Hardship part of experience by RPCV Stephen P. Menard
Hardship part of experience
As a former Peace Corps volunteer who lived in a remote area of West Africa for more than two years, the Dayton Daily News articles truly offend me and many other volunteers who have read them.
I find it pathetic that the volunteers who terminated their service early complain so bitterly about the sickness and hardship that led to their departure. They are making excuses for their inability to finish a tough job.
Hardship is part of the Peace Corps experience. Having lived with dysentery for more than two years and almost dying from typhoid, I speak from experience. The Peace Corps is a life-changing experience and those who complain and leave early lack the strength of character to complete the job in the first place. The Peace Corps was not joking when it coined the motto "the toughest job you will ever love."
Part of being a Peace Corps volunteer is being responsible. Usually those people who do not listen or follow the rules end up having bad things happen to them. During training we are given statistics on crime and rape and explicitly counseled on how to avoid these situations. Former or current volunteers who have had these types of experiences are brought in to tell their stories.
In my group of 68 volunteers, only 31 people completed the two- year service. We all got sick; we all endured hardships. However, we rode out the good and bad times.
The memories of the bad times have faded to funny stories told over cold beers with friends, while the good times remind us that the Peace Corps experience changed our lives forever.
Stephen P. Menard Alexandria, Va.
