this is thirty-six months

In designing my blog for my Peace Corps experience, I struggled with its title. How could I give one name to something so unknown, so big, so exciting. In the end, I decided that the only thing I knew for sure was that it would last for twenty-seven months. This past week, even that certainty burned up like a tire at a Bolivian blockade.

About ten days ago and long before they reached that magic number twenty-seven, 113 volunteers stepped off of a military plane and onto Peruvian soil. Since then, they have been buried by a blizzard of paperwork and life decisions, all while trying to collect themselves emotionally. Our turned out to be a particularly chaotic evacuation, squashed between the speedy turn of events in the country and the end of the fiscal year on October 5. We spent the first two days talking about what we left behind. I left my bee group and my godson. Gina left behind her earthworm fertilizer project. Mike his tree nursery. Ellen her elderly friend whom no one else visits. 113 people doing good work with 113 deserving communities, thousands of friendships ended with just a few hours notice.

On the third day, the Washington delegation arrived. It was tme to move on. We were given four options. We could close our service and travel South America or go straight home. We could re-enroll in another two years in another country. We could hope that Bolivia would settle down and wait to re-instate. Finally, we could transfer to another program. When a Peace Corps country is suspended or closed, headquarters sends an email to each country director asking if they could receive volunteers like us, Peace Corps Refugees. Volunteers are then given a list of what countries would accept how many volunteers in which projects, and for how long. The transfer option is especially attractive as many of the positions are available for just one year.

I was not ready to go back to the US. I have unfinished business with the developing world. With its logical chaos and its closeness to nature. I replayed in my head the day I met with the PC recruiter and I chose a Latin American assignment over an African one. This could be my opportunity to get the best of both world, to slip on my Africa shoes and see how they fit. I was hoping to find something for a year, preferably with bees. It felt like a long shot- only 6% of PCVs are agriculture volunteers, and I don’t speak the language in a number of the countries with ag programs.

When the list of possible transfer countries was unveiled, I flipped to the agriculture section. Seven countries had openings. Not interested in staying in Latin America, I looked to the Africa section. “Mali, two years, French required.” No. “Burkina Faso, one year, French required.” No. Finally, at the end of the alphabet, the only other option on the continent: The Gambia. One year. No French. I looked into their programs, and they focus on beekeeping and reforestation, which were my two main projects in Chimeo. Some of the Washington people sent my resume on to them and they enthusiastically ACCEPTED! I will be heading home this weekend for almost a month of home leave until my departure on October 20. I have been told that I will be working on the southern half of the country near the coast and learning a language called Mandinka. I will be about an hour from the capital city of Banjul and will work with the Gambian National Beekeepers’ Association. Tammy, the only other Bolivia PCV headed to the Gambia will join me then, and starting November 6 we will begin a Pre-Service training, mainly to learn the languages of The Gambia.

The Gambia will certainly be a much more challenging experience than my twenty months in Bolivia. I will have to learn the indigenous languages to communicate. I probably wont have electricity. I wont have a shower. Before my original departure I felt uncertain and a bit scared, but this time around its pure excitement. So, after a tremendously trying week, I’m looking forward. I feel terrible for having disappeared from Chimeo so quickly, for being swept up from a conflict that my dear friends will continue to deal with. I have been able to relay the message to the folks there that I will be back. I plan to send all sorts of letters to Chimeo from The Gambia and I will be back to visit and for a proper going away party after I finish my service in the end of 2009, after thirty-six months as a volunteer. I suppose now I ought to change the title of my blog.