Cory's 27 month Peace Corps Journey in Ghana
Frequently Asked Questions
Where I'll be Serving
I'm located in the Volta Region of Ghana. Ghana is in West Africa and borders Ivory Coast to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east and has the Gulf of Guinea (which leads to the Atlantic Ocean) to the south. It’s 24+ million citizens are predominately Christian with Muslim and Traditionalist minorities. Accra, the capital, and Kumasi are the largest cities and while the climate varies by region, it is consistently hot all year with a dry and rainy season.
Ghana was the very first country the Peace Corps served in 1961 and it has never broken its service for any reason in over 55 years. English is the primary language, although Twi is also popular and each region has its own local language(s). In the Volta Region, where I'm located, Ewe is the local language. Ghana is comparably very safe and modernized for its region of the world.
The Commitment
When I accepted my invitation to serve, I made a nearly 27 month commitment beginning September 30th, 2016 and ending December 15th, 2018. There are, however, a variety of reasons that I may not end up fulfilling that commitment including (among others) being medically separated, being evacuated for medical/political reasons, and choosing to leave by my own volition. I also get 48 days off that I can use as I’d like, including visit(s) to the U.S.
Service Timeline and Dates
Before Departure: "Staging" begins in Washington D.C. on October 2nd, 2016 and I'll officially depart for Ghana on October 4th. During this time I’ll meet the rest of the volunteers I’ll be serving with (our cohort was 26 people) and get more specifics about the upcoming itinerary.
Week 1 of "Pre-Service Training": The first week is mostly spent acclimating to my new surroundings and learning some of the basics of the Peace Corps. The following 9 weeks are spent learning the language, health and safety precautions, important cultural practices and of course, the specifics of my job and responsibilities. According to other volunteers, this can be the most intensive, stressful and time consuming period during the entire experience and I will likely be less available for communciation with friends and family than usual.
Week 5 of "Pre-Service Training": Half-way through Pre-Service Training, my country director and instructors will announce where I'll be living and working for the next 2 years. They make this placement based on my strengths and the needs of the towns/villages requesting volunteers. From what I gather, they also take into consideration the type of environment that they believe I will excel in.
Week 10 of "Pre-Service Training": If I pass my training exams, I graduate into an official Peace Corps Volunteer and get sworn in. Shortly after, I travel to my site where I'll spend the next 2 years.
Months 1-3 of service: For the first 3 months I’ll be getting a feel for my surroundings and meeting the people in my village. I won’t be starting or working on any projects, but instead just learning what they need help with and how I may be able to help. I’m not allowed to leave my local community or have visitors during this time. After the 3 months is up, I regroup with my fellow trainees to discuss what we’ve seen and learned.
Months 4-24: Once I’ve gone through staging, pre-service training and the initial orientation phase I’ll have 21 months to complete the goals of my service. Typically, I’ll be assigned a specific project to work on in my village but I will also be able to find and start new projects – with permission and guidance from the Peace Corps – that I think could benefit my community. Provided I am able to fulfill my commitment, my service will officially come to a close on December 15th, 2018.
What I'll Be Doing
There are 6 sectors of the Peace Corps and I’ll be the Agriculture sector with the title “Business Advisor”. However, the category is broad and the specifics of each project are varied. Essentially, each town or village that has requested a volunteer usually does so for a specific purpose (although sometimes they just need general assistance). During training, my instructor and country director will evaluate my skills and strengths to those of my peers that I am in training with and place us based on the needs and project(s) of each community. Sample projects could range from increasing the efficiency of a cash crop farm to starting or improving a beekeeping hive. I will update this section with more information about my specific job when I find out more details (sometime during staging). Of course, when I get onsite, I can always find more ways to assist and start new projects, with the approval of my Peace Corps directors, that I think will benefit the community.
However, my job and the project(s) that I’ll be working on are only one aspect of my purpose in Ghana. I will also be focused on cultural exchange and understanding. It is a key component to represent myself and my country well, even if my projects aren’t going well or get completed ahead of schedule. I view giving my community a positive impression of the United States, its people and its values as equally important, if not more important, than the projects I’m working on. Additionally, gaining a new perspective and understanding their values will be a critically important task while serving.
Why I'm Serving
I detailed my motivations for serving in my blog post that you can read here.
Visitors & Care Packages
I can definitely have visitors – and please for the love of God visit me. But if Ghana is too far or expensive, definitely keep in touch via this blog and social media. You can also send me mail and care packages to the address below.
Cory Dowd, PCV
Peace Corps Ghana
P.O. Box 5796
Accra-North, Ghana
West Africa