Survivor

            Tonight I met a foreign volunteer living in Butajira for a couple of months. We got to talking about our organizations and what we were doing here. On hearing about the Peace Corps, what I do and how I live, he said Peace Corps sort of sounded like an episode of survivor. He said he didn’t think it was necessary for us to be living under the conditions PCVs are living in, that we could do our jobs the same with hot water, a toilet, etc. In his opinion, the PC should provide us with these minimum needs. He asked me if I was okay with these terms. My response was that this is what I signed up for and I knew going into it that some of the luxuries I am used to back home I wouldn’t be seeing for another 2 years.

            On listening to this and then thinking it over, I decided that I completely disagree with him. I don’t think I could do my job in the same way if I was living at a much higher standard than the average Ethiopian. PC is more than just going into a developing country, doing your job, finishing that job, and then getting out of there. It is about learning and understanding another culture and its people, about seeing what you have in common with someone who grew up on the other side of the world and what you don’t. How could I truly understand Ethiopia if I was living at a standard similar to what I am used to in America? I would never be able to integrate. When I tell my teachers that I eat injera and cook shiro wot and gomen they are so impressed. They say I am Ethiopian and explain how wonderful it is that I am doing things like them. I’ve had teachers tell me that I’m not like other foreigners they are used to seeing. I take that as a compliment. I would never be able to connect with them if I had plumbing, a toilet, hot water, etc. How would we be able to relate? I would be living under the idea of them versus us. And that’s not how I want to look at Ethiopia, as them verses me. I don’t want them to see me as just a foreigner. I know that is difficult and part of me will always be seen as different to Ethiopians, but I think I’m less of a foreigner to Ethiopians than volunteers working with other organizations. The volunteer I was talking to said that PC should require that all volunteers at least have a shower. I’m living without a shower and doing just fine. A shower is not a basic need. Hot water is not a basic need. Water on the other hand is and as long as you have a bucket, you can take a shower just fine. Trust me. I do it all the time along with millions of other people. The great thing about humans is that we are able to adapt really well. Everything takes time but eventually you learn to live in new situations and those new situations become normal. And honestly, not having hot water or a shower is by far the least of my worries. I’ve learned that I don’t need those things.

            All in all I’m happy to be working for an organization like the Peace Corps. Yea it’s hard sometimes… really, really hard. But I would much rather be part of PC, where human interactions are the number one priority than any other of the hundreds of NGOs who send volunteers, drop them off for a little and have them live under conditions not so different from what they are used to.