Going to the local ethnic restaurant in your US hometown is very different than dining out in your Peace Corps host country. And Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) taking meals with Host Country Nationals (HCNs) is an experience in itself. Make the effort to learn the expected dining rituals in your host country. Learn the about…
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RPCV Health Crusade needs your packing suggestions and ideas. Applicants, Invitees, and Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) keep asking for suggestions. They want to know how to pack and what to take. Despite being entirely volunteer run (and self-funded), we decided to help assemble a list and house it on this website so that it is…
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Our breathing patterns are often subconscious. When we are stressed, we anticipate something negative. Then our bodies go into fight or flight mode. Our breathing pattern changes. But this is not healthy to stay in that mode. We need to be conscious of when this happens. We need to learn how to go back to…
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Is there really a culture of food? Yes, food is a culture in itself. There could be generations of stories and traditions in the recipes, preparation methods, eating, and more. And the version of food at a restaurant in the USA is not usually the same recipe that you get in country. In the USA,…
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Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) shared some of their medical challenges with RPCV Health Crusade. Medical healthcare, prescription costs, and prescription medication access are consistently at the top of the list of concerns. According to academic researchers, the cost of medical challenges causes 66.5% of all bankruptcies in the USA. While employer-sponsored health insurance is…
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In the USA, indoor plumbing is pretty standard. We can expect hot and cold running water 24/7. But that is a luxury that some Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) do not have. However, it is not all or nothing with running water during your Peace Corps service. Be prepared for a variety of potential water scenarios.…
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First, gather all the unused prescription medication that you no longer need. Second, check the label to determine what you should do with it. Do you have to dispose it? Or, can you donate that medication? If that medication has expired or was not correctly stored, it needs to be properly disposed. If the medication…
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Many of us start the year with good intentions. We want to make positive changes. Some of those changes often include making health a priority. Every year, many of us make all sorts of new year resolutions. But are those resolutions achievable or are they too lofty? Do we forget after a few weeks? Did…
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As Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs), we get so focused on our work and on helping others that we sometimes forget about taking care of ourselves. But it is important to practice self-care too. We all need to show ourselves some TLC so that we can be at our best for others. In a nutshell, self-care…
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The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade created a firestorm of controversy. The loss of legalized abortions directly impacts the health and welfare of so many people directly or indirectly. Did the short-sighted decision to deny legal right to abortions puts the entire country in jeopardy? RPCV Health Crusade dissected what losing individual…
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