Sidebar #70 - Replacement Volunteers or Volunteers in Succession

An interesting aspect of my service is that I have been my community’s first ever Peace Corps Volunteer. This isn’t the case for several of my peers. Many are the second, third, or another generation of volunteers at their sites. Generally, the plan is that each community will receive up to 3 Peace Corps volunteers, each serving 2-year terms, in succession. However, after each two years, communities can opt out of having a Peace Corps volunteer, or they can request another one. Eventually, after the third volunteer in succession, at an individual Peace Corps site, communities are expected to adopt some of the sustainable projects facilitated by volunteers, and thus become self-dependent. This is part of Peace Corps’ sustainable approach to development.

Being a first time volunteer comes with a decent amount of pressure. Quite literally, my community’s perspective on the agency, and for some, the United States as a whole, could be shaped largely by my service. Yes, I want to facilitate successful projects. But more than anything, I want to reflect well upon my country and my organization. One of my main goals of service is to have a positive enough impact that I can pass the baton off to future volunteer. To me, if my community thinks highly enough of my service that they requested another volunteer, that is one way of marking a successful service. I want to lay a solid foundation in my community for Peace Corps, but I also understand that I’m not a perfect volunteer. Another volunteer may come in with a fresh perspective and bold ideas that the community embraces, which I hope is the case. I want to see the ball continue to roll in my Peace Corps site long after my departure in September.

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