The peace corps is a volunteer organization, or at least it was.
You join it, then go to other countries then get jobs there helping that country.
Hazily correct.
Peace Corps is a branch of the US Government - almost certainly State Department.
There are three fundamental tasks:
- Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
- Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
- Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
You are a US government employee while in Peace Corps, and you receive a living stipend. It's enough live on, but it's not extravagant. The amount of the stipend depends on the expenses in the local country. When I was in (1984-1986), the volunteers in Yemen had the highest stipend in the world $300/month.
When you complete your tour of service, you will get a "readjustment allowance" on return to the US. When I was in, it was about $3000 (that's after two years).
I think that some of my students - I taught ESL - had a very different impression of America after meeting an American. At that time, most people in the 3rd world got their notion of what it meant to be an American from Sylvester Stallone movies. They didn't understand anything about a free press, or any media not controlled by the government. American elections and American football were equally foreign.
I also had the opportunity to live in a traditional Moslem country, which was an eye opener. Living under a tightly controlled military dictatorship was interesting - one of my students was the head of the secret police responsible for the University and the Radio Station.
The Marines at the embassy joke with me one time that we lived/shopped in neighborhoods that were deemed to dangerous for them by the Gunny. One time one of them wanted a
jambiyah (ceremonial knife), and I offered to walk with him down to the
suq and show him the various
jambiyah shops. He just laughed, "Are you out of your mind? We can't go in there!"
I don't know what he meds story wil be for Peace Corps. There are definitely retired folks in Peace Corps who get their monthly meds through the embassy pouch.
You will have to get a security clearance, which means giving the government your fingerprints and permission to talk to friends and neighbors. They will also want your dental records - "Just in case you need any dental work while your in country!" - right. The guys in black helicopters will be able to track you for the rest of your life.
It's also a blast.
Mike