I've been asked a lot of questions so I thought I'd put some of the common Q&As here:
What is Peace Corps?
Peace Corps is a government sponsored program developed in 1961 by JFK. Peace Corps Volunteers live in their community and work to empower and train the local people to develop sustainable practices.
What did it take to get into Peace Corps?
The application process took approx a year and cost a considerable amount of my own money to get all the medical clearance needed. One of the requirements for application is a Bachelor's degree. Additional items like a second language or professional experience make you a more competitive.
Do they pay you?
Peace Corps provides volunteers a stipend to live in their local area. To live in rural Zambia I will get about $200/month. This in theory covers basic living expenses.
Is Zambia safe?
Yes. Peace Corps is highly concerned with the safety of their volunteers and put in place many safety guidelines that volunteers must adhere to for their own protection.
Zambia's economy took a large hit from 1970-1990 as the price of copper fell. In an effort to halt two decades of economic decline, the country undertook an ambitious economic recovery program. A cornerstone of this program has been the privatization of parastatal industries (including copper mines). However, the nation’s extremely high rate of HIV/AIDS infection, along with an unstable food supply and drought, continues to hamper development efforts. Recently, however, copper prices have drastically improved and the mining sector has resumed its position as the No.1 income generator for the country. The government has continued to promote and support the agriculture sector, which is the mainstay of most rural Zambians.
What is the history of Peace Corps in Zambia?
What is Peace Corps?
Peace Corps is a government sponsored program developed in 1961 by JFK. Peace Corps Volunteers live in their community and work to empower and train the local people to develop sustainable practices.
What did it take to get into Peace Corps?
The application process took approx a year and cost a considerable amount of my own money to get all the medical clearance needed. One of the requirements for application is a Bachelor's degree. Additional items like a second language or professional experience make you a more competitive.
Do they pay you?
Peace Corps provides volunteers a stipend to live in their local area. To live in rural Zambia I will get about $200/month. This in theory covers basic living expenses.
Is Zambia safe?
Yes. Peace Corps is highly concerned with the safety of their volunteers and put in place many safety guidelines that volunteers must adhere to for their own protection.
Zambia's economy took a large hit from 1970-1990 as the price of copper fell. In an effort to halt two decades of economic decline, the country undertook an ambitious economic recovery program. A cornerstone of this program has been the privatization of parastatal industries (including copper mines). However, the nation’s extremely high rate of HIV/AIDS infection, along with an unstable food supply and drought, continues to hamper development efforts. Recently, however, copper prices have drastically improved and the mining sector has resumed its position as the No.1 income generator for the country. The government has continued to promote and support the agriculture sector, which is the mainstay of most rural Zambians.
What is the history of Peace Corps in Zambia?
Following the formalization of a country agreement in 1993, Peace Corps/Zambia opened its program in 1994 with a group of water and sanitation/hygiene education Volunteers. In 1996, the program expanded to include projects in community health and rural aquaculture. The program expanded again in 2001 to encompass an income, food, and environment project. In 2003, a new education project was launched. Using emergency HIV/AIDS funding, a separate HIV/AIDS project was launched in 2005. Currently, Peace Corps/Zambia has four projects: rural aquaculture promotion (RAP), rural education development (RED), linking income food and the environment (LIFE), and the community health improvement project (CHIP). In April 2004, the Peace Corps celebrated its 10th anniversary of service in Zambia. Since the first Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in 1994, approximately 1,280 Volunteers have served in Zambia, which is now one of the largest Peace Corps programs in Africa. Volunteers live and work in eight of the nine provinces of Zambia.
There are currently 264 Volunteers in Zambia working in the areas of
education, community economic development, environment, agriculture and
health. During their service in Zambia, Volunteers learn to speak the
local languages, including: Bemba, Kaonde, Lunda, Nyanya, Mambwe, Tonga
and Tumbuka. More than 1,535 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in
Zambia since the program was established in 1994.
What are the living conditions?
I will be living in rural Zambia in a mud/brick and thatch hut. I will have no utilities or running water. Meals are cooked over a fire and bathroom needs are limited to a hole in the ground. I do have 2 small solar panels to charge a few small electronic devices.
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