I would love to volunteer, but I do have one concern. Will I be alone or with other volunteers when doing my two year stint? Or will I be totally secluded from other volunteers? How exactly does it work?

By Anonymous (rrcs-24-172-217-141.central.biz.rr.com - 24.172.217.141) on Monday, May 19, 2008 - 12:00 pm: Edit Post

you wont be with other volunteers, you will be with a host family and a person from work who lives locally who will show you the ropes. I have heard of peace corp gathering volunteers together occasionally but not often. I beleive im going to morocco in feb 2008. I dont have direct experienve but thats what ive heard. any more ?s im at kb285103@ohio.edu

By Greg Forster (74.2.196.58) on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 10:48 am: Edit Post

Here is how it works:

You will go through a training period of around 9 weeks and you will be living with a host country family

When you go out to your site you will have some options of being with other volunteers either from your group mor already located there.

Volunteers travel often and will stop by on their journeys. You will not be isolated at all

Greg Forster
Venezuela 74-76 Jamaica 85-87

By Dottie Doyle (68.50.218.57) on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 - 1:15 pm: Edit Post

I am not a PCV but a parent of one in Cambodia. I can tell you that it seems to depend on where you go. You may certainly be alone in terms of being the only American in your site and go for long periods of time when the only English you hear is in your head. Isolation is an individual thing; some people feel isolation even in a crowd if they are not connected to anyone there. My son is in a very remote site and has to ride his bike for a two hour trip if he wants to see another PCV, get mail, and access the internet, and sure he feels the isolation of that. But he is also with a terrific host family and neighbors who are crazy about him. And he has learned how to be alone and count only on himself, which many people never learn in their lifetime.

By Lynne Marie Sullivan (99.250.165.44) on Tuesday, February 02, 2010 - 5:57 pm: Edit Post

It does indeed depend on where you go. I trained with a group in Uruguay, but my site was in the high plains of Argentina. I was very much alone, but I liked it that way! The next closest volunteer was about 10 hours away, but we often ran into each other in the big city, which was about 5 hours away... when transportation was available.

My situation was probably unusual, but I had to negotiate hard to get it!

By Jesse Osmun (196.215.85.98) on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 - 1:21 pm: Edit Post

As others have said it depends. While nobody lives with another volunteer, you may be close enough to travel by public transport. I have volunteers 30 and 45 minutes away from me respectively. I feel isolated sometimes, but I have a great community and I love my coworkers.