19 February 2012
In five months since my arrival, 3 environmental volunteers have left their service early. A month ago a man from the first environmental group went home as it was a year into his service and his frustrations clouded his optimism. When I heard news of his departure I was shocked and upset to know that even at halfway through service some volunteers continue to struggle. Being in Peace Corps, and especially Ethiopia, is a difficult journey. The most common times for people to leave early are during the first 6 months and at mid-way through their service. On two different occasions I had spent time with this volunteer, and though he was from another group (G4) I felt that it was a loss for our group to as we are only the second environmental group in Ethiopia. I told my fellow PCV’s “I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose someone in our group.” We have become something like family. In our group we have personalities diverse enough that everyone fits a unique niche: we have the comedian, the father figure, the diva, new-age hippie, sports fiends, the professional PC volunteer (on her 4th service), the married couple, the new couple (a common occurrence amongst PCV) and even a future diplomat. As varied as we are in age, background and interests, we all share a common objective for our service in Ethiopia. I knew I would make good friends during my service, but I didn’t anticipate how vital my fellow volunteers would be to my own happiness. The best laughs are shared in their company and the quickest relief from frustrations and disappointments is just a phone call away. We have a similar growth curve which we support each other by sharing stories, laughs and releasing aggravation. Five months ago we all met as 20 strangers, and twenty-two months from now I would like us to all complete our service together, but now we are only 19.
Jessica, our professional volunteer, has previously served in The Gambia, Lesotho and Indonesia (VSO). Ethiopia was a great match for her because she is a long-distance runner who wanted to use her 27 months in Ethiopia to train for her attempt to breaking the Guiness record as she runs across the United States. Jessica’s humor and intelligence is evident from the moment you meet her, and when acknowledging her list of accomplishments and experiences you know that she has to be a little bit crazy and a lot of fun. Fortunately for me we were in the same town for training and Jessica quickly became one of my closest PCV friends. Unfortunately for Jessica, in 5 months she has managed to attend 2 tragic funerals, be in a taxi while it ran over a pedestrian, receive a lunatic of a work counterpart, and contract typhoid, 2 ear infections, stomach virus, UTI and bladder infection (all with the same month). Jessica was evacuated out of Lesotho because of political instability, she has backpacked across countless African nations, rode her bike across the United States and had bizarre tropical diseases find refuge in her body, but Ethiopia has not been an adventure she wishes to stick around for. Her departure brings me great sadness as she has been a great friend for me, but her emotional and physical health is more important, and we all know that it will be the most easy to recover at home.
Supporting Jessica’s decision helped me realize that I could not imagine ending my service now. My complaints and frustrations are abundant, but at the same time I enjoy having such strange things to complain about because it is a new challenge and the personal growth I’m experiencing is seemingly infinite. Jessica’s time was cut short, but still she was a very productive, proactive volunteer. Maybe one of her most successful projects was helping me realize how much I want to be here and how strongly I feel about the commitment I have made to help the people in my community.
Thank you for your friendship Jessica. Good luck on your next adventure dashing across the U.S.A for the world record. Follow Jessica at http://goldmanheadsforthehorn.wordpress.com/
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