Will my work as a Peace Corps Volunteer be sustainable?

“What was your service like?” and “Can I go on vacation?” are common queries. One question that stands out from thoughtful candidates is “How will my work be sustainable?”

It’s a great question that shows that future Volunteers are preparing to make a responsible impact in their future host communities.

Sustainable development in the Peace Corps can mean that a project continues on after the Volunteer leaves, but it also means that your community uses the skills they developed with you. The Peace Corps employs a number of strategies to make sure our development projects are desired by the communities we serve and are grounded in sustainable grassroots practices.

Host country partnerships

Another frequent interview question is “Will I be working by myself?” The answer is no.

As a Peace Corps Volunteer, you do not work alone. The Peace Corps is invited by the host country, and host communities request a Volunteer who collaborates directly with community counterparts, whether that be through an assigned counterpart, or by working with a community leader.

Additionally, to ensure sustainable work and to meet the Peace Corps’ first goal – to help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women – Volunteers often partner with governmental or nongovernmental organizations (NGO) to support regional and national initiatives, like reforestation or ecotourism projects, for example – work that will continue after your service ends.

Training

Pre-service training (PST) prepares you for service in a host community. As a Trainee, you will receive three months of training and preparation in language, culture, sector-specific technical skills, and sustainable development. The Peace Corps’ commitment to honoring and working within the local culture and language distinguishes the agency from many other development organizations. For community projects to be successful and sustainable, integration and cross-cultural skills are imperative. That’s why Peace Corps training doesn’t stop at PST – your training will continue over your 24-month service as a Volunteer.

Participatory Community Analysis for Community Action (PACA)

After PST, your first three months in your assigned community are a period of adjustment and integration. As a new Volunteer, you are charged with getting to know your new community and becoming familiar with current strengths and challenges at your site. At the conclusion of the initial three months, you will meet with your community formally and discuss what they have identified as strengths and opportunities for projects that will address a need. This participatory community analysis, with the community’s opinion and needs at the forefront, helps the Volunteer identify best working practices, key community partners, and informs timelines for their projects.

"We will build all the stoves"

In 2016, Morgan C. started her service as the second Volunteer in a small community in western Panama. She collaborated with her community on an eco-stove project to help reduce the amount of firewood harvested from trees, increase safety, and improve air quality. Funding arrived about a month before she was scheduled to leave so the hard work of building the stoves was left to the community. “No se preocupe, Morgan,” her counterpart Cesár said. “Do not worry. We will build all the stoves.”

In early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Morgan went back to visit the community.

All 19 eco-stoves had been built with the hard work of a dedicated community group under Cesár’s leadership, with the plan to train more community members. “That way, it’s not just me,” he said. “More will have the opportunity to make an income, and we can build more stoves.”

Every Volunteer’s service looks different, as does sustainability across countries and sectors. You might work on a tomato-garden-turned small business in Benin or aquaculture projects in the Philippines. The common denominator in any successful project is an effective community partnership between community members and the Volunteer, which training help facilitate. Although a Peace Corps Volunteer may be a catalyst or a resource, successful projects happen because of our community partners like Cesár.