Dear Peace Corps Volunteers, No one understand the uniqueness or challenges of Peace Corps service better than Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs). When we noticed your confusion on all the terms and acronyms across our website, we created the RPCV Lingo Glossary. We know there are some health-related things that you are experiencing or wondered…
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At some point during your two years of Peace Corps service, you may wonder if your efforts matter. It might be during the mid-service slump. Or, it is on a random Tuesday afternoon during the rainy season. Are you sitting in your hut swatting bugs and looking at a half-finished project proposal? Your host country…
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Period poverty is the lack of access to menstrual hygiene products (aka period products). It also means an inability to access the necessary education and support for good menstrual health. This leads to negative health, social, and economic consequences. There are many contributing factors including cost and stigma. To tackle the period poverty problem, we need to…
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Are you applying to serve in the Peace Corps? And, do you want to know about the health risks of a country you are interested in? Or, are you a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) who wants to stay as healthy as possible during your time in service? Do you want to keep up on your…
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Too many Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) develop dental problems during service. Some of us didn’t adjust enough for the conditions and expectations of service. Some PCVs let good oral care habits slide. Following the normal dental care routing from the USA may not be enough in your host country. And, don’t expect easy direct access…
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Following your regular dental routine from the USA may not be enough to ward off dental problems during Peace Corps service. In the USA, we have access to Fluoride in the drinking water and in oral care products. This may not be the case during service. Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) often serve in countries with…
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There is a culture of food when cooking and eating with other Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs). There are also common basic expectations when you are cooking and eating with other PCVs in country. You may each have your preferences. You don’t stand on ceremony. But you still need to work together to have a great…
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Getting a care package from home means a lot to Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs). It might contain items that you need for your service assignment. There may be items for you to share with your host family or counterpart. But regardless of what is in that care package, just receiving one could mean a significant…
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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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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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