Snapshots of Service

Four PCVs on Life and Literature in the Field

RPCV Sam Friedberg (Madagascar 2017–19) has spent more than a year traveling solo through Africa and Asia, staying with over 50 Peace Corps Volunteers at their sites along the way. During his travels Sam asked four of the Volunteers who hosted him about their favorite books and advice for aspiring Volunteers. The last names of currently serving Volunteers have been withheld for privacy and adherence to Peace Corps policies.

Luke, Lesotho

The Site: As West Virginia is to the United States, Lesotho is to Africa – that is, a state in the mountains. One would be hard-pressed to find a slate of the nation not in or within eyeshot of towering peaks. Originally from Guam, PCV Luke lives in one such mountain valley. One rocky road in and out; a community consisting of 800 people stretched across three hours of the broken street. No electricity, no grocery stories, just a unique culture held by the Amaxhosa, an ethnic minority of the landlocked nation. Livestock, truck shops, 5,000+ year old cave paintings, and farm plots are what makes it home for Luke, and the locals that live there.

The Advice: “Be ready to accept, and live in, the unexpected. Life outside of the United States is vastly different, and when you’re offered a country that might not have been your first choice, it can add levels of complexity in that difference from expectation.”

The Book: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

In Lesotho, herdboys spend weeks or even months tending livestock in remote rangelands. One herder from Luke’s community stands proudly here.

Claire, Rwanda

The Site: Rwanda is densely populated. Claire’s site is rural, but being in Rwanda, it is more populous than one might expect. All the villages bleed into one another with no clear boundary where one starts and the next begins. Despite having been there for a year, Claire still constantly meets new people in her corner of Rwanda, and will continue to do so until her close of service.

The Advice: “When looking at countries to apply to, look at the countries you know nothing about and have no reason ever to go to. You can always go on vacation to Costa Rica or Thailand, but Peace Corps might be the only time you’ll get the opportunity to go to a place like Namibia or Palau. I’m so grateful that I get to serve in Rwanda because I get to learn about and experience a culture I would have otherwise never traveled to if it weren’t for the Peace Corps.”

The Book: 100 Days, 100 Stories by Jo Ingabire Moys

Sarah, Madagascar

The Site: Sarah lives quaint small town of 1,600, gently nestled in the foothills of the central highlands. With rolling hillsides, endless rice fields tucked between the slopes, and children constantly tumbling and giggling, the loudest sound is the Catholic church’s bell that lets the community know when it’s time to eat rice. Sarah is wonderfully integrated into her community and the broader Betsileo culture as a volunteer. The Betsileo people are renowned for their business acumen, and a beautiful burial tradition in which they dance with the bones of the deceased every other year. Sarah spends her days walking through pastoral fields, over mountains, and across canyons, with Malagasy voandalana (a Malagasy word referring to gifts, typically fruit, brought back to the community upon returning after leaving) in hand. Ilaka Centre is a quiet haven full of kindness, tradition, and generosity, and Sarah is “endlessly grateful for [her] newfound home.” Since I had the pleasure of staying with her, she has extended her service to a third year.

The Advice: “Do it. This experience has been the most fulfilling wild time of my life, and I’m wholly changed for the better. Sign yourself up for the adventure of a lifetime.”

The Book(s): The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

Rice fields and orange clay homes sit nestled between towering mountain peaks – a typical landscape for the highlands of Madagascar, and the stunning backdrop for Sarah’s Peace Corps experience.

Oliver, Zambia

The Site: Nestled between the historic Lake Chila and the mesmerizing Lake Tanganyika, Oliver’s site sits squarely in the center of the green and bountiful district of Mbala in Northern Zambia. The community that has welcomed Oliver is part of the Mambwe tribe – the “mountain people” as they are referred to by their countrymen. Culturally, they are generous, loving, and patient. Zambia is known to the world for Victoria Falls, but Oliver knows the depth of culture and hospitality that exists beyond what is popularly known.

The Advice: “Take it easy. A lot of people come to Peace Corps with a lot of expectations for themselves and their surroundings, which ultimately leave them undone. So in return, you kind of get bent out of whack. The best thing to do is simply take it easy. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Things will come in due time and in that time between, discover the new world you are placed in.”

The Book: A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean

Carly, Malawi

The Site: Green as far as the eye can see, brimming with rolling hills and rich culture – Carly associates her site with friendly faces and the openness of the community to her presence there. The warmth of culture has made her feel welcomed and safe in her pocket of Africa. Fittingly, Malawi is referred to as the “Warm Heart of Africa.” Thanks to the hospitality and openness with which she has been received, she has been able to work with her community members on a variety of initiatives, including a wildlife club at the local secondary school. She appreciates the little things about her day-to-day life there. chatting, hanging out, and dancing with the local kids; speaking with familiar faces at the local market. Her life in rural Malawi has exposed her to both the familiar and the unique. One of the more unique cultural hallmarks of her corner of rural Malawi are the funerals, where a group of men called the Gule Wamkulu dress in incredible outfits and perform to collect money, which is then given to the grieving family.

The Advice: “You decide what your service looks like; from the people you talk with to the projects you are involved in to the events or places you go to. Only you get to decide how it looks, and you make your service your own. This outlook helps remove the pressure of expectations and what you may have thought you would be doing, which may be completely different from what you actually end up doing in your community.”

The Book: Urban Jungle by Ben Wilson