For the project that I am working on in the Ukraine, we were with Peace Corps to place a volunteer in the community. Chris was place in the village in January and has been teaching English and learning Ukrainian, and the Ukrainian way of life.
Meeting up with other Peace Corps Volunteers yesterday for a picnic in the bucollic area of Western Ukraine, there were jokes made by the PCVs that the Peace Corps in Ukraine is more like the Posh Corps than it is for other volunteers in harsher areas of the world, like my experiences as a PCV in Ghana, West Africa.
After seeing their lives I would still contend that they have the true spirit of Peace Corps in all that they do. Some see that Peace Corps is a two year ‘interruption’ from normal life. From my experience I seePeace Corps as much more than that. It is simply not an interruption from the standard American lifestyle, but gives a new perspective to everything a return PCV will do in their lives long after their service has ended.
Even here in Western Ukraine, Chris learns the joys of bucket baths, latrines, drafty windows, pulling up well water from the yard, riding local transport, and living at a comporable standard of living as a local Ukrainian teacher. I salute him in his service to the Ukrainian people.
This is a lesson to our readers in truly living frugally!
Best,
Miel
