly that they wanted to interview me. Within 6 months I had several interviews and was nominated for a position (just a recommendation for the interviewer, not accepted). I was told I was being recommended for a program with a December departure, since you are reading this now it is obvious that I did not depart in December 2013. After more waiting, this was a common theme, on July 3rd, 2014 got an invitation. I was at work and just happened to check my Email, I was so happy I yelled that I was going to ETHIOPIA, and started dancing around work. If my coworkers didn't already know I was crazy, I am sure at that point they would have figured it out. As I have already stated, I was invited to the Environmental/Agriculture sector.
From the PC handbook:
As an Ag-Environment Volunteer you will work primarily at the grassroots level with rural communities... Food security and natural resource management includes a wide range of activities, from small scale gardening, reforestation, watershed protection to farming and sustainable food production. The concept of including sustainable agriculture within an environmental framework is that through more sustainable farming practices, natural resources are more likely to be protected and conserved.
As a relatively new program, the Ag/Environmental is a lot of work look forward too, but also I will have a steady base to build on from previous volunteers. Due to the wide range of opportunities there are multiple things I could end up focusing on, and unfortunately I will not know exactly what I am going to be doing till about a month after I get in country. PC operates by assigning the best volunteer to the best field. Once I have been in the country and met with my supervisors, they will assign me an area based on my strengths and weaknesses.
So for now I (you got it) wait. I am due to receive my travel orders some time this month. I have gotten all my supplies together that I am planning on taking with me. I have checked and re-checked my documents and paper-word. I am studying the language, not as hard as I maybe should, but PC did say not to worry too much about that now, and I have been reading all about Ethiopia and PC. I am both nervous and excited. I can't wait for the opportunity to enjoy the " the toughest job you'll ever love".
On a side note: I know a lot of you have concerns about the safety of being in Africa during this turbulent time. I am not going to lie and say there is nothing I have to worry about. In fact there is a lot of turmoil in the surrounding countries, and even a bit in Ethiopia at the moment. It was something that I worried about for a time as well. But then after some information from PC, as well as some hard thinking, I decided I wasn't worried. The volunteers there have had no problems, they all report feeling secure and safe in their communities. PC has a detailed security plan, we will even be extensively briefed on security plans and procedures. Ethiopia itself is even taking strides to ensure the safety and security of all the people of Ethiopia. Finally, there is the simple fact that these people want us there. As one of the oldest programs of PC there is a long standing relationship with all those involved. The communities are ready and willing to accept the volunteers. In short, please don't worry about me. PC and I will take every measure to ensure my safe and happy tour in Ethiopia.
Finally I want to give all of you my heart felt thanks. From my family and friend's support, to the wonderful recommendations I received from some of you, and the help and understanding my work has shown me. You have all been a wonderful help and support through this whole process. I will miss all of you for the time I am away, and hope that in some way, you find my adventure an inspiration to maybe go out and have one of your own.
Sincerely,
Trey
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