Are you interested in learning about the Peace Corps organization? Do you want to discover how the Peace Corps are contributing to the quality of life in Bulgaria? Read our guide for more facts and information…
For many individuals volunteering is a way to give back to other communities; but volunteering with the Peace Corps allows volunteers to not only give back but also to learn about the world and gain valuable experience and understanding. In order to volunteer with this organization you must be a citizen of the United States for travel purposes and organizational needs within the organization. It should also be understand before committing to volunteering that every volunteer serves for 27 months including their training period and that no shorter deployments are available through this organization. If you are interested in volunteering you must be at least 18 years of age; some programs require a degree of some form or the equivalent in work experience. It is possible for married couples to be paired together on volunteering expeditions; however, the Peace Corps does not guarantee placements with significant others or friends. While serving with the organization the volunteers live like a native resident in the region and receive a living allowance from the organization; when their service is completed each volunteer receives 6000 dollars to allow them to integrate back into their regular lives.
The Organization
The organization is based in the United States but the volunteer organization sends volunteers around the world as their organization is currently involved in 74 countries. The organization has had over 1000 participants since its inception and currently about 160 volunteers are currently involved in the program. The organization focuses on providing help and guidance at the grassroots level with a particular focus on helping youth learn life skills. The organization also prides itself on not just creating solutions while its volunteers are in the country but in creating sustainable solutions by working with in tandem with the local population and the government.
Involvement in Bulgaria
When Bulgaria experienced a governmental reform in 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union in the not to recent past the organization of the Peace Corps was welcomed into the region to help rebuild and improve the country. The volunteers deployed to Bulgaria focused primarily on teaching the local population English in an effort to allow them to better interact with the rest of the world. Also, with unemployment remaining high the volunteers have focused on promoting youth development, community involvement and establishing effective organizations. Some of the common initiatives started by volunteers are transforming school stages into public forums, creating media centres in elementary schools to promote expression, and preserving local traditions and culture such as funding folk dancing.
It is important to remember that not only do the volunteers work with locals but they integrate themselves into the local lifestyle; this can be problematic at first as Americans transition into a different cultural context where issues such as race, gender, and sexuality among others may regarded differently than they are used to.
