He congratulated us on our decision and facilitated passing our intentions to ET on to our Country Director. From there, we worked with our CD to determine a good time for us to make the transition from site to getting on the plane. For us, we had three major steps:. Leave our site in an orderly manner 2. Visit our provincial house and work with our volunteer leader to return Peace Corps-issued items bikes and our water filter. Travel to Lusaka to complete our medical clearance and administrative clearance with Peace Corps staff.
We chose a busy week to ET where provincial staff were not able to come and get us from our site. So, we had two busy days packing up all our things and giving away everything else Christmas in July in our village!
Leaving our village was both really hard, and surprisingly easy. We returned to our village with just three full days to get ourselves ready to go. We knew that our leaving would mean that people would be all over the emotional map. Some people would be very sad to see us leave. Some people might feel betrayed by our departure. Some people might feel happy to see those damn muzungus get out of town. And, as we were dreading, some people might feel that it was free reign on all the stuff in our house.
So, to negotiate all of that, we told our closest friends and neighbors about our departure. They were sad to see us go, but Zambians also handle departure and loss with grace and aplomb. As the village gossip mill spun wildly over the weekend, people from other villages began arriving at our doorstep to verify the rumors that we were leaving. Over the weekend, we packed up all our things and began to give away all our household goods.
Each of our neighboring families like Tamar, who you may remember received a giant bucket and shopping bag full of food items, plastics, and other items difficult to find in the villages. People were very happy to receive goodies, but contrary to our expectations, there was no horde of people waiting to adopt our things. This may sound very negative on our part, but people in the village have long and openly coveted many of our goods and had placed claims on certain items over a year in advance of our original departure.
So, knowing that Zambia always wins in the end, we planned for the worst and were delightfully surprised by the sane and sensible departure we had. We left the village on a Monday morning thanks in huge part to our missionary friends, Rita and Steve, who went way beyond the call of duty and picked us up with our mountain of junk where did we even get all this crap?
Our best friends gathered around our hut as I locked the door for the final time. There were big smiles, big hugs, and many hands shaken in a farewell.
It felt like suddenly our last 16 months of struggle and illness and work and sweat and toe-infesting parasites were suddenly coming down to these few minutes of goodbye. These last few moments with friends whose depth of love and care for us is indescribable. I had a sudden feeling of homelessness as we pulled away and the hut disappeared behind the wall of waving hands and smiling faces. This place had been a home , even if I had never quiet gotten away from the feeling of a being a stranger in the village.
And now were were leaving. Yes, for a big, wonderful, fully-funded adventure of my academic dreams, but we were also giving up this dream to do it. Peace Corps and Zambia and all that those things had entailed for us, was over. I know it would have ended 10 months later anyway, but somehow it felt a little harder because were were choosing to end the adventure early.
After we left our village, we spent one day at our provincial capital handing over our Peace Corps items and buying tickets for the bus to Lusaka the next day. We were lucky to come to the house during our provincial meetings, which meant we were able to say goodbye to all the volunteers in our province. We had some really special goodbyes and got on the bus at 5am the next morning with full hearts and suitcases.
Our time in Lusaka was surprisingly easy. We met with our country director, our program manager, and medical. We each wrote a Description of Service DOS report that detailed our trainings, project goals, and our actual work as volunteers. There was a surprising amount of money involved in our departure. So, overall, a pretty nice chunk of cash to go home with. On top of that, all volunteers accrue their readjustment allowance the money you receive at the end of your Peace Corps service throughout their service.
So, financially Peace Corps worked out really well for us and fully-funded our move to Norway and our time back in America visiting family where we are now. So, there you have it. Student loan payments can usually be deferred during Peace Corps service; in the case of a Perkins loan, sometimes for up to six months following service.
Second, there is loan forgiveness. Finally, there is student loan forgiveness for those with Perkins loans. For each of the first two years of service, an individual may have 15 percent of the loan amount cancelled. For each of the third and fourth years of service, up to 20 percent of the loan amount may be cancelled.
In addition to the monetary benefits of service, Volunteers and trainees will have their medical needs covered by the Peace Corps. If there is a serious medical issue, the Peace Corps will handle the logistics of a medical evacuation. Schools tend to love admitting students with Peace Corps experience.
Not only do these individuals enrich the student body, but they also provide an opportunity for schools to show their commitment to public service and helping those outside the United States.
