Cultural Event 4: Peace Corps and Travis Axton

Last Thursday Peace Corps representative Travis Axton graced my Multicultural Literature class with his presence. Travis did a full 27 month term of service in the Peace Corps overseas, in the African country of Zambia. Travis first did some training in America before his arrival in Zambia. Upon his arrival Travis dud some hands on training mainly learning the language and the culture of the Zambian people. After the majority of his training he was given a choice. He was given the option of two different sites for his service. One was deep in the bush of Zambia in a remote village; the other was a large village near a big city. Travis decided to go ahead and get his feet wet early and had himself sent to a remote Zambian village so he could get the full cultural experience. Here Travis was able to apply his training, helping the people obtain a healthier living environment. He educated about clean water, sanitation, and general cleanliness and health. For twenty seven months he was able to indulge himself into another culture and world while helping many people in Zambia.

                If you surf online over to the Peace Corps internet site, they can give you much more information about the Peace Corps, their goals, locations, and requirements for signing up. The Peace Corps is an organization started by JFK in the 1960’s. Their goal is to provide education, youth outreach, and community development; business development; agriculture and environment; health and HIV/AIDS; and information technology. Peace Corps is only present in countries endorsed by the United States government for aid.  Duties and responsibilities of volunteers vary widely, you may be asked to perform multiple duties with multiple areas of expertise. Stated on the website, “Ask any Peace Corps volunteer and he or she will tell you that everybody has a unique experience.” (http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.whatvol).

            The Peace Corps has an international goal for humanitarian efforts, and it shows the hospitality of America towards other nations. It is a chance for those accepted to make a difference in other countries. The benefits are self rewarding, and you can learn skills in leadership and cross culture communication. The downside is that you must go overseas into an environment that can be a culture shock for anyone. Also leaving behind all of your possessions and life can be a very difficult thing to do for many people. To help this dilemma, the Peace Corps does provide the funds for the entire experience, as well as funds upon your return to America in order to get yourself started again. Overall it is a chance to feel rewarded and help those in need across the globe.