We asked Peace Corps volunteers about some of their favorite memories while in service.
Here's what they said:
Serenading a Lioness
"I had the wonderful fortune of living near Tsavo East National Park, Kenya, and entered a Safari Scavenger Hunt along with friends from the area and other Peace Corps volunteers. It was cute! We went in our car and took pictures of marked spots with cardboard cutouts of the type of safari life found in the park (because finding actual lions would be rare). All proceeds went to the Friends of Tsavo conservation group.
"After the contest finished, we were driving with Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" on full blast when one of my friends screamed, 'LION!' We stopped and looked out into the distance...until we realized the lioness was right before us. Being a romantic idiot, I popped up and started playing my guitar for it... It wasn't a fan of the key of D. Needless to say, we won first place and a free safari trip back to the park."
—Tanim Awwal, Kenya (2012–2014)
A Mock Wedding
"On the morning of my last Friday in my village, I received a call from my counterpart that my supervisor wanted me to come to work at 10 a.m. dressed in a white shirt, black pants, and a bow tie. I got dressed and made my way to work. When I arrived, I saw some of my co-workers dressed in traditional wear and was told that I would be getting married today. I chuckled and said as long as we are not signing any documents at the magistrate, I am good to go.
"This 'going-away mock wedding party' was a cultural experience filled with food, singing, dancing (we threw in the Cupid Shuffle, the Electric Slide, and Cotton-Eyed Joe for cultural exchange), and personal testimonies about my service by co-workers and community members. I pride myself on being cool, calm, and collected at all times, but this wedding — which was meant to tie me to the village forever — did a number on me."
—Gilbert Bonsu, South Africa (2013–2015)
A Martian on a Salvadoran Bus
"In El Salvador, people often board public buses selling any number of things, from underwear to miracle cures for cancer. A group of me and my fellow volunteers decided to act out a skit about trash management on public buses imitating the style of the Salvadoran bus entrepreneurs.
"I got on the bus dressed as a martian (tinfoil antennae with aviator glasses) and greeted the residents of planet Earth while marveling at their delicious foods — chips, soda, bananas, all of which I had in my plastic bag. One by one I declared my intention to throw the trash out the window of the bus. But my volunteer friends would jump up, dressed as (you guessed it) a bag of chips, a Coke can, and a banana peel. They stopped me and told me about all the benefits of reusing, recycling, and organic compost.
"People on the buses reacted in many different ways. Some ignored us. Some looked at us as if we had lost our minds. Some smiled and nodded their heads in agreement. Some of the kids on the bus got really into it and helped stop me from throwing trash out the window. We repeated the skit on five or six buses that morning, and it got more fun with each bus!"
—Brendan Hughes, El Salvador (2011–2012)
Catching Crickets
"The other morning a group of excited kids showed me how to catch and eat the large crickets they call inyense. First, they locate a tunnel opening in the soft soil, then they dig a hole until they catch a glimpse of their prey. A skinny arm with eagerly scrabbling fingers is thrust into the tunnel, rooting out the prehistoric-looking creature while trying to avoid its formidable jaws. Finally, they squeeze out the guts and roast the rest — legs and all — atop coals with a liberal sprinkling of salt."
—Matt Young, Zambia (2013–2015)
Chickens Speak English, Don't They?
"When I first arrived to my assigned village, I was a source of novelty for the children. One little girl in particular liked to hang around me, watching me attempt to cook over an open fire or clean my house.
"One day, as I was going into my kitchen to prepare some lunch, a few chickens flew in. I must have said something like 'OK, please get out my kitchen now' to the chickens in English. I then explained to the girl, 'I know that they don't understand me, but I want to talk to them anyway.' She then asked me (and I will always remember this), 'Do the animals in the U.S. understand English?' I smiled to myself and explained to her, 'No, I was just joking.'"
—Allegra Kwong, Vanuatu (2011–2013)
Meeting Baby Elephants
"I visited the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust where the conservatory protects baby elephants who have been orphaned by poachers. After the elephants reach 2–3 years old, they're moved to the East Tsavo National Park and, when they're ready, the elephants are released into the wild."
—Rachel Marie Rose, Kenya (2011–2014)
The Khmer Wedding
"Serving as a Peace Corps in Cambodia has been my most transformative adventure to date. Cambodia celebrates a plethora of fun national and religious holidays, but Khmer weddings are perhaps one of the most celebrated rites of passage in this magical kingdom.
"Each one never fails to please, decked out with the most abundant and exotic fruit trays (rambutan, dragon fruit, persimmons, oh my!), all-you-can-eat "sumlaw curry" (my favorite type of curry), a boatload of hot Angkor and Anchor beer (country fan favorites), and a live band that will keep the party going all night long. It was at my first wedding that I got to experience firsthand how Cambodians deeply value family and honor their cultural traditions. I am blessed to have been taken in as one of their own."
—Jalina Porter, Cambodia (2009–2011)
My Namesake
"One of the greatest joys of becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal, West Africa, is being welcomed into a family and a community for two years. A huge part of that process is receiving a Senegalese name; my family named me Oulimata Diop.
"From 2011–2013 I worked with over 200 women on market gardening projects in Guinguinéo. I was honored when one of the group members named her newborn daughter after me. Oulimata Sarr is my turrando, or namesake. This is a photo from her ngente, or naming day, in April 2013."
—Caitlin Healy, Senegal (2011–2014)
Christmas With the Catfish
"I was partnered with a self-help group of fish farmers in Western Kenya. Four great friends came to spend the Christmas holiday with me at my site, and I was extremely excited to get them to the ponds. We went with the intention of watching a fish harvest, but accepted a surprise invitation to help.
"We were thigh-deep in water and kneeling in mud to be sure we reached the catfish that stay on the pond floor. It was a fun activity for my friends who lived in a much drier climate in Eastern Kenya, and it was the moment I became a a true member of my group."
—Teneasha Pierson, Kenya (2012–2014)
A Celebration of Life
"El Salvador taught me that death doesn't have to be a gloomy, somber affair. Take, for example, one warm starry night when I visited a funeral up the hill from my tiny town: Men chatted and played cards in small groups in the yard while the women (including myself) entered the home. Some elements were familiar: the flowers, the framed photo of the loved one who passed, the series of prayers...
"But a surprise rang out during prayer intermission when a mini marching band — loud, bright, and complete with horns — belted out cheery tunes from a corner of the house, just opposite the casket! As the band played, people raised voices in conversations and the hosts passed out sweet coffee and cookies to all who had gathered. Emotions were mixed and strewn across the evening, with tears and hugs mingling with laughter, and no one was hushed or holding back. It was the first funeral I've ever experienced that seemed like a real celebration of life."
—Nicole Wooten, El Salvador (2010–2012)
A New Little Sister
"Each volunteer stays with a host family as they adjust into their communities that they work in for two years. This is my little sister, Fanta.
"She was (and still is) a never-ending supply of adorableness, entertainment, and unconditional family-style love. She enjoys puppies, pink, toilet humor, snacks, talking on the phone, and hanging out with her friends. I guess kids around the world aren't so different."
—Brandon Julian, Thailand (2013–2015)