Check out the following list to learn more. Pre-service training will take place before an accepted applicant can become a fully sworn Peace Corps Volunteer.
About 90 percent of trainees will complete their pre-service training. Serving as a Volunteer is not easy, so the training process is rigorous. Volunteers will be stationed in new areas and must have the technical and interpersonal skills and experience that will allow them to positively contribute. Lasting about two to three months, pre-service training will take place in the host country and include education concerning language learning, group working skills, cultural sensitivity training, and safety and security training.
Ideally, a Peace Corps Volunteer will serve 27 months in their host country and complete their term of service. But sometimes, various issues can prevent this from happening. There are four types of early termination: resignation, medical separation, interrupted service, and administrative separation. Resignation occurs when the Volunteer chooses to end their service. This may be done at any time and for any reason. Medical separation will take place if the Volunteer or trainee suffers a medical problem that the Peace Corps cannot adequately address within 45 days.
Interrupted service refers to a cessation of service due to no fault of the trainee or Volunteer. Administrative separation refers to situations where the Peace Corps believes that a trainee or Volunteer should no longer continue serving. These often include violation of a Peace Corps policy. In addition to contributing to the greater good, serving in the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps can provide other benefits, especially when it comes to professional advancement.
It demonstrates a commitment to public service and helping others. It can provide a plethora of real world experiences that cannot be replicated anywhere else. For instance, one of the biggest traits employers like to see is the ability to take on unexpected challenges. And for those wishing to perfect a foreign language, working in a native country that speaks that language for two or more years will provide the opportunity. Serving with AmeriCorps can be a wonderful opportunity to learn and hone new skills.
Some of these include:. The Peace Corps will also provide a slew of opportunities for a Volunteer to gain useful skills. These are great for their professional future and life in general. The RPCV accomplishes this primary mission by providing a number of resources.
These include joining an RPCV group, attending a job fair, exploring job openings, obtaining funding for graduate school, or taking part in a career event. There are numerous types of career events available, such as a resume workshop, networking event, career fair, or career-based webinar.
After completing AmeriCorps service, volunteers can consider themselves AmeriCorps alumnus and take advantage of exclusive job search resources. Benefits include a jobs board, career fairs, and training webinars.
Finally, there is the Non-Competitive Eligibility benefit, which allows VISTA alumni the opportunity to apply for federal jobs and bypass the normal application process. One of the biggest professional benefits of joining AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps is making connections. These experiences will necessarily expose participants to a large number of individuals. This includes civic leaders, members of a community, and individuals of power within government, agencies, schools, and public service organizations.
On this page. Quiz: Which Corps is for You? AmeriCorps vs. Peace Corps Volunteering is one of the best ways to gain valuable experience while helping people in need. For how long do you want to serve?
Do you get homesick? I like being away from home Maybe, but the experience would be worth it. Are you looking for help to pay for school? Yes No. Would you rather work independently or be part of a team? Do you have long-term volunteer experience?? Besides making a difference, what are you looking for the most? How much money can I get?
How can I use the award? Awards may be transferred, but the donor must: Have been at least 55 years old on the day they began service; Started the service term on or after October 1, ; Transfer the award before it expires; Have earned the award in an AmeriCorps State or National Program; and Make sure the transfer request is received before the award expires. Additionally, the recipient of the transferred award must: Be the child, foster child, or grandchild of the person transferring the award; Be a US Citizen, National, or Lawful Permanent Resident; and Complete the award acceptance process.
Is the award money subject to income tax? What drew you to AmeriCorps? How large was your AmeriCorps team? Did you ever think about quitting? What happened after your term? Would you do it again? Walk-around allowance: The walk-around allowance is given during pre-service training and in addition to room and board compensation. Settling-in allowance: Individuals will be eligible for this allowance after they are sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The purpose of this allowance is to help cover the costs of settling into a new home.
This money can pay for housekeeping and living needs, such as toiletries, furniture, and kitchen supplies. Living allowance: The living allowance covers the costs of living.
Volunteers will typically receive their living allowance each month and can use it to pay for bills, clothing, food, and laundry. There will also be a little extra money to pay for modest forms of local entertainment and postage. Leave allowance: Peace Corps Volunteers will build up two days of leave for each month they serve.
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